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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 11 April 1912, Page 6

A resident of Sydney writes to a relative in Auckland :—'"'Although (wages are high, the cost of living' is getting a terrible burden on the breadwinner. 1 really think that, on the whole, the worker was better off some years ago with lower wages. Everything has gone up; at the restaurants nothing is supplied under a shilling, and articles that formerly were not charged for ari no longer given in. The public say that every award that is made is only a prelude to higher demands. The purchasing value of money is less than it was by a good deal, as the workers and their .wives are finding out day by day. Every indication points to a still highei cost of living in the near future. The thinking and reasoning man admits that aigher wages are not of much as benefit to him as he expected, or was led to expect, and that he would just as soon return to a more moderate schedule of wages and' a more reasonable tariff foi the necessaries of life, and he wonderec: how long wages will keep advancing and the cost of living do so likewise. Thi present position is not satisfactor; either for capital or labour." Mr O'Mialley, Minister of Internal Affairs in the Commonwealth Government who is so fond of his office that he ha. the reputation of going there before sun rise, has issued an order that in futuri any clerk who is five minutes late shal sign the denartmental attendance book ii red ink instead of black. The cthei morning the Minister reached his offic. about 8 o'clock. At 9 exactly he ran;: for some officers. They were not on hand hence the new regulation. Mr o'<Malle\ now signs the attendance book, himself and arrives early, so as to have his namat the head of the list.

The Bishop of Auckland is not one o> those who take la pessimistic view of th. position of religion in regard to moderi science. Speaking on Good Friday ai St. Mary's Cathedral, he declared tha the scope of the unknown had increase*, rather than diminished in consequent; of recent investigation and research. "There is no need to be in the lctast frightened," said the Bishop. "The blat ant, vaunting irreverence common in th19th century has Dassed away, and in this 20th centurv men are slow to assert, even with bated breath, that this or thai cannot possibly be. The whole trend of modern science is towards the Ci'o.-s."