LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15047, 17 July 1912, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

BANK CHARGES.

Sir,—l notice a letter in your issue call- > ing, attention to the charge made by the | banks for exchange on cheques. This j charge is submitted to without a murmur, j • Then again why are ill- banks allowed to imijo.se a poll lax on every customer oi tun shillings per annum? sio interest is allowed to a customer on any balance he may have to his credit, yet the bank makes a profit cut of this, and in addition charges • the customer ran shillings per annum for "■ allowing the bank to make such profit. It may be said that a man need not put • his money in a bank, but that Would be J absurd as the present system '.', compefs everyone who has any money dealings k* keep a bank account. Why ahould backs, • which make the bulk of their profits oat of the credit balanceij;of their be , allowecl to tax them in this systematic mannex-? victim.

A PLI2A FOR. THE NEW ZEALAND .■■■'■ . ' FLORA. v ',' :: -

Sir,--Our native foreit is "the vanishing poiint over almost provincial: areas. Its beauties, which struck such • amazement into the hearts of the pipneeis ' arft abbost unknown \<o their grandchildren. p Hewn dowii for timbmv burned to make Way , for cultivation, its young growth destroyed By cattle even where hit staiicling, ; tho *' "forest life"'is becoming evanescent. The country tends to grass,, with pines, orchard. trees, and garden lowers to. replace tliat 'world of variety; trees, shrahs, oliihbers, , ferns, epiphytes, which bur fathers knew, ' Is it tep much to : ask that a corner should bo set: aside in city parks, public g-rounds, etc., ifor the native flora? Thousands, tpo, of private citizens would do a littlo if put in (he way of it. '.Doubtless professional' in<m ttmld cu-«ily . J »npi".iVii) "n the Mit-'Bt«tions »f «i;< tsftV.t. nr riii(h ; a» J jwh, hut tvcji a *" ''rough 'outline may su-vo to till in a \acancy i for tho planting season. Site: Tho native flora grows, and ther<3- :. fore can be grown, anyivhere; but a .gentle . rise would be most eftbetjve. Shelter from stormy winds would bo: of value, but if partial shelter exists if; may be improved by planting a triple r<iw of- the following i native species: —Pittosporum crassifolium (karo), Pittosporum eugenoidt* (terata), Ooprosma Bauri Glearia Traverei, Oloaria Traillii. These are all perfectly hardy to frost and wind, and :alniosi; «o to sea spray, and a belt, a chain long, a •>'■■ few yards south-west of > the Hew Zealand plot, would: soon make* an efficient wind- " break. Much of the eharm of our forest lies in its beautiful cwSjpers, arid epiphyte'i. Those Who _can centre their plot oh a grove of native trees caii reacjily train and plant upon theih tha bulk of the iolloWing:; t —Passiflora tctandra (kohia), Clematis iai divisa (piki-a.i'ero), Pai'sonsia alba 4&ka- ,"' kiore), BLetrbsideros florida {aka-rataj,'"l*j.ep< •> podium volubile (Waiwaikoku), Lygodium ? articulatum (mungi-mungi), , Ehibo,gohuitt P: ficandens (kareao), Paridamis Banksii (kiey kie), Astelia_ Solandri, Pittosporum eorni- . folium* tSarina Dehdr^nm > Cunninghamii, LycopoditiHi Bilhirdicri, As* I plenium lucidum. [ Having established a oehtre with these 1 species, tho question of planting around it ariso:;. Pour or. ml\ beds placed against tho [ 'centre' " should be prepared with thorough . draining and cultivation. Many native::. • species are slow of growth, and need shade i in early stages. To occupy the ground and , make shade with imtrieidiate pleasant effect j one niif!;ht. use—Entolea arboreseeus (wiiau), ' Awstofel ia raceihosa; (mako} ;■. Solanum avieuK j lare (poro-poro), Phormium tenax fkorari), | Fuchsia excortica (kotukutuku). All these I are handsome plants of rapid growth, which,.; spring up in the edges of bush clearings, but they may retiui.ro Water spraying on j J frosty mornings. They ..should be regarded,! merely-as nurses, and-rat but; as space is required. But the foliage effort will bo found very good as the red underside of ,:ihe mako leaves contrast with the silver-lined leaves of the fuchsia,iwid the bold effect of the wfeau. • ' As a floral edging to this I _ reqonamiMid; • the following :---v'enjnieii», sftlicifolia fkofd- ; miko), Veronica sp*qiosa (koromiko)," Glian- '. thus punicous (kowhstinfrutukaka}. Th& following ferns will be found to do _Well aniong ! these plants:—Asplenitun bulbiferum. As--1 pleium lucidum, ; Pteriti; : Todea 1 superba. By the second year these- should give shade enough to set among thfiitt tho, following more important species, which ;'.: should _ be, four feet .apartj—JDacrydium cupressmum (rinml,. flbphora ....-;■ ;* (koW'hai), Corync«eii?pus: laavictatus <karaka), Cordylino. australb (ti). While: these ( arb young a pleasing eft*<!<ct: may be secured by - , planting among- thera bulbf of sepium (polnia; bell-bine). Another group almost as pleasing as the first in its variety of foliajre may be made thus:—Podocarpus totara _ (totara), AJectryou excelfa (titolii), Lanrclia novoe-zelandia (pukatea), Cyathea inedullaris (mamakti). A third might be made tip thus;—Leptospermunii eriooideisr (manuka), Coprosma totnista (karamu), Libb-' doniana ': fkawaka), Rhopalostyiis sapida (nikiu). Othep groups will suggest themselves ad. lib., but these will serve tb indicate what I have in mind, Trtisting that m'y efforts will stimulate those who are better able to daal with tbb Subfect, arid that information h»s to propagation, transplanting, etc., will be made public before tbe season is lost. J. H. Httuson. ;

REGARDING WMHI STRIKE SETTLEMENT.

Sir,—Eight weeks of idleness have cost the miners : £40,000,,:■-The."''cotapaiiies■ : .'too : heavy losers. %ko public who aire sttbs&fibV ing and others who aw? less -inteiiested inaxvel at. tli© folly of the whole busings. This strike is the ill-wind 'that blows nobody I« Gonsidering the q i «-fition of settlement, the financial condition, of the country forces the conviction that it i« economically impossible iqr such sources of wealth to be cut off -indiscriminately. Payable gold mmes arc ideal institutions; they pledge nobody's credit in carrying on their great work of enriching the country, for Nature pays the wages and furnishes the dividends. Compare a producing gold mine with other 7 groat employers, such as the Public Works Department and municipal bodies. It will at once be seen that the- latter pledge the people's credit in raising: funds, and tax the community in order to refund the capital and pay interest on the sums so raised. If natural sources of wealth are closed down the security which the country has &> offer vanishes, capital melts away, and employment; even By the State, is gone. 'Nature, in giving up her riches,: requires no refund involving taxation. It in, therefore,: necessary to stop trifling with vital conditions; for the time has arrived to consider a basis of settlement of a dispute that is clogging the wheels of progress and pro« 4 penty. Kindly permit me to state some facts and'offer some suggestions :— The Waihi Miners' union has "turned down the Arbitration Ooi>rt, alleging that its decisions are inequitable because conditions of employment are not understood Phis union is nevertheless not an illegal combine, and the weapon "strike" is not* an unlawful One in its Tiiiinds. TH Engine--dnyers and Winders* Union is a separate body,. and has been registcved under the Arbitration Act. Its position is legally Unassailable, but it is not lawful for its members to use the weapon " : strike." Registration under the Arbitration Act is, not compulsory, and so lon* as each Union inspects the .other's legal status the strong aria qf the law cannot interfere. No rjossibleforc© justly applied, can compel the Waihi Union to accept the Arbitration Act, and an. . patently no arguments will conduce it that the Act serves a useful purpose. No possible force can compel the engine-drivers an P .winders to» forsake their rights and 1 privileges enjoyed under the Act.: "It is quite clear that both unions are on legal ground. ° , The strike was an act of sentiment, performed by the Waihi Union, which had the support, of the Federation of Labour. It cutoff its nose to spite its. face. This union said: 'We will not w-oric with the enginedrivers because they have registered as a separate body under the Arbitration AefcThe, companies are blamed because they, will not bring unlawful pressure to bear on the engine-drivers. The companies, though heavy .losers, are legally compelled to remain neutral, and will continue so fori all time. Sentimental reasons keep the two factions apart. The Waihi Minerii' Union ! charges the engine-drivers with weakening the solidity of labour irj its fight with cap i- 1 tal. ■ The engine-drivers resent', the others methods. They don't see the good of fighting capital, and tneyarginv that such forces ' as boycott and intimidation and threatened starvation are not fair methods for one ' man to use against his brother in any ' British community. They quietly but firmly ; refuse to be moved by eueh methods. The' engine-drivers and winders seek ho •'■'•■ special favours by virtue of their adherence ' to the Arbitration Act. They are readv ' and willing to work with the Miners' Union ' Their case is that they naive been locked ' out, and denied the right of every citijzeh | to earn an honest living. These cireiun* '' | stances have caused the deadlock. < ; # Tt has been stated that the companies ini|< sist ofl an Arbitration Court agreement bet t I fore resuming work, but this is quite ur& true. Any such insistence would he unfam * and probably illegal, Ifc is true that thejf would prefer such an agreement, becaiuse ,\ it would legally bind both parties. They ; are prepared to make any agreement thw r would offer similar assurance. What tbfe ?1 companies do want is an understanding!; f* Abuses that have crept in and caused frjei- t t tion must be rooted out, and a better leelp ! dng established. Unfortunately the mine! ,';' cannot furnish empioyemen4 to sO irtijn* ; l hands as formerly, but-with sufficient OoviV H dence of goodwill exhibitetl.and assuredj l| "i ' •'■ ; . . ■ '..!."" "'•■-'•- : : x> ■'■■

require no formal agreement f**™*** ivpt thai, eubveyort by U* #*<* » ? « »"'f' .handshake. Under iU*» roadtfiCnJ * |»«? no doubt, that work can b« rrtui ood I afe not armed with inudo iniormalion, nut heverthele&s feel Euro of my ground. <ft i« a committee of Wailii minors, acting jutn thoir omckls, make inquiries/ July 15. w - I'" !ATHAM -

LABOUR AND THE STATE.

Sir, —You raised some important issues in your recent instructive article on ;* Labour,-; ■ and tho State." You.remarked: ' la particular, thero are indications of a temper which must bo checked if any real program id to be made." True. 3W* who is to check iif Mpfimarilyv the workers aiust check it. Ho police force can check it. " is in the heart and disposition, and no external physical or brute force can cSaage the disposition, except, perhaps, to make -* worse. Excessively sev«i:o punishment* ..ormerlv did not repress crime. Inainduiu ana natural disaster may set men thinking, analead thorn to consider thoir waja aiui be wise. It may make then) more amjjui.we to "reason, law, and ordci ; mi. tlw •■ temper '* alluded to requires moral suasion and a listening to the still small voice. it "must be chocked;' but the a® ted themselves must check it. The prevailing temper is the infliction. ;■ - ■ • ilra. Grundy may help them to check it. Public opinion to-day is more potent than Burns's "hangman's whip." Piresa, platform, and the home circle can create a sentiment which Will check that temper ■more'than anything else.except the sp»*rt.ot. wisdom and justice which is bowing oyer all of us noady to nestle in Uu: heaifc ot ' every willing recipient. Tho pulpit once could fcf»lp greatly, 'but unfortuijatcly. the masses now disregard, as the merely official Utterances of a paid class, pulpit teaching. ' Neglect of tho Bible necessarily leaiis to disesteem of its official oxpoundori and of , public worship. Hence a true and ehective public opinion is tenfob more ;< < --ary , than ever. 3>Jany effort" ar? iuiu.j for social, , political, industrial, and religion*, wreckage ■ here. A good many workers have uech carried away, lik.* u vobsol out o( ks course, by adverse Kvinds; but they will veer round ! again when sick of apples of Sodom and i granes of Gomorrah, which can never ; satisfy. The muck rake will be exchanged 1 for tho crown of true inar.ko.ul uifcred by ■ tho by-standing angel if they would only look up. Materialism has fc« mi tried and found wanting. It leads to the chambers of death. "A temiier which mail ix checked?" Yes. certainly. What is it? Take only one 1 of ninny phases. It is that:■ '-Ctempulsonr sloth is right, necessary, and iieiicficutk' What are we all coming to! ' r li iik o! it Compulsory sloth reduced to an elaborate ■ ■system, enforced by dreaded penal u> and gloried in. It is like a comic donkoj race Where- the last one wins. A maii is not to .lay more than, sav, 40CLbricks a. day, although ho could lay 300; -another ma a is jiofc allowed to make more tket-u half the wages ho could make, ~?- j anotL'ij it not allowet] l'i mana-go n inaehirK'. nai-ily managed % Mi'\ M'Stess another wuu hdp* him. ' I'Jw downward course <& easy, 'the »« will not need ike a •sd.-la.rr.o i/ -*«. any famine so sink a nutiou dowa to whc-ie ompuls .-• cloth k prat icea long. It help,!a to ru r. Import i Home, xi may min New Zealand. And why h it? What is the wewtY Is it a Jc-iiwi' predominant; ylea.l It- js tlif. Tho of the workeru -Hive «ot thfcra to believ*- the he that there is only a certain amount of work to be done, and that the longer it ran be mnm out the' Better. Workers can believe that. HUer jr>nvn*e only «o liritf ar ance of economies prevails Four men in Melhoiw»o *hi« war to w; ,v'«tt; thoy ooa'J m* «iia abjt tiir«~«j tu»**!s immSwr of bricks per day which the Trade Union .pwßdfcs to he- laid, rwed it wiii nat a'iow bricklayers there to lay bricks by the 1000; just as the union at Waihi objeetii to miners i working on contract;. The A£& Melbourne, '' hits rli&e-ss&ed iMn ituwttoa in jls iscriia vf March .50 last, and has shown that the theory of the workeea is. iltogiccl, grouiidjcss, and disastrous. "'A bricklayer ir : New Tori; works on piece, and earns £6 14s 6d per week. & brkiclayor in toridflti works on time at £1 3s 9-d per week." AH Tnonds d Icbour car not but \rhh that workers may have iihcir eyes opened to see- the disastrous quAffmtro which their misleaders are leading theia int). 0?mBionsutw |ir.6vo*' tfeir IJ-I0 'jjr>cra' and tint -.better the auLput, fihe gr>>aie<f \tilS be f.bo demand, and the better will it be for everyone. Public opinion should b» l'ocusa;d on that question, because time work and saunter will not only financially injure the workers: but it will atrophy thuir powers by disuse, reduce, the fastest to tho pace of the lowest, the most competent to the i'evo! of the least capable, and will destroy all interest and pride iu work. Yes, it; "must be checked," and Mrs.. Qmiady must check it. H she fails to do bo, then disaster certainly will do it. but br chastisement with scorpions. Not always..but gemer.pJly. look lfiarn by pafefttl espferj^ttes: wise nsun learn by the experience cf 4ih6-rk -..*•' P. H. EwiifOTOW.