LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13768, 5 June 1908, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

', "RURAL LAND VALUATIONS. Sir,— Prime Minister and the Minister • for Lands ""are constantly asserting that they ! are doing all they possibly can to assist tar- j mers. Now I would like to ask these two ! responsible men whether they sanction and approves of the recent excessive valuations of some of the farms in the Papak'.ira Valley district? If they are not- aware of such excessive valuations and do not approve of same, then it shows the utter folly of centralising all such • matters, and clearly demonstrates that State socialism would be ft/] gigantic fraud and ha instrument of tyranny. If they do know of such excessive valuations and wink at the same, then their public utterance.-, and their actions are at variance. I submit that excessive valuation of rural lands is an insidious method of confiscating the freeholds of this country, and is carrying out, what the Hon. Mr. G. fowlds calls plucking the goose to make it squeal. As an example of the excessive "valuation allow me to quote one striking example:—Valuation, 1905: Area. 316 acres;' no buildings; <j£-V-> £575. plus £100 for improvements; C.v .. £675. Valuation. 1908 A.D.: Area, 516 acres: no buildings; C.V.. £1650. plus £125 for improvements; C.V.. £1775 Sole £10*5 has been added 'on in the three years to the 17.V.. and only £25 for the improvements. The above farm is only able to run in its present state about 150 dry sheep, and is incapable of fattening them; that is, it only carries about half a sheep to the acre (or two acres for one sheep). Land capable ot carrying and fattening one sheep. to the acre within fairlv easv reach of the Auckland tat market;, is worth £5 per acre, and therefore the value of half a sheep per acre land is only £2 10s. and at this rate the above alb acres ought onlv to have been valued at. £790 C.V. and at, £665 H.V. ; . 1 submit that the C.V. of this farm i» £935 in excess of its proper value, and a 1 2 « rate on that sum will mean that the unfortunate owner of that piece of land will have to pay extra £6 3s per annum in rates; and this means that that piece of land has been mortgaged, so to speak, to the extent, of £120. or. in other words, the State has role, bed the owner of that sum of money. Is not this on the lines of single lax? East Taniaki. Gkouuk W IJ.KS.

NEW ZEALAND'S RESOURCES. Sir,—Every thoughtful New Zealander iHM>j»fmvo been patriotically stirred by 1 resident Roosevelt's opening address to the conference of Governors of States and experts on the national conservation of national resources at Washington on May 14. The most significant paragraph in the cabled condensation of hi* message was the declaration that. "the end of iron and coal resources was in sight." Regrettable as the fact of exhaustion of iron and coal m the States may be to the Republic, to New Zealand it is of transcendent importance. Americas iron and coal weakness is New Zealand's strength. The land of depleted resources surrenders to the country of uuexploited favours. Iron and coal-exhausted America afford* New Zealand an unexampled opportunity to repeat the iron and coal conquest, an, Maoriland. Here we are in scientifically assured possession of abundant coal deposits, lhe more New Zealand's resources' in this connection are drawn upon, the vaster is revealed the latent wealth, and our. deposits OS iron sand and iron ore, practically untouch-, ed, arc geologically ascertained to be just as inexhaustible as our coal beds. With out coal and our inestimable iron ore and iron sand, and the imminent failure of .the supplies of both in America, how bright is the future, assured New Zealand in the production of iron and steel, not only for .New Zealand's requirements, but. for portions of the world as well! It is necessary only to contemplate, what the iron and Vteel industry has done for the United States, m the building of ships, equipping of factories, constructing of rolling stock of railways, spanning of rivers and streams, framing of great buildings, and in the supplying of industrial machinery and domestic necessities, to appreciate what it will mean to New Zealand when its coal and iron sands and iron ore deposits mutually minister to similar markets and needs. The opportunity made *o manifest by the declaration of American depletion by no less an authority than I resident Roosevelt is one that should inspire all patriotic New Zcalanders with a determination to meet it promptly and effectively. J. Earlk Hkkmax.v.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. , Sir,—May I claim your indulgence to protest against the fallacy that University education should bo subordinated to the sordid needs of the commercial world? It is difficult to understand why the Chancellor of the University should, year after year, feel called upon to bid for the approval of. a -class With whom University men have very little in common, and to whoso sordid and narrow views it is'the privilege of a University to furnish some antidote. The maxim that "mail liveth not. by, bread alone appears to be forgotten in these good days, when it would appear that the business of a University is to produce graduates for the soapmaking or fertilising industries, and to accomplish the glorious object of increasing the profits of the bourgeoisie." This notion sems to have been imported from America, and. if acted on, would no doubt in due course help to reduce this country also to the condition of a commercial inferno, dominated by a merciless and vulgar plutocracy. According to Emerson, it was the boast of Oxford University that nothing useful was taught within its walls, and this statement could be paraphrased by any thinker into terms that would explain why that institution is held in such esteem by all Englishmen. After all, there are higher things than the turmoil and vulgarity of the marketplace.' It is not to the commercial nations that the world is indebted, and the best monuments of the British people are not the result of commercial .ways of thinking. The record of trade has, on the whole, been neither distinguished nor clean,, and it is quite time that (hose who profess to speak for the educated portion of the community abandoned tlieif apologetic lone, and ceased to measure the work of the University by. its market value. Later on we may also be delivered from those educational charlatans who are converting even our primary schools into workshops. vKitsrrT Student.

MOUNT EDEN TRAMWAY SERVICE.

Sir.The independent attitude adopted by the Borough of Mount Eden when fixing their road levels to. the detriment of-pro-perty holders has already been referred to in your columns, but this pales before the announcement made last night: at, the borough meeting to the effect that no provision whatever had been made for the issuing of reduced tickets to the school-children, workmen, or residents of the borough, as is enjoyed by all other districts. Apparently our councillors have expended all their energies in securing their property levels from disturbance and getting stopping-places fixed adjacent to their properties, -with supreme indifference as to the welfare of their ratepayers. This is particularly noticeable towards the terminus. Ratepatkk.

CRANES FOR THE WHARVES. Sir.— notice in your columns a letter signed P. Virtue, who has been exceptionally busy of late in attacking correspondents through the press in reference to harbour matters. I (" Wellington have not, unfortunately, escaped, this onslaught, but will endeavour to convince Mr. Virtue that he is somewhat wide of' the mark in some of his statements. His imagination plays a strong part when he says " Wellington" suggests the taxing of the consumer to the extent of £60,000 to £100.000 for the purchase of cranes, while on'top of this he admits that a few cranes are a necessity. I am pleased he has fallen to my way of thinking. " Wellington" would be the last ro suggest the purchase of a large number for Auckland in view of the fact that there is not. so much tonnage passing over that port's , wharves. The Wellington Harbour Board, consisting of some of the smartest business men in this city, is not. likely to'be disturbed over your correspondent's statements in which he says two well-known shipping companies are thinking of making Lyttelton their first port of call. It is well known to them if a ship needs modern appliances, such as cranes, etc., to assist in conjunction with the ship's own gear when pushed for time, the company must be prepared to pay reasonably for" them. I here may state that it. is not compulsory for a ship to use the cranes at the Queen's Wharf, which is used for import cargo; yet steamship companies are using the cranes as well as the ship's own appliances, in spite of the increase of crane charges,, to ensure rapid discharge. The above, no doubt, was responsible for the African Monarch discharging a larger cargo at Wellington than discharged at. Auckland in less time quite recently. Many Northerners appear to labour under the impression that cranes are used in place of a ship's own gear in all cases my friend P. Virtue included, for he draws my attention to the Athenic loading some Bft or 10ft from the Timaru pier with her own derricks. I am pleased to see the Auckland Harbour Board has decided upon procuring 16 cranes, for no port is complete without them. " Wellington" knows the Board will bo well satisfied with results. .■ •■'.',•;■ WEU.iXG'TO.W Wellington, May 30.

./■ "MAN TUB BOATSr Sir,—My attention ha* been drawn to an article under the afcpvß heading in your 'mm of 25th nit., containing a tomraiJokaJion from Captain Holm, and in defence of tin* member* of my I- profession ~'. I beg yon will grant, me the priviley* of -putting the matter . before your;renders in a truer light. • ' V The main point ps: Arc merchant servic* officer* efficient, at boatin'ft work? Captain Holm states thai they arc not. I emphatic* ally assert that «•« a body they arc, and in proof of my statement I will cite two of the most prominent total wreck* of recent year*. Sin, each caw not a single life was lost. thank* to the efficiency of the commanders and officers concerned. Early tins year the Amsterdam, cross-channel steamer, when Rearing the .-Hook of'.Holland, collided with another vessel in a dense fog, and although she sank in a very few minutes every boat was safety' towered and loaded with passengers. In ttw height, of the south-west monsoon ■of 1905 the K.M.S.' Bihar* went on the Alguad* reef (Burma const), and became a total loss, yet. in spile of the bad weather prevailing at the time, 1600 panic-stricken native ps*niter* and a native crew of 130 were nil safely landed on an .adjacent islet. .1 am acquainted with 'this ship's four officer*!; they tire of the type Captain Holm sneers at as " kidglovcd," but I have never heard the very serious charge of inefficiency levelled at. them. . Has Captain Holm ever served in modern mail steamers, -that lie make* such allegation.*? 1 doubt it, or surely he would be better informed. We may not bo such expert boat-handlers m the Deal lifeboatmen —our owners only encourage us in rapid cargo work and accurate navigation yet wo all have to show knowledge of working boats in heavy weather ant! in a surf when we obtain our second mate's certificates. As for hi* proposal that officer* should go through a course of " boafmanship" (!) hefore < beina; granted _ their certificate* doe* Captain Holm imagine the authorities can indefinitely increase the expenses ol* officer* when qualifying, or does he propose that Government should make them a grant, to enable them to live ashore off pay while " training No. sir, do not ask that lh« conditions ot,a sea life be made harder: it is surely enough that one ha* to Ik> put to so much expense and inconvenience, and to learn so much unnecessary theoretical work for our ...examinations, when one can only hope to earn a very few pounds a month, even with an extra muster's certificate. 11l conclusion, sir, lot me say how sorry I am that, the above-mentioned statements bv Captain-Holm should have appeared in i New Zealand paper. We seafarers always consider' New Zealand to be the one country where the prejudice against us as a class i* i at a minimum; we have even hoped that J New Zcalandcrs sympathised with and underi stood the difficulties of a merchant service, officer's life. Your paper enjoys a Hid* Circulation. If your readers are'led to believe that inefficiency is rife amongst us \\n shall not enjoy their confidence. Apologising for taking up so much of your valuable space. Steamship Opficir. Calcutta. April 27.

THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF NEW ZEALAND. Sir.—The annual report presented by the council at the Wellington meeting of the' members of the National League is discouraging. The vital importance of (ho poli.v advocated by the league should surely demand the support, and (his throughout the two .-islands, of more than 6000 subscriber*. It concerns every man and woman, evenboy and girl- indeed, the very life of the Dominion as a nation depends upon the pursuance of such a policy of preparedness as may enable us to meet, with some p,\mpeet of success the, perils that in the near future, threaten our existence as a free »rd independent member of the British confederation of sister members of the British Empire. The national policy of exclusion of the coloured races adopted by tlio Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand has and will continue t> offend the self-esteem of two powerful neighbours. When they deem themselves strong enough they will demand h change in this policy'. "What then Are we to submit? If not, we must be. prepared to resist. If prepared to meet the demand with a n>fusal backed by a nation in arms the conC'd may never come, and if it does wo may. under the providence of God, eomo out right. On the other hand, should the evil day find 113:111 our present state of unpreparedness, our beloved New Zealand will surely cease to be a white man's country. With Australia successfully invaded, and ourselves unable to spare a man to go to her aid, our doom would soon be scaled. Tim Home country will never fail . her daughter States while she has ships and men to spare, but Great Britain may some day bo involved in European complications at present u'ritliought of, when the heart of the Empire might itself be assailed, and every soldier and sailor be required to defend their own hearths and homos. Greater Britain must then stand or fall by itself. It ;i* useless to hope that we could in the day of invasion imitate the tactics of the Boer* in the recent South' African war. Indifferently armed units without uniform, undisciplined, unaccustomed to act. together, our men would be overwhelmed by numbers. They would be shot/down like dogs. Women of New Zealand, the National League appeals to you. Your power with the young men of to-day is irresistible. Join the league in your thousands, the men will follow. Use your irresistible-persuasion ; give no consideration to any young man capable of serving his country who refuse* to prepare himself by training against the hour of need. Shortly you will be called upon to take your share in electing members for another Parliament. Now is the time. Let the candidates know the will of the people. Let the chosen ones go to Wellington with no .uncertain message. Our demaud is for an armed nation of citizen soldiers. We are at peace; we enjoy the blessing of prosperity; now is the time to prepare against, the days of adversity and the dreaded evil of war. it will cost money; we will find it. It means self-denial and some sacrifice. The young men owe all to their native land. Women of New Zealand, the destiny of the country lies in your hands. Think wisely, act bravely--the thanks of the nation will be .yours. ' ; Glen Murray. WlXlxVlt Somiv, .LP.

THE REV, MR. BEATTY ON THE

BIBLE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE.

Sir,—Mr. BeaUy's article in your Supplement of Saturday in, quite iff resiling, It takes me-back to early Victorian days, when Dr. Buck!and with his Bridgwater Treatise, ■ and Hugh Millar attempted to reconcile geology and Genesis. ' Mr. Beat concludes by saying: "If occasion permit, I shall (vviM?) at another tim-? try to show that the Bible account of the Creation is in no way opposed to the discoveries of physical science." In Hie year 1908 this assertion is very amusing. ' Th« Bible asserts (Genesis ii. 22-5) thai "tire Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and lie slept, and He took one, of fit! ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said: This ii now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out* of man. Therefore, shall a man leave his father and .his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall lie one flesh."

This is perfectly clear; there is no possibility of making it out to be an allegory. It is, in the _ opinion of every biologist, a pure myth,- without any vestige of historical truth about it.

. Will Mr. Beatly produce one single in- . stance, either among existing vertebrate ani- '■■'\ mals, or from the geological record, of the ; female being produced from the rib of a male? If there is no such record, on what' v ground are we to Indie a statement made in an ancient Hebrew book, which contra- :. diet-? all other experience '! If Mr. Beatty conscientiously believes the narrative in Genesis to be true, it is quite useless to argue with him. The man who > believes the. Mosaic account of the Creation to be a correct narrative of historical fact* is not to be reasoned with. Treat him gently and tenderly, even reverently, if he is * worthy man, but he is beyond nil reason. '" . £ AX Unorthodox Christian'.

THE PRICE OF MILK. Sir." Retailer's " letter in Monday"* • Hke.U.o contains a number of mis-state-ments. He says: ''A retailer makes a contract for the full quantity he is likely to require for 12 months." As a matter of fact he contracts for the whole of the fanner'* v. milk; for a fixed quantity of which he pay* . 7d and Bd, and for the surplus he pays 3id* 4d, and 4Jd. So far from taking the surplus as a convenience for the farmer, the farmer is compelled by the terms of the contract to sunuly it all to him, and, further, the retailer is not bound in any way to make this surplus milk into butter, and . naturally H» making the contracts he endeavours to leave ; a margin for a large surplus. As showing how the retailers arrange the contract*, I •< know of several small farmers, who, ■/. even during the drought last summer, never had less than 300 gallons of surplus milk per month. ''Retailer " must know that .tn* whole of this milk was sold in town for Is 4d a gallon, although the fanner only received 4d a gallon. Daibt Fakmbr '