LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14103, 3 July 1909, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE DRURY TRAIN, ' ' Sir,— Minister for Railways lias determined to '- perpetrate '"■ another injustice :; on residents vandfl would-be presidents of districts north -of Drury ;by the - removal of, tho suburban ,train, ; ; or apology for one, ' for the running of s this train since, its origin has not been a credit to ; the Department. . Tho' train leaves Drury afe 7.25 a.m., travel-' ■ ling 13 miles, making five stops, and arriving at Otahuhu at eight a.m. '/, The remainder M of.tho journey is nine miles, and the train(i makes five stops, and arrives in Auckland at 8.48 a.m. . The latter works out a little over 11 miles per hour, and ; the former a fraction ; under 22 miles per , hour. ; Coming out at night the same thing occurs, 1 the train very, ;| often not clearing Penrose till six p.m., and in' addition to this inconvenience, the Si long-distance passengers are , crowded out of js their seating accommodation by short-dis- ■ tance passengers*, ;.,/ ,/,.,,; J. W. , Dixox. THE EAST COAST RAILWAY. ~-. Sir,— Pongakawa 'district,. being situated some seven to ten miles from that ranges, does not get so much rainfall aa 4 many, parts, and'' is not' only suitable for dairying and fattening cattle, but is also eminently suitable for growing oranges, lemons, and grapes, as well.as most other fruits. There is a . block of 15,000 acres of > Crown land adjoining the Pongakawa River, « also larger areas . of Crown lands further back, which have been lying idle for over 20 years, and which could be planted with ; oranges, lemons, vines, 'and other fruits for less money than it must have cost to only .:■.,.;■ drain the land at Wairangi, and ; this land : does not need draining; so that if the Go-, ' vernment are really sincere about closer settlement of ■ the land they could place thousands of people on the, Crown lands there alone. AY hen there are so very many unemployed' it is a shame that the Government should continue to keep such excellent land idle. It. would be ten thousand times fj better to improve these waste Crown lands than to go on purchasing largo.estates that are occupied and improved, and would bo v far more profitable to the country. L.T. RABBITS AND NATIVE LANDS. • Sir,ln your local news ••■ column a few days ago mention is made touching the: ! 'J : destruction of rabbits in the King Country, It may not be generally known that a sum close on £20,000 is annually spent on native hinds,. keeping noxious weeds and rabbits in check. This thing has been going on for a . number of years to my own personal knowledge, a sum equal to, tho total value.of tho..*; land having been spent on some blocks. Some years ago Mr. Clifton/ in one of his annual reports, recommended'-the occupation of those lands by settlers as the best remedy ; for coping with noxious weeds and rabbits. " If Mr. Clifton's recommendations had been given effect to the Dominion would be now richer, and there would be loss tin em-' ployed. AjJDBBW Kay. Kihikihi, June 29. WOMEN VOTERS. Sir,l have been ruminating'- some time as to the reason wiry nothing can be_ done to make the Government alter : its' policy of ; keeping such a vast extent' of country— 7,000,000 acres of native lands—locked up. in spite of your persistent and able; denunciations of, such a suicidal procedure. I can only, come to the conclusion-, that so long as we, have women voter? tlhe; Government eg feel they can snap their fingers at all and' sundry who disagree with their policy. Do von ever hear any woman discussing jolitics? The thing is tabooed, ; and ; the fashions, amusement, and children take up- , all their time. Yet when polling-day comes <;g round their vote is recorded for a continuance .of- the present state of things (> because they are in that blissful state of mind that.-. "whatever is, is.right!" The slightest thing -~;•; carries their votes. For instance, some yean ago the weather on election morning proved to be extremely boisterous; but one of the;-„: candidates (whom no one ever expected to ■£ see in the House) was supplied with plenty !H of carriages to bring up the ladies. Thoother candidate, a popular man, had none., and so lost his election. A correspondent the other day. in one of.- tip, papers, commenting on Mr. Blank being. again successful at, the • election,' ,- attribute! iito the fact that he was so much better looking than ! his opponent, and so carried the .day 'on the vote of the ladies. : Without adducing other facts supportine mv theory, I must leave it to ' you, Mr. Editor, to devise the # means whereby our women voters 'can be induced. while they have the voting power, to i pw so;;-.'? attention to the sad mis'governraent we are . experiencing, and put an or,?! to it. .' ■ Old Gouraup. . .-■*';. ■ ; ■ ■'.'.: ', '.'■''■ ■■'■ ■".'.'. ■ '■■<:■•':*&! . '■".:. . ".-:' :; -"-:':'" "■'" ! ;' : ..;' : :.■;'.' .■'.i\-';^.:'':V: : sV- ,; -..;.:' : '--^'^'V^',.!ifj:j'!^iK;te