CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9250, 29 June 1910, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

I IN DEFENCE OF THE POLICE. (To the Editor.) Sir, —In Saturday's "Standard" one Stephen G. Sanderson volunteers the opinion that a book upon " The Police, their Incapacities and Errors," would find a ready .sale. I do not know • the gentleman, but I cannot let the occasion l pass without expressing my whole-souled admiration for the mastermind which dug up such a brilliant idea, and fearlessly promulgated it to the whole wide world. Here is a man who, judging by his calm dispassioifate declaration, knows his subject from AtoZ, whose keen, close, searching mind sees through and beyond the veil which marks the narrow limit of our miserable percipience, whose whole object in life seems to be to shed the illumination of his wonderful intellect upon poor suffering humanity loss highly gifted. He speaks! The police are this and. the police are that. Stephen G. Sanderson says so. It matters naught that Commission after Commission has searched the inner workings of that body of men and has judged otherwise; has failed utterly to find grievous fault with its administration; has unanimously decided that the men in a body—compare favourably with any similar ' bpdy of men in the Dominion., Weeks ago, what time one of Palmerston's "heroes" thought fit to do the Ned Kelly act, the town threw back-somersaults in its fright; grew aguish at every shadow; saw highwaymen in every stranger and howled unrestrainedly for police protection. Palmerston wanted its police badly _ just about then. Of the arduous experiences of the police during those eventful days Palmerston in, general was no judge. The town had its "brain storm." Apparently but one man in the whole community remained —like 1 Feilding—calm. But one man through all the_ conflict stood aloof, supreme, and kept his watchful eye unwavering upon the police, their incapacities, and their errors. Palmerston has reason to be proud of him. Who, then, will challenge his right to express authoritative opinion upon so portentous a matter ? Who, indeed ! The police are this and the police are that. Stephen E. Sanderson has said so. That ends it. Stephen has struck his chest in the we-are-the-people style. His book, with its damnatory broadsides, is to follow. Things are to happen. Stephen G. Sanderson has spoken. After him the deluge.—l am, etc., S "WANGANUI." Wanganui, June 27.

WEST COAST REPRESENTATION. .(To the Editor.) Sir, —Ever since the recent Farmers' Union Conference at Marton I have been anxiously hoping, and _ expecting that some abler pen than mine would take up the matter of the lack of West Coast representation in or on our Parliamentary Legislative Council, and in connection therewith I venture to express the hope that the political powers that have the control of the appointments will be guided and actuated by a just, broad, and liberal recognition of merit, and not, as I fear, is too often the case, by considerations of party or craft ; and as there are practically neither mining nor manufacturing interests nor industries on this coast, we are, to all intents and purposes, dependent on the farming industry in its many and varied phases and branches, not only for our prosperity, but for our very existence. Therefore, I venture to suggest to the powers that be that if they wish to make an appoinment that will give as nearly as possible universal saisfaction and pleasure to the backbone and mainstay of this coast, they can best do so by appointing tho veteran politician, the President of the West Coast Farmers Union, Mr -J. G. Wilson—l am, etc., LIBERAL. Feilding, June 27.