LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14690, 26 May 1911, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER.

Sir,—After nil that has been written and spoken upon the subject of the housing and remuneration of tiro agricultural labourers, it is somewhat startling to find many of these people within easy reach of the towns living in revolting circumstances, and literally housed loss comfortably than the pigs —with straw to lie upon, old sacks for covering, no sanitary arrangements worthy of the name, and wages of, at the most, two to three shillings per day! 'No wonder there is an exodus to other countries. Osk Who Knows. THE TRAMCARS. Sir,—l think it is high time that, the- Auckland City Council took .some action to enforce the Tramway Company to supply rainproof aprons for covering up the seats oI their double-decked cars. It is perfectly disgraceful on a wet. day (ho stale these scats are in, and oven these frosty mornings the scats are not even wiped, and if you happen to lx) one of the. unfortunate passengers compelled to ride outside or miss the. car, you are forced to stand, which 1 consider is a very dangerous -position. Even in the poor neglected East End of London such a disgraceful practice would not be allowed. II the, Tramway Company cannot, afford to keep the cars clean they should at least see that the seat* are covered in wot weather. A Cockney. SLAVERY AND HEATHENISM. Sir,—The other day in the Court, before Mr. 0. C. Kettle, S.M., a. man was charged with working one hour without pay! Mr. (John, the inspector, and the prosecutor said this was illegal in this free country. 1 lie magistrate could not say" no," and look the matter into consideration. I suppose, it. is settled now, and that I am not remarking on a case still sub judice. 'the other day I saw a dray horse which had got, into a Wg,. and had fallen down. Now, had 1 buckled to and assisted for an hour to get that, horse up, I might, have been cited to Court for working without pay; so I will not say what I did. Has any other country ever passed such a slavish and heathenish act? "If thou see the ass of him that, hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldest forbear to help, thou shall, surely help with him." Our yiew Zealand legislators are millcniums liehind Moses. Robert Sloax. THE TOWN HALL TOWER. Sir, —Whilst standing at the corner of Queen and Wellesley Streets on sundry occasions, awaiting the arrival of tho Dominion Road car, 1 have naturally taken an admiring survey of our splendid Town Hall now nearing completion. Having from the first concept ion and commencement of this noble edifice felt, gratification and a citizen's pride in the erection of appropriate municipal chambers with the usual spacious Town Hall, available alike for the oft-required purposes of concerts, lectures, political, social, and festive gatherings. I hop-; I. may he pardoned for venturing to make one suggestion, viz., the apparent need of a truss at tho foot of the tower. Such an addition, formed of white and blue stone of proportionate size, and suitably embellished, would, in my humble opinion, setoff and support the somewhat slender-looking tower, and give a more pleasing, attractive, and charming appearance. Rout. Runiiow. CUTTING OFF CORNERS. Sir, —The advantage of making the corners of streets round, as suggested in Mr. Cranwell's letter in Saturday's HERALD, has been proved in those towns where the town-planning idea has developed. Curved corners and curved streets are, in fact, prominent features of the idea, the former both for their beauty and their utility, and the latter for their beauty alone. The constant use that is made of the curved lino is strikingly shown not only in Dr. Herelier's interesting "Imaginary Plan," exhibiting the main principles of town-plan-ning, and in existing German schemes, such as the Dusseldorf extension, but also in the many artistic plans adopted by tho copartnership tenants' movement in England. An examination of tho plans of the various " garden cities" built and building at Homo reveals in the main streets an almost complete abandonment of the old and Ugly straight line. Each silo is planned with a view to its own characteristics as portion of tho general landscape, and there arc few landscapes in which geometrical linos and figures can bo made to look natural. J. G. Haddow. CITY LOAN PROPOSALS. Sir,—Our worthy Mayor, following in the footsteps of another distinguished predecessor, has opened his Mayoral campaign with a bold borrow proposal. As usual, we are told the rates will not .go up. May I ask on what, logical assumption can Mr. Parr (after showing a largo deficit this year) persuade himself that the existing rate will, Bay, in five years, be able to pay an additional increase of fit least £12,000 interest, besides another £10,000 interest on drainago loans which have not yet been struck, but wilT, I understand, eventuate this year? Moreover, expenditure must of necessity increase in course of time. Further, the Council cannot go on much longer raising tho valuations. Already several property-owners have had their rates doubled to what they were two or three years' past, and by the number of objections put forth this year it is obvious* that the limit is being reached. In short, the rates must go up, and with a bang, too, when tho loan moneys are exhausted. Again, with regard to the upkeep of the thoroughfares, the cleansing alone incurs a big outlay on what are termed permanent roadways— especially being very expensive—hence our streets not being too solid, there is bound to be a lot of patching to be done. Therefore, I maintain that, after, say, two years, the upkeep will bo equally as great, if not greater, than at present, because they will require to be washed constantly. An infinitely better policy would have been to carefully work out a. scheme whereby steady progress would have been made in improving our streets at a minimum cost to the- citizens. A small special rate should have been recommended, this combined with an economic and efficient staff to spend it, would have been a true, statesmanlike proposal. It, is an indisputable verity that, in many cases a lot of loan money is' wasted, and what with interest, not to omit expenses, the first year always absorbs a large part of the principal. What wo want is to see the dust and mud nuisance abated—which can bo clone by proper supervision and the cleaning of our streets daily. In conclusion, I would remind our City Councillors that a special part of their duty consists of using tho financial resources with care, and spending the common funds with discretion. J.L.

THE TEACHING OF LATIN AND HISTORY. Sir, Tour correspondent, "Interested," in this day's Hi-:n.\i.i> insists on the importance of Latin and history as factors in mental training. I think there are stronger arguments in favour of Latin than its alleged efficacy in improving the English pronunciation of the pupils, but I so highly esteem this line of study that I am not disposed to quarrel with any decent excuse for its adoption.

On the importance of history, I also agree with your correspondent. Hut if it is to lie taught to girls in such a maimer as to fit them to '.' use their vote properly and to the advantage of their country," and if, in order to bring about this desirable consummation, ft is necessary that they should be " well up in the politics of (lie day, not only of this country, but of (!x> whole world, ' and to acquire " a thorough knowledge of past history," their knowledge of history must indeed !>e like .Sam. Weller's knowledge of London, at once- "extensive and particular/' That an effort is being made, in the primary schools to produce an " extensive curriculum of historical study seems to ho implied in the information lately given mo by a young lady who, in answer to my questions, .stated thai, tho leaching of history began will) the cavo men, and was brought down io the. Boer war! Can the diocesan school for girls come up to thai ? But, to speak .seriously, there can scarcely be a more important subject of study for the. boys and girls, who will in a few years bo "running" the social machinery, than a clear understanding of the nature of that machinery, the way in which it, has grown out of the simple fundamental principles of the British Constitution, and the possibilities of its modification without fundamentally undermining those principles. On all these points there is much menial haziness, and one constantly finds even grown persons displaying very vague conceptions about the respective powers and functions of the Crown, tho legislature, the Executive Government, and tho courts of law. In these circumstances, and in face of the pressing demand for practical results based on some elementary knowledge of physical science, it would seem that the historical curriculum should aim at thoroughness rather than extension, and it may well be asked whether, not only in history, but. in other subjects, the same principle may not bo applied with much advantage to the cause of education, and to tho intellectual vigour both of teachers and pupils. J. GILES. aiqu&tjßypn, May-18»

THE STRIPPING OF FISH. Sir,—The artiolo in your issue of 13th inst. re. fish being injured in stripping would load the lay mind to bclicvo that all fish are injured when being spawned. During 16 years of practical experience in tho artificial fertilisation of trout eggs, 1 have, never injured a fish when stripping, nor havo I seen any injured when handled by experts. There is no need to injure the fish (either male or female) during tho operation, and an expert can tell whether or not, a fish is "ripe" by a glance at it, and there is no use in trying to take eggs from an unripe fish. The fish must lie ripe, and the eggs just, at a pertain age, so that when taken from tho female fish they will readily respond to the fertilising operations. Numlxsrs of so-called fishculfurists (whoso knowledge of the work has been picked up by ono or two visits to a hatchery) dabble in our work with disastrous results," to fish and eggs. To my mind your article implied a reflection on the reputations of tho few expert fish-euiturists in New Zealand. Tho work is arduous, takes years to learn, means innumerable perishing.-?, when other jx>op!o are beside a cosy fire, and is so little understood that, what, merits those experts do possess should not be detracted from by anyone, especially a (Jovernment Department, whose officers (for the most part) havo never made a closer acquaintance of the species salmonidm than by seeing one on the breakfast tjiblok

W. D. ATSOX.'

Tapapa Trout Hatchery.

[In the article in question we only, spoke of the possibility of fish being injured by stripping when the work was done by "inexperienced persons." Mi).]. HOME RULE FOR IRELAND. .Sir, — J.U.K." begins his letter by deploring the fuel that colonial-- are lying misled on the Irish question, and writes this sentence: "Ulster is by far the richest district in Ireland, and without it the other stales could not raise sufficient revenue." The far-Is and figures I shall give do not. square with this contention, and, keep this in mind, they are (.iovernmeiit official facts and figures. Take the ratable valuation for 1903. The ratable valuation of the whole of Ulster was £5,510,202, bid, if we deduct from this the valuation of Belfast, which was £1.566.138, we get. the figure for Ulster of £4.004.064. Tho figure for .Minister, exclusive of Cork city, i, £3,301,231; whilst for Leinster. exclusive of Dublin city, it is £4.192,503, or £188,459 in excess of Ulster. Take the rural districts only, the valuation of ('ulster is £3,406.024. whilst that of Leinster is £3,500,372, showing an excess over "Ulster of £94,348. Excluding Belfast, Du.Vdn, and Cork tho ratable valuations in 1908 per head in the provinces of Ulster, Leinster, and Minister work out at £4 17s 3d for Leinster, £3 6s for .Minister, and only £3 4s lOd for Ulster. In County Antrim, including Belfast, the mean valuation of agricultural holdings is £27. In Dublin County, including Dublin city, the mean valuation is £54. The number of holdings rated at £4 and under in Leinster is 107,940. In Ulster the number is 169.379. or more, than Minister and Connanght added together. Do these official figures denote that Ulster has a monopoly of the wealth of Ireland? Take the population .test. Between 1841 and 1901 Leinster lost, in population 820.902, or 41.5 per cent.; Monster, 1,319,973, or 55.1 per cent; Connaught, 771,927, or 54,4 per cent., and Ulster, 803.574, or 33.6 per cent,, so that the total emigration from the "richest district, in Ireland" was greater than from famine-stricken Connanght, and nearly as much as from Leinster. If the Pope's writ did not run in County Antrim, the landlords' did, and it made no distinction between Catholics and Protestants. When the population of Belfast is pointed to as evidenoo of tho prosperity which flows from Protestantism and loyalty, let the fact not bo forgotten, that the Protestant county of Antrim, in which stands Belfast, contained 164,795 less of a population in 1901 than it did in 1841, and that in the same period the Protestant County Down was reduced by 155,557; that of Protestant Armagh by 107.001; that of Protestant Deny by 77,770, and that of Protestant Fermanagh by no less than 91,051. out of a population in 1841 of 186,481. Furthermore, from May 1, 1851, to December 31, 1907. the emigration from Leinster was 713,837, from Connaught 652,692, from Ulster 1.158,951, and from Minister 1,436,796. Ulster blood-letting, therefore, nearly equalled that of combined Leinster and Connaught. A still more remarkable fact remains to lie told. In 1907 the emigration from Connaught was 7570, or 19.2 per cent, of the. population, from Leinster 5711, or 14.4 per cent., from Munstcr 11,288, or 28.5 per cent, and from Ulster 14,513, or 36.7 per cent. ; the emigration from Ulster being thus moro than double that from Leinster and Connaught, and over eight per cent, greater than that from Munster. I havo yet to learn that people flyaway from prosperity, and particularly from the "richest district in Ireland." Law and order are common words in the mouths of the Unionists. In 1907 the claims for malicious injuries were: Ulster 293, as against 130 from Leinster; 223 from Munster, and 95 from Connaught. "J.G.K's" statement concerning a Catholic Mayor who discharged the Protestant employees is vague. Will he name tho corporation, and the name of the Mayor? Ho won't, because ho could not. I could, if your space permitted, give the numbers of Catholics and Protestants employed in the Protestant corporation of Belfast and tho Catholic corporation of Cork (the figures are before mo), but I assert this, that the tolerance is preponderating!}' on tho tiido of Cork, as it is right through Ireland. M. L. Paul-Duhois, tho eminent French sociologist, wrote: "The ascendancy party (in Ireland) never cease calling the garrison to arms. Liberty, as the extremists understand it. means their own supremacy. To touch their privileges is to make an attack on the honour of the Empire. As loyalists, they threaten to throw tho crown into the Boyne, if the crown does not behave as they wish. It is in Ireland as at the Cape. The Milners and the Jamesons who provoked the South African war, are brothers of the Irish Londonderry's and Abercorns. Begetters of hatred and of anti-English feeling, they are in Ireland, as in Africa, to use the phrase of an Irishman, " the bilious deposit on tho national stomach." In conclusion all this talk of loyalty. Rome Rule, and civil war is but putting hysterica and humbug against common sense.—l am, etc., JusTixiA.

_ "Justitia" also fends us a long communication, in which he attempts to draw a parallel between the state of things existing in Canada before the granting of responsible government and the present situation in Ireland, the conclusion which ho draws being that the same beneficial result would follow the granting of Homo Rule to Ireland that accrued to the Dominion from tho granting of self-government. He concludes as follows: —" When Victoria ascended the Throne, Canada was in revolt, so much so, that when, by tho order of tho British Government, To Beams were sung in Canadian churches the congregations arose en masso and left the edifices. Canada, is to-day loyal and contented, because she is free to manage her own affairs. Durham deplored the depletion of population. Ho said ' No accession of wealth and population by immigration takes place, ami no capital is brought, into tho country. On tho contrary, both the people. and the- capital seem to lie quitting these distracted provinces.' That is happening now in Ireland. How is Canada to-day? Have those prophecies of disintegration and dismemberment Ixxm realised? 'At no time,' said Mr. > Fielding, Minister for Finance, ' in the history of the Dominion have the people been more united, more harmonious, more hopeful, and confident respecting the future. In all centres of manufacture, trade, and commerce there is an activity which tells of confidence.' Contrast that with the report of Lord Durham in 1837, and it, will prove beyond question or debate that bad government, aye, and even good government, is no substitute for Homo Government." THE IRISH PARTY FUNDS. Sir, The enclosed cutting from the Impartial Reporter (Enniskillen), April 6, 19] 1, may interest, tho patriotic subscribers throughout the Dominion who are supplementing tho fighting fund of tho Irish party. li, is one specimen of tl.o loving harmony that we may expect under Home Rule for Ireland: — " Some criticisms of the Irish National Directory and tho party funds were uttered at the recent, meeting of tho North Monaghan Executive of the United Irish League in the town of Monaghan. Tho Rev. Felix McKenna, P.P.. divisional director of tho U.I.L. for North Monaghan, said that no one, knew how tho party funds were, distributed, and that the party should not oppose payment of members, for if they received payment from tho nation's treasury there would be, fewer party bosses. Tho rev. gentleman proceeded to say that 'the Nationalist Directory was tho rottonost placo ever you put your foot in;' that the party bosses regulated the. payment of members'; that, some of the 'members' were paid from week to week, others were paid for a week's work, and (hen sent home, while 'the three or four hisses got, their kill share.' This, of course, is altogether a matter for the members of the League; but, it is another of the. examples of how easily tho Irish people are imposed upon. No statement of receipts and expenditure balance-sheet— no anything. It is the confidence trick in real life; but, (hen, if tho League are satisfied no one has any right to complain, for it is their business fuxii theirs only." LOYALIST..

PAYMENTS TO JUDGED Sir,-~Tho question Must has been , • -' regarding payments to i u ,i CP ! ■} r& m Government for acting on KoV-d r" y :l] '« ; sions and otherwise renderin- sort.-- mmis "' tincfc from the specific and Btalutni-»3 d ' SJ is deserving of dispassionate cons L'?> The manner in which it has bee', , at, ° -< before the public is, however to "i ™ on *«i regretted. When politicians 'for m^ poses permit themselves to indulge in pUrJ innuendoes reflecting on the absolute lR "° rity and impartiality of the Judicial V" t( s they are, consciously or not uihW, • c!, J the foundations of our whole soci m ', nui lure. One can discuss, however j L Ucpriety or desirableness of the nrief i,rallotting extra-judicial duties to in,!,' ° E paying then, for .sue!, duties ore* ...„i .""I their official salaries without i.np. " bov « worthy motives to the Uoveniuun t " Z questioning the purity of the iud-n., V o ' wives. A. a matte,- of fact. the ni-nir a striking tribute to the implicit «iiifi,V " reposed in the honcty and nulepcndS? of the occupants of the ,1, : ,;,.:-, ,' a since hey arc specially dieted for ? extra duties because nil men believe ,' they will perform them without ,„'.„ ." favour. At the same lime. I am ££ « of lie- opinion that ,he practice r , i fui 'i » -' l " ' aires t« be followed with scrupulous care ; lUt ] ~, considered judgment., A judge is ai , poil *j to hear and determine < auses. to W«i in the higher courts of jnMice, ami 7 administer the laws of the 'haul. It;' ,0 office of groat honour and digniix " ,'"i ought, I think, to bo k-pi, a- far 'us m, sible, separate and apart fiom ;.j! ~.{'"'' public affairs. A judge ought not j 0 " i* called upon by a Government to 1.-jive hicourt, and Ins judicial work or the <~„■ of performing other duties not appertain. ing to his office, unless for sufficiently.',,,,-j and weighty reasons. if Mich duties can be equally well performed by others. \ m judge ought to be asked to undertake them This should !*■ an inflexible rul-\ odiorwj;,, there is a danger that, the habit of .jripeyi! ing to judges to net. in some other eapar.jf'. may become so common and frequent j, (' detract from what i.- now an honourable distinction .and a mark of confidence. L 'or payments made to judges when called ii)kiii to do work lying outs;,!.- the srihrro of (heir fixed duties, lie runs!, indeed |ia u , a curiously-constituted mind, and singular* little faith in men. however distinguished who can sec in such payment : only a vicious and sinister purpose. Lex.

NATIVE LANDS AND THE CENSUS,

Sir, —'Those of us whoso homes arc in the northern counties can best understand your nub-leader in your i.-sue of May 9lli, wherein you refer to tin: small increase of pnpn.' laiion in the Hokianga County, and rightly attribute it. to the continual looking up of the. Maori lands. The increase of the paknha population in the past period in the Bay of Islands County is about lb« same, and th- same cause may lie set down to account for the -slow progress. In. the Bay county, however, the state of thing is even more glaring, for conditions existthat should ensure speedy settlement, and aro more favourable, from a development point of view, than in the Ilokiaiijja County. The unused Maori hinds are in tins county by the lens of thousands of acres. A glance at the county map shows the pentie of the county almost, a blink. One block has the, stand-off letters' N.L., and marked acreage of 78,000 acres; other blocks surround it. We have now a railway opened for traffic (at, last) between.the Bay of Islands and Whangarei harbours, and, as must always be understood by outside readers, the railway is not along the coast, as stranger's may think, _ hut : cksorilKis a big circuit, increasing its length certainly, but taking in. in its course, the' vast arc-as of .Maori lands, referred to. A few- weeks ago wo had the Hon., the, ActingPrime Minister at Kaikohe in connection with th* big Maori gathering at the- unveiling of tlio monuments to the late Hone Moke; and, of course, he talked freely to the Maoris on the eternal subject of lite disposal of the land. All the talk, however, was ill -Maori. It 'is not well sometimes to print information received from private sources, but just hero it is safe to say that the advice given by the honourable gentleman was quite strong enough to account for all the "taihoa" wo have to experience in all matters where the Native Department it concerned; and was of a very different character from that used (in English) at,tho luncheon in Kawakawa. a few (lays afterwards., when the railway was opened. In the Bay county, perhaps more markedly than in any e'er part of the North, the Maoris are living as neighbours with the pakehas fact at. once noticed by visitors attending any public gathering. That great' gathering at Kaikohe was a credit to tlio Maoris assembled in the matter of their general behaviour. If own the present laswas allowed fair play we should soon sec the Maoris settled comfortably on certain portions of their land, and tho balance also settled by the pakehas, Kven a short 'experience, however, has shown that some restraint is needed to ensure that the money; received for sales shall go towards improving the lands held for homes. Sensible, prompt; action in bringing about the new stale of things will be a blessing to all concerned. The "taihoa" policy may retard and irritate—Maoris more so than paiebaß—but cannot eventually prevent the change. Jim danger is that the frittering process will direct tho moneys received to uses not by any means good. This letter could lx> made a long one by pointing out how the opening of the new railway may bo made to help in the forward movement. As it. is, the, time-table is formed to throttle traffic, and the miles of Maori lands passed through, surveyed three years ago. avowedly for settlement, and with vast timber reserves lying in the natural state.: And yet. people vote for the "Liberal" Government! John Press. Taratara, Kawakawa, May 12. A DEMOCRACY, OR AN' AUTOCRACY, OR BOTH? Sir,-—Ostensibly and by repute, by ..'fa Constitution and universal suffrage, its labour laws, and dominant trades unions, "s(* Zealand is a blindly impetuous go-ahead democracy ! To "a fine old English gentleman. all of tho olden time," it, is the "Arcadia" of Labourites and rabid radicals, full of «-.. plosive possibilities, social as well as physical, and yet, says he, over this wondrous' volcanic region a Prime Minister sports with autocratic powers that out-Kaisers the KaiserInere is on the one hand a so-called democracy based upon the principle of "government by the people, and for the people, a mutilated body. lph-sidod, hybrid, dissonant, self-conflicting, demanding 'class privilege* that trample upon the rights of others, that claim liberty by the bondage- of otliers, that grasp insatiably at advances in' gains and limitations of others, and then exclude those. who assert; the personal right, of self-owner-shin and an equality of right, to settle in tho land and labour, every man according to his ability. Tin's sinuous, restless creature with twining tentacles, is not true socialistic democracy, if, is trades unionism. True socialistic democracy is something vastly nobler. It slowly evolves from tho deep passionate longing for justice— to all and upon all, thai, puts into overv hand the banner, Tor God and My Right." This was t-hs socialism that, J. D. Maurice, Charles King* ley, arid Tom Hughes and others dreamed and laboured for: this, the- fulfilling of tho prophetic words of Jesus; "And lifl l» lifted up will draw all men unto Mo." iiio peril is not from this high-born " socialism," but from that sordidly-minded socialism which assaults human 'freedom by compulsory law and personal violence.. Contrary and opposite to this rears high tho danger of subjection to an absolute "autocracy. It is not imaginary, it is real. Nominally the people rule: do facto, they are ruled—ruled not by a pari v. but by an ambitious Prime Minister. What governance have the people had in tho selection of the successive Prime Ministers, or of the members of tho Legislative Council; or in. tlia borrowing policy that secures an annual surplus, and overweight; tho Dominion with debt: or in tho'unst&bio and repelling land legislation of tho Government; or over the racing and. betting laws that demoralise tho country with gambling? What part or lot, -what consideration had the people (save 88 security) in the offer of a " Dreadnought to England, or in the interruption of lar* liamentarv business ami the attendance ot the Prime Minister at the Imperial Comerenco? What, voice had the people in »'° proposed resolutions for that conference. either the first or the second and very on ferent series announced at Sydney. * what voice have the people had as to w« powers Riven to military authorities i. i defence 'scheme? Who, for .instance, em powered the military authorities to s*» lion the formation of Roman Catholic c*n<* arid territorial companies? Are wo denomiuaiionalism in tho Ji ral J r r/ i\ l Unt > is a in the school*? And yet >,ew Z°« ee , democratic country! Too people " °' £ lT| independent, a land of peace » v "flowing with milk an.l honey mised Land! Yet it is liable to sr cvgrthmhuk( ral shocks and disturbances, and r_Lcrotlater, from these two antagonisms a ivc, .scheming, audacious, autoci* ~ restless, dissatisfied, disillusioned. g raged democracy—there will, a-» > ~-tJI tierce and revolutionary strugffk i in »' end in desolation and rum, or m » '-now-created world," where «* hao righteousness and peace aU( L I^E , CoX. charity. _ iJ ~ Cambridge. ..„__