LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13683, 26 February 1908, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

SLEEPING IN THE .PARKS. Sir,l think your correspondent, Sidney A. Hall, is putting the boot pa the Wrong foot when ho traces Weary Willie's and Tired Tim's (forgetting Lazy Laurence) preference for sleeping in the narks '; to the unjustifiable zeal of " unprincipled politicians in booming thin country" to the skies. Everyone {with an outlook wider than his own backyard) ikpows that the crying need of this Dominion is population, and instead of:- ." walking ''about without a shilling in their pockets,"" if"some of the "' hundred* of good men - and true" would take their goodness and truth into the country, and put in a fair day's work for a fair day's wages, they would benefit not only themselves, but the poor, over-worked, overburdened settler. Let anyone ask any keeper of a. registry office how many applications he has for farm hands to go to the country, and for 510 applications ho can perhaps supply one boy, and ho will tell you that many take the fare, which is generally advanced, and are never, seen again. In a paragraph, in to-day's Herald 1 notice an instance given by Mr. W. A. Banks, in his evidence* at Oulverden the other day, of a farm labourer, who, working for five years at 20s a week, at the end of that period had £240 put out at interest. In the face of this, I think that if Weary Willie and his friends prefer to take their rest in jhi parks to doing an honest day's work in " God's own country," every sane person will *? y they nave only themselves to thank if their pockets are empty. With regard to the police moving them on, that is in the interest of public safety. If Mr. Hall lived in the.-vicinity of the Domain he would know how far from "good and true" the bulk of the weary ones are. It is now, as it was some years ago, quite unsafe for a woman to go alone through the Domain, and thus a beautiful pleasure-ground is lost to the public. Only the other Sunday night a man was attacked while driving "through, shewing how necessary it is that tho police, should keep an eye. on these gentry. It is pleasant to find anyone anxious to stand up for the downtrodden, but in tho present instance I fear Mr. Hall's sympathy is misP laml - Tub Otiiku Situ?.

JUVENILE CRIME. Sir,—Like your correspondent ".<}," I have been waiting to see if anyone in nil Auckland would raise a voice against what appears to me to be an awful practice—that Of sending young boys to prison for either short or long sentences. When two hula were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment some years ago for arson some, at least, of the local papers protested and declared that the lads would Ik* hardened criminals by the time their .sentence was completed. In the case of one of the boys that prophecy has been verified, and who can wonder at it? Whatever the law may be on the subject, I think all sane people will agree that a reformatory is the proper place for boy criminals up to 17 or 18 years of.age, instead of being mixed up with vicious characters of all kinds and receiving the taint of the prison for the remainder of their lives. It is possible, of course, that some juvenile criminals could not be saved; they might lapse into their evil ways at the first opportunity, but it would be" some comfort to know that they had been given a chance to retrieve their first false steps, and society would have done its duty. The newspapers lately have been full of the cry "Save -the babies!" Sir Joseph Ward has assured us solemnly that each infant's life is,worth £250 to the State, but so far no one has raised the cry " Save the boys." Yet the matter is quite as important, for if wo manufacture criminals in this fashion they are as great a menace to the community in their way as is the mortality among infanta. Another, case which one would expect to arouse a little indignation was that in which three boys aged from 10 to 14- were brought tip at the Police Court some time ago. A man with a little less respect for the meaaderiiiga of the law Would have sifted that case to the bottom in an hour and decided whether tho boys or girls concerned were telling the truth. If he were satisfied that the boys were guilty of the charge laid against them he, would have ordered them each a good' thrashing and ended tho case then and there. Instead, they were brought to the Court, day after day and finally com' mitted for trial at the Supreme Court, where the' jury found two of them guilty of common assault and the judge lined them each £5, which of course, tho boys' parents had to pay. So that the poor parents after weeks of needless anxiety and suspense were in the end the parties punished. I think the Minister for Justice should bo petitioned to make"some' alteration in the prevailing law and? provide that juvenile criminals should be treated differently to adult*). At present there seems to be no distinction whatever, and] the matter is entirely in the judge's hands. I, for out?,' should like to Bee the matter taken up practically by some influential person, and such sentences as the ones referred to by " Q " made impossible in the future in New Zealand. EmII.T Gibson.

Sir,—May I be permitted to suggest that ill all cases where boys are' charged with criminally assaulting'young girls th© girls be punished also. Failing this, have a law passed disallowing female children, under a certain age to be out of doors after a certain time, unless they are accompanied by at least one of their parents, It is deplorable to see young girls, short rocked, carrying on with young larrikins in every portion of the city, at a time when they should be in bed if the parents did their duty. Patebfahiuas, *.

Sir,ln your Saturday's issue I notice a letter headed "Juvenile Crime," giving statements which I think ought to bo inquired into, as I consider it a standing disgrace the way the natives always get off when brought before a magistrate. Take the case only a few months ago where some native witnesses committed wilful and;-cor-rupt perjury, and ■, admitted they did Jt in order to get a free trip to Auckland to the Supreme Court they got nothing : done to them, while a white man would most likely have got two years' hard labour. The -Maori is not so innocent as some, people would like to make out, and he ought to be treated the same .as a European.Waihi. ;f: J. Stewart.

THE HOMELESS METHODIST MISSION

Sir, The subject of the mission iv, a matter that has been before the Methodist Conference on several occasions, and as ministers are now assembling in Auckland to attend its annual sitting I crave for a little of your valuable space to allude to the matter. In common with others I cannot understand why the Conference allows the mission to be in such a practically homeless condition, considering the good work that is being done, and I would respectfully ask why not hand over Pitt-street Church and make it a mission hall? Not long ago I attended Pitt-street Church, and what did I see and hoar? I saw more empty forms than people, and heard the minister begging the people to come to church. Frequently I go to the mission services, and.what"transpires there? On every occasion I see between 600 and 700 people crowded into the tent, and hear the superintendent inviting ; the people to sit closer together to make more room, as people are being turned away. Yes, Pitt-street Church practically empty, while people are being turned away from the mission for lack of accommodation. Where is the sense in allowing such a thing to continue? * : Interested.

IMMIGRATION AND THE WORKERS. Sir, The workers have been so often advised of late by the superior persons, whose livings -would not bo threatened by any influx, not to act the "dog in the manger, ' that I would esteem it a favour to be again allowed to pub our case before your readers. We have nothing but our labour to sell, and want to get the- best possible price for it. When butter or flour or potatoes become scarce, or are cornered by the highprincipled people who decry our selfishness, do we find the Government showing any anxietv to affect traders' profits by dumping shiploads of the dear commodity into our markets? Not at all. Why, when potatoes were unusually scarce and dear a little time back our "socialistic" Ministry would not even suspend the duty. Now, egged on by a few noisy agitators, who are striving to reproduce here the old-world conditions of cheap labour and long hours, Sir Joseph Ward, who has been stumping the country on its behalf, is putting extra energy into his {always cherished) assisted immigration policy. In view of Canada's experience, where this system has been carried on for years, and where it has now produced hordes of unemployed, and wholesale destitution and misery, what is the use of assuring us that every new arrival makes more work? We know very well that where the great Dominion could absorb thousands, a few hundred might cause a glut in the little one, and we do not desire to take the risk. Neither do Captain Mahan's views appeal to us. « His capitalistic bias is too apparent, and no quotation from him lessens the fact that the workers, who wish to maintain decent conditions—in other words, who wish to make the country worth fighting for— not.the traitors; but the politicians who persistently refuse to provide necessary arms and training for the splendid garrison wo have already. ■' ."■' :'';'": ■■'' " '■: ;".":" /*" WOBKEB^ ''■•

AUCKLAND DOMAIN. , ' Sir, —As onm who baa taken great' stife-ftiS'? in the Domain I wish to thank you far ytttsf' article in to-day's' WtAAttt resisting /tls* proposed renewal of the attempt by fluo • Hospital Board to obtain part of the hill ■ land of th* Domain. J would' also auk ■the ' assistance of your influence to pereusde tlw City Council to allow no further delay in " tho wnovsl of the hospital building* now standing in the Domain. Their removal Iww : been delayed lor year* on the excuse, at first, of necessity for provision in rains of plague: then that the Board was using them for ordinary infectious disease patients; ■'. and latterly (see Hf,s,\u> of February IfJ. 'because something may in the future- ten up to give another eMii 1 ,." for their ii'>«removal. Prnt'T Holt. '..February 25.' • . ;,/'

Sir,— appears from your report- of ye** terdaj's meeting of the Hospital Board, that Mr. L. J. Bagrn&il, by a bare* majority,of one, there« being nine members present, after much discussion: and opposition, -car*;. tied a re whit ion to the following effect;—"That the Board make an effort to acquire, say, five acres of the Domain, adjoining the hospital, as a site for the consumptive she!* tors, and that the Board's land, known a* the Chinaman's garden?, be given to the City Council in exchange." • As the ordinary citizen is very apt to forget matters of great public importance which happened here but a few years ago, I am sure you will pardon mo for calling the attention of Aueklanders, through the columns of the IfattAUv to a similar schema';'. introduced to Parliament at the instance' of the Auckland City Council, under the title of_ the "City of Auckland Empowering Bill," in which it was sought to take the/ very piece of land now under di«>cua«ioo. '.' The Bill was ignormmoudy defeated on No* vember 22, 1903,, through* the , int«tirea'tioni ; "' ; of the Legislative Council. " i ¥ As time and your space ore just now of " importance. I wish to say that 1 refer' to the fate of that. Bill particularly, because Mr. Baa nail seems probably to have acquired his temporary.:. victory at the Board by giving his colleagues erroneous inform** : '' tion. ■-..,- .- When Mr. Mackny correctly stated that the Bill (so far as it referred to Domain. laud/ was defeated, he was contradicted by Air Bagnall, who, wrongly said: "No; ft wm withdrawn." When dealing with matters of history it would be better i! -Mr. Bagnnil confined himsell! to facta. t , ' ... ~ ~ . Albert J.-Auxw. Parneli, lebrutry 25. *i' 8 '"~*, 11 information with respect to the Bill may be found in the Hkjiau> <■: ■No. vemberd9, 20, 21, and 23, 190 J. A..1.A. . ...''' /' . m , EAST COAST KAILWAV. Sir,-—They say that "straws show the v ay the wind blown,' and on reading about the deputation to the Hon. Ceo. Fowlds at Gibborne 1 note that the Mayor of Oinbotne - stated thai, they wanted the railway made in Koroma, and the Minister admitted the - desirability of connecting Cisbonm with Kotorua by railway. I also note that in the / Gaxetto lately another section of the Cds* borne railway was called the "(iishorn-. ' Kotorua railway." Now, sir. I think 1 am correct in stating that all the wottlemonu from Opotiki to Auckland, including Whaka* tane, Tauranga, Waihi. Paoroa, desire to, sw tho East, Coast railway running along ■ tho coast, and not,, to Ilotorua, and am aware that in addition to Gisliorno desiring the railway made to Rotorua the people 'V. living ut Itotorua also wish to have it taken thai way, via To Puke, or any other route, which would mean that all the maize, cattle, etc., coming over tint line Would have to he hauled up 1800 ft to Mainaku on the Rotorua/''"'•', lino and taken all the way round to Mop; rinsville en route for Auckland, which is * ;| ridiculous -'proposition from a business point ■■' of view, and would involve an extra haulage „■ of about 100 miles over tho Opotiki, Paoroa, Pokeno route. 1 mil aware that the Hon. Hall-Jones desires to see the To Puke route adopted in preference to the coatital one, as ,:■; ho told tho writer »ouh» time ago that hit wanted to gebftlu! railway away from the coast, through the country, which is very well in theory, but in practice business people would not. o&ro to have it, go, 11 tail* ways are wanted in tho interior surely the Kofcorua lino might be extended in any direction from Kotorua town into a country where a paying trade could bo found without constructing tho Giaborne-Auokland line via To Puke and Mamaku or Kotorua. Auckland and the whole of . the East Coast 10 Opotiki must be prepared to strenuously oppose the To' Pukc-Mamaku line, , in my ; ,: humble opinion. Watch Dog.

THE REPLACEMENT OF MAN BY . ■WOMAN. ! ■;■ '■'!■}■ j .Sir,—One naturally asks tho qu««tloa--< ! Whore have all the servants gone? 'fix* solution, lies in tho fact that they are' replacing the men in the offices, wiiiio;iine > poor man has to go and " get on tho land/ or get other employment. In mich a process of substitution a good or a bad thing for tho workers themselves and for tho Da?/..'. ■:; minion to which they belong? If .men, who generally require higher pay because they have, or bed, as a rule, to bring up *. family are crowded * out of work to rank* way for women, who lake lower wages, be- ' cause they have only themselves to keep, and arc prepared to accept celibacy as) ,)he»r jot, or Ijecanso they receive from the?'* .-,-, parents as a gift some part of their cost of living, the result will unquestionably be de- >j( /, plorable. I personally think it is quite tin- " necessary for our Dominion to import . "domestic servants," for, if the men won* given their dues by employers, and tho ladies kept to their legitimate duties, we ,>' would have no lack of good domes servants in Now Zealand. At the preaeni; rat* we are going in, say, 40 years Tionce there , will be such an enormous lot of "old maids" ■ in New Zealand that the Government will havo to provide "old maid" homes to'iio* commodate them. Straight Taxr,

THE NEW POST OFFICE. Sir, Now that it is definitely decided ' -'■ that a new post office in to bo erected in Auckland, it certainly ilk the duty of those ~ in authority to take the utmost ear© that " the best talent procurable shaft be secured. tf{|? This need not necessarily be sought for out. ■■s; of New Zealand—now termed "The Dominion." Let it now be seen whether there are designers among u3 who can send in plans which will be a credit to themsclvw and New Zealand. I suggest that only New Zealand draftsmen and architects shall b« ' allowed to compete. Hot*, '"■ .—— — _ v ,-.', 'Ti;*;'iv§

THT CAPET ENCAMPMENT. Sir,— proposed cadet encampment ;|;if| seems to have aroused opposition in various ■ quarters. The school teachers, with tone noble exceptions, are against it as trenching on their limited time, and tending to demoralise qlasses; the clergy fear the effecfa of the wild camp life on the tend*? . youth, as not being conducive.to spiritual ■; ideals; and the school committees, of course, are unpatriotic enough to oppose anything that will physically improve the children. Let these busy bodies stop squabbling and unite to make our cadet encampment something* for our boya and future citizens to look back on with pleasure. , What is the use of always objecting whoa anything comes ' Aucklandward for out good? lam the father of three boys—one a. ''. cadet, the other two volunteers.— I fail to see in what respect either the boys or myself (as a parent) have lost morally or ■ physically. The doctor, tho cook, and the clergyman will be at the camp, arid the only articles to find fault with is the dis- . proportionate amount of meal compared with milk and butter provided. Patbiot. ' ! ! Ifc