LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

->■■- '• .<«>"—- —.— OLD AGE PENSIONS. Sir—According to the P«w■ Association's' repertai'of ?. speeches^delivered ■- fay :. the csndi---dates who . contested the "Wetttl&cui "seat.' both mfert were pledged to reduce the ago wiiieb ..•will allow person* to became, entitled to old ' age pensions. This is just what might havo ■■ -heou ;-expected-'•alter the 1 ittcrc&.-,«'.<*? fast : j year. The cost .to 'tlio country' of mvcalted old ag«> pensions is wow the rate-' of. .©w £300,U00 per annum, and any reduction of the. age qualification will great increase that , amount. I quite expect to see a proposal ; ; to: increase the amount of-the oki ago.'pen'. .- brought before Parliament in the .-very' : " ■ near future, ; »ad "-L.think it is'-.qoitclt&i© ■ the 'people of the-''colony looked into the ' financial, aspect of this question, a* well as its effect on the character of a. section of tbo population. There ate many old people who really; deserve a pension, but-on "the'.'other hand there ate many who do hot'" deserve-', it,' ■".and.;--there are many- 'sons and daughters ot pensioners who are sufficiently well off to provide for their aged relatives, but; «tlk> are satisfied to band their filial responsibilities over to -the* State. I don't know what the attitude of tine new Government will '/.be.' about such matters, .but 'every, session for the " last- dozen years litis ' seen an 'advance m socialistic legislation, and some additional handicap being plated upon the enterprise and industry of the individualists. ' ; ■' -■ Colonist. A SAD CASK. ■ Sir,—A very sad case has recently come under my, notice, in which I desire* to respectfully ask practical sympathy of vour readers. Thcw. Babb. gardener, died in* the Auckland 'hospital on Sunday, duly 8. two days after admission. He had been working up to the time of his admission, and thought his trouble was only an ordinary cold. It was found that lie was in the last stages of consumption.: Be has left a widow, a most respectable woman, but unfortunately not ..■.robust," and . three children, ages 12, 10, and seven. One. of tbo children is at present laid up. These poor creature? were left totally unprovided for. Tho widow was obliged to apply to the Charitable Aid Board to bury the husband, and theßoard has granted three months' /rations for the ohilciron. The practical sympathy of all charitably ; disposed . persons <is respectfully asked, and an r subscriptions sent to me will bo publicly acknowledged. A subscrintidn list ties at my office, and all donations will bo thankfully received.: Frkok. A. CIAEKE. 22, High-street, Auckland. REFORM OF INEBRIATES, t • ,Vr T,l ° temperance organisations' ara all in full sympathy with Mr. Kettle, S.M., in his desire to tea this brought'about, and his remark, as reported in a local in to-day's issue, would be heartily* endorsed hv every . temperance worker, .with the alteration of one .small word. -Lectures are not much good apparently. You want to get people With wills, to-try and - remove the ■ temptation,. Mr. Kettle said "resist the temptation, but ho knows—no one better-that to talk of people having " wills', to resist" that which has completely enslaved and destroyed their will power is to do that which is ■** not much good." Sir, if a foul drain were scattering tho germs :of typhoid in' the community would anyone dream of counselling the victims to keep their general health good in order to resist tho disease? Surely the advice first, last, and all the time would Iks remove the cause of the trouble by cleaning the drain.. Now, sir, • the public-home bar is air infinitely more,destructive agent than any foul drain would be, and the only way to, resist the disease "it engenders is 'to remove* the cause. , .-•.-■ Chas. Wait. July 17. Sir,— notice in this morning's Herald a letter on the above subject'from the Rev. i. -V SmaJlficld. The reform of the drunkar - i~ i s 'i a COllsunil nation devoutly to be wished; but coercion does not spoil reform. J.hero has been more heartburning over the liquor question sinc<f the local option law was passed than ever there was before: Animosities have been created whore before amity and good fellowship prevailed. I hold no brief for either brewer or publican i m fact, . I do not ■ personally know' half a dozen of them, but I detest coercion in any shape .or form. Mr. Smallfield endeavours to make, out a- strong case for tho prohibitionists from the fact that they had an absolute majority - at the last poll, and he ■ evidontly would prefer national to local option. To my mind the only redeeming feature (if there ,m one) of the local : option law i. is the proviso that the no-license- party must have a three-fifths . majority, and 1 very much doubt if the people of New Zealand an the near future will be "surrender their liberty in this matter, your: correspondent's prophecy - to' the; contrary notwithstanding. Mr. Smallfield says; the liquor traffic has been condemned by medical science—a mere general assertion which he makes no attempt to prove.., " One swallow does not make a summer, and. the opinion of a few medical men does- not embrace the (term "medical science." While heartily agreeing with the reverend gentleman that the reform of the dru;-:tkard is very desirable, yet so is the reform of any other law-breaker. Tlio great mistake-: has been the making tho liquor question a political one. It is not a. Pa.tional matter, purely and simply a personal one, and no civilised nation has over passed a law prohibiting its citizens choosing their beverage. There are liberties of tho subject which :no Parliament; has any right constitutionally to interfere with. ,' Reform the drunkard and the burglar by all means, but do not deny mo the I right to choose what I shall eat or drinfc, simply ■ because my } neighbour chooses to make a beast or brute of himself. July 16. ' Robt. Kendall ■ THE NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE. Sir,— reply to Mr. /Wesley Spragg's comments re my letter explaining the position of affairs at the recent 'Provincial and Colonial Conventions, I am sorry that he did not point out the errors ho says I have fallen into, which would have been the mosc effective way of. answering my ? statements. I am not aware that at any time I claimed to be tho'mouthpiecc of the party. I was a duly-appointed delegate to both convention!!, and am well within my rights in pointing out any garbled reports of tho work done which may be supplied to the papers. It is to be hoped that there will riot be another secret convention, then these explanations will not bo needed. As to the statement that I am not now a member of the Provincial No-license Council, surely that must bo an error. Shortly after the recent conventions the new secretary, Mr. Paeey, sent a circular to the Auckland Temperance Crusaders, requesting that society to appoint two delegates. In response to" that request two names were sent, „my name being one; so that I am a duly-credited representative, and this fact Mr. Spragg well knew; for a few days before the council met, which was on Monday last, he privately asked mo to resign, or he threatened he "would. I said it was an extraordinary proposal, but I would submit his request to the Crusaders at their next meeting, which will be on Monday next. ■ I would have been present on Monday night last, but had promised to address another temperance society on the same evening. Next day I received a short note from Mr. Pacey saying that the following resolution was carried on the voices, there being only one dissentient:—"That this council • cannot accept Mr. William Richardson as a member, and that the Crusaders :be at once notified of this fact and be requested to make another appointment." Now, as it was at the urgent request of the Crusaders I consented to act as delegate, they are not likely to fall in with the suggestion. Monday night being inclement, it is probable not a sixth of the delegates were present. / Certainly, no charges have been laid against me. No notification of even a trial given, but I am summarily tried and condemned in my absence on duty elsewhere. If the constitution of the Auckland Provincial No-license Council will permit, of these ' summary ejectments I may consider myselt expelled—which will not very seriously depress me. I first got into bad odour by refusing to back up the attitude of the alliance on clause 9 in the Licensing Bill, and now having supplied the missing links in a garbled report I appear to have filled up the cup ;of ray iniquity. In my; interview with Mr. Spragg he admitted I had as much ricrht to be a delegate as he had, but other advice hss been given, and acted, upon, so it seems I have -been thrust out of tho temperance; synagogue,> not for treachery, hut consistency. ; WiLtlAir RicitABDSOX. , 388, Queen-street. OBJECTIONABLE POSTCARDS. / Sir, Some time since I observed with pleaSure a letter in your valuable paper re the above, but up to the present no further comment has been"made. Now, sir, with your kind permission,; I would _ like to add a few words, in protest to tho circulation of them. The immoral effect \ they ; have upon our young men and women is too evident to need reiteration here. AH must agree that they do an almost incalculable amount" of barm. The question which faces' us is one of most serious moment. :-. How can '.-. the town be cleaned of,them? .The police. in the South, lam glad -to notice,- have -been doing some- I thing towards answering the question; but what about our" Auckland force? Numerous prosecutions. have been made, and conyic-

i'mm secmred in .th* South few ftfttl* lot ,',' * , ■* «ah* indecent postcards, but 'in Auckland, with tortus •sjrt.,l. *.'«*-. o'lit.. a* full of -\'"S t'hem, not a single" pro.*i;eutio» '-;- ..bead ' * Made. ' •;:.:> Bo.w Ptnuco.- '/. : ..:-;" relict for rat; distiow&ed ' , ,■ " :' :: '".Anonymous," who enetesi* £1, writes:** ; -sS§| "Probably e-wryott* will'- bsvw- «* < 'about- , : : ; the destitute oki Italian, who *iu pat sssto " ~ : gaol for a wi-s-k ,i* l-fiag sbv erjy prxetikal ' ' .'V ; means for-Ibe wnoonent-'of jwrvin-j* r»H» frost - [ ! starvation or from «Jyi»tf * f exp©*»,t». " I • >',?} !am quite mK>, mr, that it.you - - to.-itjtri ■'■ :", : %i| 1 a subscription for thi«i did man ><•■» ■ : would have » quick, Tesipc«s«* from, sosfe of ■ s*; }i.th<«« wise are. well est or are in {rnnkfUl** . ' [ eircumstan«"-. I h&-*f wivh pip«i>«'re m j enclosing;-.asy ..mite. Tltw, tfwtp >* t» l I 'Aotew ealamity. estpiain. wife, and <tn« thiidi ' • ';?'■■ j Jest, and I read, 1 think, >~ijthr ,> km ii*ft. j I do. not know wheihtT any h'Ap wow'.'! rvt-n | be. accepted in this casw," but I " believe that if ■ •,- '/ | it would be ■ acceptable - titers are; m*sy of j us who would like to h.im yoa, sir, .i ; it you would ojwn a I go | no* enclose my card, bttt'*baJl r»a* in so'' ■'.•■.''■ ■ j paper what is beiug'tbae.: and it" a Mirtvrip- '^0$ tio'n is to. be opened you will receive" £5 * ' ' from. yours faithfully. Ai*fnyjjioi»." ': t [Our correspondent" will proKtbly bav* notj€»d that a- rt'licf fund ha* b*»eu opett-'d at - Ois.borne,— Ets."| ' . „ ,; ■■■'■■' _ ;„; - /,"-;/If TO COBRESI»O\PCM 1, . ' ■■:.. -: . ':'" " ■■:'.'.'- ~r.:\;}^y>: ■- Oio.—l. Write to the QamtOMTit riri»ti*f. W? Iltiguin, who wi.ll Mi[n>'<j-..rott -A-stb v » w«cf.,ik. .././/;/ baud Act. 2, 'They . *;»■ . luh-fttrtl^d"■;«'•, the \v:ix- ■ ■ land W"kksi,t- New*. , 3,'tbif <J«*rtt* wit t* «st- .' ."' taimrd Jtoai the Oovertunetkt ptlntr*, WsHiojftCß, ■;'■*« : : ■■'..'".■..:■.: ■'■.-'.'.■:.:-!*■" ';.. - _-^==ssa=^=g fi : : /-'//; ; f 18 J; - ■' •:' ■■•-." ■■ -'-■■ -'.- -i. .■'..■-."■■ '■ .-■--V .■-■:■;-■ -;,-.-: js:.E-w.n