LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15594, 28 April 1914, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

MUZZLES. ' Permit .me to state, in answer to. Mr. W. Richardson's letter of Saturday last, that bulldogs are not the only animals that the i citizens of this city would like to see muzzled. Sholum. EXHIBITION ART GALLERY. Sir,—l have learnt with amazement that out of the.splendid collection of pictures on view at the Exhibition gallery for the past six months not one has been chosen by the trustees of the Auckland Art Gallery. As for the apparent apathy of the AucKland public for the Exhibition gallery, so scathingly commented on by a Southern critic some few weeks back, might it not be nearer the truth that the people here were almost entirely ignorant of what the gallery contained— was never at any time advertised. LrjBBA. GREATER AUCKLAND. Sir,—Being a Grey Lynn ratepayer, and anxious to get all the information possible upon tho Greater Auckland question, I attended the meeting held in the Church of Christ, Ponsonby Road, on Thursday evening last. I must admit that the meeting was a great disappointment from a ratepayer's point of view. Nearly every councillor, including His Worship the Mayor, stated that they had been Greater Aucklanders, but quite forgot to explain why they so suddenly changed their views on this important question. Mr. Thompson, however, proved the exception to the rule. He stated that he was open to conviction on the question, but his tirades against the city, and everything appertaining thereto, proved beyond doubt that his open mind was a pure myth. Anti-humbug. AUCKLAND HOSPITAL. Having recently been an inmate of the Auckland District Hospital, I would like to publicly record my appreciation of tho management of the institution, and would crave your permission for space to do so. Many people, in cases of sickness, refrain from going to the Public Hospital and prefer to pay the additional charges at the private institutions, and in many cases they can ill afford to do so, from the mistaken idea that they are going to receive greater care and attention from private nurses than from the public staff. In my own case, nothing could have exceeded tho care and attention which I received from the doctors and nurses. Had I been at my own home and amongst my own relations, nothing more could have been done for me; and my case was not exceptional. As far as I could observe, all received the same treatment. I would like to acquaint the public with the fact that we have such a splendidly managed and equipped institution in our midst, doing such grand work on behalf of the sick and suffering, for I am convinced that with many a very different impression prevails. D. McCracken. Te Puke, April 20. UNIVERSAL TRAINING. Sir,— inquiry made by the Minister for Defence as to possible ways of utilising the services of those who oppose military training has not attracted the public attention that the matter deserves. The Society of Friends has passed a stronglyworded resolution, in which they denounce the Defence Act as "a reproach to the British name." There is ample evidence to prove that similar views have been held by a section of the British nations, as far back as historical records go, and the. I most notable effects were the Danish and i Norman Conquests and the serfdom of the I Anglo-Saxons for a lengthy period. It ! seems to me that there is no advantage, and probably there i 6 some danger, in ! trying to enforce military training upon those unwilling individuals, who may conveniently be divided into three classes:— (1) Those who have definite religious objections ; (2) those who are dull mentally ; and (3) those having no love for the country. The Herald has reiterated that good roads are of pre-eminent importance, and the suggestion made by a county councillor in the South that stone-breaking was the best occupation for those who refused military training should be treated with seriousness. The demand for road metal is insatiable, and if the most suitable among the first and second classes were instructed in ambulance work, and the remainder were allotted a reasonable amount of stone to break for roadmaking, the country generally would gain most decidedly, and the problem of service would be solved in one short act. Native.

MOUNT ROSKILL ROADS. Sir,— doubt the congestion of dwellings in any district should bo strenuously fought against, but in certain portions Mount Roskill need have no fear of restricted air-space while the present antiquated system of reading is in vogue. Within a stone's-throw of dwellings motorcars and tradesmen's carts have been held up in a slough of mud, interspersed with briar and gorse, the goods have been taken off on to a sledge, horses have been requisitioned to pull motor-cars out of this street! It has been a 6nare and delusion to motorists. Coming from town an alluring landscape spreads before them, a beautiful bay and headland, with a road appearing to lead towards the sea-front; before they know where they are a declivity fronts them, with hardly room to turn.* In this spot a new house has lately been built, and five children have to trudge through this Slough of Despond in wet weather. Sections adjacent are inaccessible to would-bo purchasers to build on. Briar and gorse run riot, making a harbour for rabbits and quail, which come and grow fat and plump on our succulent cabbage and lettuce plants. No sir, lung-space out our way is in no fear of becoming restricted ; habitations of any description are a dream of the future, unless a radical alteration takes place. ' M. Jones. Frederick Street, Hillsbro'.

UNIVERSITY MONOPOLIES. Sir,— Tibbs declares his policy at last. He tells us that all he wants for the college "is perfect liberty to teach what he chooses, and full recognition of what is taught competently." I presume this will apply to each university college. Has Mr. Tibbs considered carefully to what extent this is possible or expedient in a State-supported federal university? With State-supported colleges under that system what judge of competence, other than the University oenate, will he suggest? Is Mr. Tibbs's principle to apply to any scrap of a professional course that may re started in any centre? Does Mr. Tibbs anticipate the support of professional men in any such fragmentary policy? But I am really only concerned with the question that caused me first to write on this subject— Tibbs's attack in your columns on my motion at the meeting of citizens in the direction of instituting a system of bursaries for professional students. I have not answered his defence on the subject, awaiting some information as to what ho proposed as an alternative. I am now more than ever unablo to understand tho reasons for his opposition to that proposal. Mr. Tibbs ad\ises students to aim at professions other than that of teaching. It did appear before that, if he would not help these students to go to the professional schools, he was going to bring the professional schools to them. But freedom, or even recognition, will not pay for sites, buildings, equipment, professors, and other expenses. Mr. Tibbs must recognise that, with all tho liberty in the world, want of adequate funds will, for somo time at least, prevent any great development of professional education in Auckland. Yet Mr. Tibbs protests against the suggestion that Auckland students should be assisted to get elsewhere what circumstances at present prevent their getting in Auckland. He tells us he could not bring himself "to surrender the best of our students to the South." This is introducing the principles of secondary school competition into the university, to which it is foreign. The students are to exist for the colleges rather than tho colleges for the students. And so, from

motives of pure jfialomy *pp« cn % ffc dents' int«rests must be sacrificed.' wn somewhat fiimtlar principles '{■; Gwwrne might spurn the junior »«holarshipß because they cannot be Mia and utilued in Qisborncv And, rfW enough, the very thing which Mr, Jwx "could not bring himself io 0 is actnally done by theso same inrrior scholarships. They assist those of the best of our students who desire to go Scrath to do «>, and several are nov down them The suggested bursaries would only assist the next best. Is Mr. Tibbs going to be consistent and advocate either the withdrawal of the junior scholarships, or such restrictions as will prevent Auckland scholars from attending Southern colleges, so that they may be forced to patronise the " monument of culture without a mission" and ultimately adopt Mr. Tibbs's profession? Mr. Tibbs's unfortunate students who went to their Alma Mater to ask for bread and were "sent with a stone—wrapped up in a diploma,' do not soem to mo to have a much greater chance of securing their loaves as a result of Mr. Tibbs's policy. H. W. Sbgab. ' HOMELESS WANDERERS. Sir,—Father Clarke deserves the thanks of the community for calling its attention to its treatment of the homeless wanderer. Where is all our education and our commonsense, that we do no more than class a moneyless person as a malefactor? And "this in a Christian land." I think we should institute farm homes where the penniless wanderer could repair, and live jik9 a human being until he finds an opening to help himself. To aid this a labour bureau could be attached to the farm home. A reasonable man knows that for a man to be an efficient worker he must be fed. Starving our workers is unreasonable and unbusinesslike. Religion is, or should be, the mainspring or main factor of business. Religion and business may seem to some to be antagonistic, taking a superficial view, but looking deeper it will be seen that success of any sort, commer- I cial or otherwise, cannot be achieved without_ religion as the main factor and mainspring. Religious action in our politics is good business for the country. New Zealand never was so prosperous as since the starting of the old age pensions, and other humane religious institutions, from both divine and economic causes. Father Clarke mentions the medieval methods, which had a large core of good in them, and had the religious heads of the Church then not forgotten that prayer was more potent than temporalities tho Roman Catholic Church would now have beon "the" Catholic Church. Sabb.\B. THE TRAINING QUESTION. Sir, —Ever since I can remember there has been a war scare enveloping us like a nightmare. If there were a real crisis, moso of those who are now being jeered at by those who shout with the biggest crowd would show that they were neither criminals, shirkers, nor cowards. For one, I may say that when fifty of us offered ourselves as volunteers, we were told, and rightly bo, that there was no need for our services. But there are fashions in civic virtues and vices, just as in dress. Just now_ New Zealanders and Australians are in a fighting humour—the outcome of pessimism, jealousy,- and fear. Unless care is taken, we shall find ourselves committed to a heavy drain upon our energies and resources. The piling up of armaments is in no sense "defence, and in no sense is it "insurance." It is in fact, the one source of danger to all concerned. It is an unfriendly act, and cannot fail to provoke reprisals. And the more money is spent upon wasteful preparations of merely destructive materials —cruisers, military ships, powder and cannon— less remains available for developing the country, and improving the condition of its people. The Red Feds, have no friends, but the Labour Party has yet to be reckoned with. Many of us who are in no sense red, join with them in holding chat conscription and despotism are twins. Let them read their history. After decapitating the king who attacked the five patriotic_ members of Parliament, Cromwell used his Ironsides to eject the the same Parliament, putting the key in his own pocket. And the reason " the storm of indignation aroused in Germany by the Zabern affair has died out is because the autocratic military head of Germany could, with ten soldiers, turn out tho Reichstag likewise. The United States, on the other "hand, with 100,000,000 people, has an army scarcely as big as ours. A Democracy has no time for a big army. H. Mason. 78, Eden Terrace.

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. - Sir,— public bodies handling public money are open to criticism, and I crave space to criticise the Auckland Acclimatisation Society for the way in which it handles its business generally, and especially the last annual meeting. How many members of the society held a detailed copy of the balance-sheet before the meeting, the only meeting at which members as a whole can criticise same? One goes to the meeting and hears the balancesheet read m none too clear a voice,* with the result . that it is impossible to'grasp the points open to discussion. I have had to refer to the Herald of the 15th to gather data. The overdraft was £304 at the commencement of the year, but had been reduced to £131 13s by drawing on the society's fixed deposit. Such a proceeding reminds one of the Irishman who cut off a piece of his blanket at one end to sew it on the other, to make it longer. I would like to know what is replacing the fixed deposit? One reads that by strict economy the expenditure was lessened by £512, compared with the previous season. It was not difficult to judge that the economy has been at the expense of the work done, which is also very much "economised." The most pertinent question asked of the council was • "What had the society done to eradicate vermin and hawks in the way of placing a price on heads and tails, 'as the case might be.' Anyone conversant with the subject will tell you that in farming before you put in your crops you must first' clean your ground of weed if you want a good crop. So it is in the rearing of game. Before you start to breed and rear came you must first eradicate hawks, etc. What is the use of liberating birds when all their broods or at least the greater part are predestined to be killed as soon as hatched Ono member of the council said that if they were to put a price on hawks' heads, as soon as all had been shot in the Auckland district natives would start importing heads from districts, and it would cost too much. Why not spend the £100 Government subsidy for this purpose' Adjacent districts, such as Whangarei Hobson, Coromandel, Tauranga, Opotiki' and Government Rotorua districts are all spending money killing hawks, only to be replaced by hawks from tho Auckland Acclimatisation Society's district. If the Auckland Society admits there are so many hawks in the country that it could not afford to pay for them, the Government should be asked for help, or as Mr. Reynolds suggested, it should take over the whole work, so that a bona-fide sportsman may have something to shoot. Waikumete. Lko\abd Hammond!

A WISE WOMAN. "No, thank you, I want Hean's Essence, and nothing else. I have already tried Hean's, and if it costs double the price I would willingly pay that price." The Proprietor of Hean's Essence had just stopped into a shop where patent medicines are sold, when a lady customer was using the words above related. He was unknown to either shopman or customer. Apparently, the lady had formerly tried Hean's Essence for making her own good family cough and cold remedy, had proved it good, and desired to purchase another bottle. The man behind the counter wanted to sell her something else—probably he would make a little more profit for !iimself— his "just as good" subst-tute didn't appeal. Certainly the lady was clearly within her rights. She had asked plainly for Hean's Essence, and because she had formerly proven its quality and money-sav-ing value, insisted upon getting that which sho wanted—HEAN'S. She left the shop with Hean's Essence and satisfaction in hes hand—she was a wise woman.