OBSOLETE TRAM FOOTBOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1509, 3 August 1912, Page 3

OBSOLETE TRAM FOOTBOARDS.

Sir,—l was recently in a French colony, and noticed that trees in tho streets had a piece of barbed wire wound three or .four times round the trunks, at about six feet from the ground. I would suggest that to preserve" our cabbage trees in the "New Zealand Plantation" in Kent Terrace, that barbed wire be placed round the trunks of. the cabbago' trees there, to prevent.boys from climbing up to secure tho "eatable heart" of these splendid trees. ' '

As there havo been two deaths now, caused by tho use of the six-inch footboards on the cars, 1 beg to suggest that the council consider tho question of converting tho present cars, in order to do away with tho footboards, which aro out of date and dangerous. I was recently in three American and two Canadian cities, and found that the men collected the. fares inside .the cars, footboards being unknown. I noticed also that cars approaching stopped back to back, not face to face as is done here. Our method is a source of danger. The other method prevents passengers getting run down by the ooming-on car, which is hidden by the car, they have just left. The painting in white of a largo white band on the streets to show where the car will cover is a good idea, at busy corners, as it acts as a warning zone. I shall await with interest, as to how tho council face the footboard question, as public sentiment is' roused since the late sad accidents.—l am, etc., S. PEARSON. June 29, 1012. THE NEW WIRELESS STATION. Sir, —I sco by this morning paper that you still pcrsis: in your anti-English crazo for calling the most prominent feature in the .landscape of Wellington by the monkey gibberish "Etako." I have already told you that 'the naming of, this wireless station is under consideration by the Government. It is an insult to the whole Maori race to say that the above piece of monkey gibberish is part of the Native language of New Zealand. It is also an insult to the intelligence of the white peoplo to try and make : them believe that all the so-called .Maori names plastered all over'the map of this country were contained in the Maori language. If so, the unwritten Native language would have been far moro conspicuous and extensive than.tho English or the French. Every newcomer, every tourist, and visitor to New Zealand has to learn >.a new and useless language before he can make any uso of the maps, of'this country. From inquiries I have made in different parts of tho Dominion, I feel sure that not one person in 10,000 knows liow to pronounce more than a dozen of tho so-called Native names on tho map correctly. Hoping you will have a little more respect and -■ regard for this country arid the country from which we have sprung than to try to fix such meaningless monkey gibberish as "Etako" for all time to the most prominent feature of our native city.—l am, etc., J. H. COLLIER. Creswick, Northland, June 26, 1912. THE HIGH COMMISSIONERSHIP. Sir,—l have just read your 'article dealing with tho appointment of Mr. Mackenzie to tho High Commissionership, and I gather that you view tins appointment with some misgiving both as to its moral as well as to its practical effects. May I without'laying myself opeii to the charge of impertinence, put before you eoinc aspects of the appointment which may allay thoso ■ misgivings to which I havo referred ?

Let us consider first what tho duties, speaking broadly, of a High Commissioner are. I think I am reasonably correct when I say the main duty of a Higb Commissioner is to convince the people of Great Britain of the fact that there is only one country in the world where everyone is happy, everyone is free to pursue his own innocent amusements (vide tho benovolent attitude of the Rev. J. J. North and Mr. J. G. W. Aitken on the royal and ancient snort of racing), where everyone has but to do a minimum of work to gain a maximum of wealth, in short, that Now Zealand is the promised land, and that the best men and women in England should forthwith pack up their goods and chattels and come to New Zealand.

Now, if any man is going to be successful in convincing the British public of theso pleasing facts, surely he must possess in tho highest, degree tho qualities of a diplomatist,, ho must understand all the arts of negotiation. I find on referring to tho dictionary that a diplomatist is one skilled in diplomacy, and that diplomacy'means "political skill." Surely, then, Mr. Ihomas Mackenzio is tho very man for tho post. Cau any thoughtful and raspeotablo citizen say that a man who has been in opposition under Mr. Ma,ssoy, who was welcomed with open arms by Sir J. G. W<ixd, and made a Cabinet Minister, who succeeded Sir Joseph in the Premiership, and who, when at last he fell before the fiorco and bitter onslaught of Masseydom, received from Mr. Mosey the ripest and mest succulent plum' on the political plum tree, is not endowed in the highest degree with "political jsbill"? Furthermore, do we not know that Mr. Mackenzie is a man conscious of the dignity .of the position, he has been called upon to till? Do we not know how valiantly he fell with his Ministry: Did' he jiot display, in inarkc-.l contrast to some o: his colleagues, a truly rniieliiii,> dignity and magnanimity when, all iiinoiiM-iiiii-of that ripe and beautiful plum awaiting him, he warmly oc-ngralnhilcd his conqueror on his victory? Then, »ir, ther* i* another important t rwult to bo esDected. from, tWo cptjoiat..

ment. Tho present Government will, in all probability, win the .seat which Mr. Mackenzie vacates; ami further, ono so dangerous to Massoydom and who might b'e of such extreme use, to tho "Liberal party" in reconstructing and in; it, will bo removed from the sphere of local politics. Surely* then, in view of the personal qualities cf Mr. Mackenzie, and in view of tin! tactical advantage accruing to Iho (iovernment from tlic appointment, tho Cabinet was right in giving to Mr. Mackenzie what might in ordinary circumstances, he con.sidered as a just reward lo be given only to one of tho-? who had loyally and ably supported the present Government throughout (he twenty odd years it spent in opposition.—l am. etc., T. C. A. Hisi.or.