LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, 29 June 1914, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

•> ' t HARBOUR ' BOARD TOLLS. Sir,—Some weeks ago I noticed a let- ■ ter from 'correspondent about <the farce '■ of these tolls. On a recent night I had * occasion to see some friends off, and I 1 realised the |arco—for farce it is. ' Dozens - of people paid twopence, and these, while f standing on tho wharf, could see dozens t of other's climbing over arid' getting uiider the chains without paying., - " i "' ' J. pREDDOE. a DESTRUCTION BY HAWKS. 1 Sir,—Any country sporting man " will 1 agree with Mr, H. Southey'a suggestions as to the'necessity for killing $e hawks boforo ' attempting to import new • game I birds; In*my opinion, tliei'o' are't(so many » city men on 'the committee of the Anck- - land Acclimatisation Society. Quite re--3 contly I have had a brood of yourig pheasants lindoY* observation,"and almost con- , tinually a liawk oi' hdwks havfe been on the watch for them, and I believo that I seven out of the nine were taken by the 5 hawks. It is' 1 rjdic'ulonfl for mbftSt'i's of the'committee to' say that hawks Will not [ kill cock pheasants. , Spencer Marshall. Cambridge. i i Sir,— recently I saw a hawk kill a strong healthy phoasant. So audacious , was the event that he. quite ignored my presence, not a hundred yards away. It is a common filing for these pests to kill nowly-boni lambs. I have recently been for an extended trip througii the back country in ' tho' King 'Country, visiting Otorohanga, West Wiatomo, through Pio Pio, Aria, and the Ohura Valley. On one occasion 1 counted 43 hawks hovering around tho remains of a rabbit, Year after' year huge Sums are being expended to foster game, and to what purpoao? Pheasants are locally reared at huge expense and liberated, to be immediately slaughtered by those pests. Suppose the society earmarked £6IX) of its funds for a vigorous crusade against tho hawks, The second year half that amount would suttieo i until, say, in five years, the hawk would be a rara avis. If this policy were followed, to what magnitude would our game preserves grow? The society.would be- enabled to reimburse itself tftentyfold in license fees alone, and incidentally tho public would be able to have a little pleasure combined with the luxury of a little game occasionally- Let the society otfer a fee per head for hawks and every boy throughout the country will have his trap,' I saw & boy in the Waifcatorecently catch 15 hawks in two hours with a common small-tooth rat-trap. • Until a vigorous campaign is started by t'ho poclc-ty the sport of the Auckland acclimatisation district will'remain as it is at present, at a very low ebb. H. Madixson I'.UUION, Parnoll. FENIANISM. Sir.—After a term of 56 years we are brought back in memory to a disastrous time <in tie history of Ireland, ,-when, after the downfall of O'Connell's Repeal movement and the collapse of the tenants' | league agitation under Keogh and Saddlier ' tho whole country' was brought to its lowest ebb, and the people, in despair of constitutional means of redress,' had recourse to tho iiso of arms. Skibberecn, an obscure town in the County of Cork, gave Feniiuiism its first otart, The late [O'Donovan Rossa was' tho first recruit in a move'ment which, whatever Its'faults and failures, certainly breathed new hope and courage into the people, and gave a' renewed impulse' to t&Tstrugglo for Irish freedom. Most Englishmen and some Irishmen have mistaken views about Fenianism, but One of' England's greatest statesmen, W. E. Gladstone, has placed on record for their enlightenment a strong justification of the aims and motives which influenced the members of this once powerful organisation. ' Save O'Dala.

THE ULSTER SITUATION. Sir,—A letter appeared in tjio llkhald ox pressing sympathy with tho men of Ulster, and readiness to snbscfibo to the Ulster fund, and an enthusiastic willingness to, go and fight for Ulster's defence. But .against whom? Supposedly, against the British Government! ■ But,- has not tho Government assured, and reassured all concerned, that thero was no intention to coerce Ulster? Tho British Government placod tho army in Iroifit of Ulster, not to coerce, not to intimidate, but Mmply as a preventive to deter -"Ulster, in the enthusiasm of her patriotism, from over-stepping tho provisions 'and' tho "jprovWee t>i civil law. If Ulster had done this, she would have inflicted irreparable injury upon her own beet interests, political, economic, social," educational, and religious! The British Gbvcrnment did its level best to prevent Ulster from bringing upon herself dire disaster, the effect of which must have been to injure the interest of Ireland da a whole, and tho wliolo British Empire. Is it not matter for regre't that a great Political Party, which has stood' 'unflinchingly for law, order, and loyalty for centuries past, should have its honour " trailed in the mud," by tho ungovertied spirit of anarchy? We are too near, as yet, to get'the' proper perspective/but in days to come, trie escapade of lieadstrortg and ill-advised men-Avill stand out as a dark blot upon tl» fair escutcheon of the Conservative' Party, while-the magnanimous self-abnegation, of Mr.-'Balfour will Bhino out for generations. Lot our noblest sympathy over be to "promote Peace, not tho sword! Henry Yoiwu.

THE PRICE OF FISH. Sir,-In trying to make out a good case in favour of trawling in Hauraki' Gulf, Mr. Sanford says" My ' contention is that tho enormous quantities of fall caught in British waters and .the North' Sea, are made possible owing to tho enormous catching power and the slaughter of fish that has been going on for years." As .1 matter of fact; Steam trailing in tho Nortlrfjica has'almost completely'depleted it-of trawl - fish,' and' instead "of working the Dogger Bank, Silver Pits, etc., as 35 years ago, the boats havo to go to Iceland, White- Sea; and even as''far south as tho coast of Portugal. ' This is admitted by all fishermen to be the direct-result of the steam trawl. Again, in their meeting with Professor Prince, -the -fish merchants said fish • was badly knocked about by the fishermen. 'How dbes it fare after it' leaves the fishermen's hands ? It is then the knocking about comes in, not with the" fishermen. ''It was "stated that an'expert fisherman could make up to £10 per week,-but why Dot quote tho average net 'earnings of the -men ? • The figure' would be nearer £2 per tfcelc. As for the price -the fishermen got-,' it does not exceed' l|d per lb for schnapper, and whatever extra the public has to pay is put 'on' by the middlemen. 'It is to be sincerely hoped that trawling will never be allowed in the gulf:"" I hope the markets will soon be built, and', when ready, thoy will be run by the council, and which will find a means of dealing with the whole of the catches instead of curtailing them, and tlio consumer will benefit in consequence. ' ' 'Fisherman.

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS. Sir,— Sam. A. Brown, writing in the Herald) makes some large demands on behalf of unionist. Ho claims " that it is a fair tiling that' those who have banded theiriselvos together to help to uplift labour and humanity should ■ grt preference by society." I deny that proposition in- toto. Because a set of men . band themselves together for their own ends; that does 'not give them any inherent-right over othors. •As. to "uplifting humanity," wo ba<J $ taste of uplifting By unionists last year: The country was -put to inconvenience, and suffered directly, and -iridiVettly,'probably a loss of half a million of money. If we bad 'not been $0' fortunite as to have' a strong moo" at '.the 'head of 'the v city, and another at the hoad of the Harbour Board backed by it fearic and strong Governtaent, no one '"can 'Bay what ' would liawhappened. Mr. Brown observes-: "Those who want the,benefits of-unionism sjiould pay for them; and unionism is right, commercially tirtd morally."- I' admit' thfl -flrfrt proposition, 'buji what about -those who do riot want those benefits, and who hato unionism and all its works. Is it right

;■ tb&t the. law should .step in . and .flay ..to these men "ifgjn a unjop, or you will not do allowed to work- to -support, your wife and family?" 'As .to"unionism being . right commercially," I doubt'that. It has-lowered the efficiency of labour, and . r W?> •or vends, to. be. formed in self-dofencoj greatly enhancing the price of everything. Above all, it has almost destroyed that kindly feeling that formerly existed between the - employer and his men. S-to unionism Being "right morally," that depends-fipon' how it is used, or to what purpose it- is put. As" -to '} grading the men, < like a lot of" packages of goods) that is another step towards" bondage. ■'I'H'e best grader is the employer. T]m labour laws are' good, inasmuch, as they" protect the health of the workers; but beyond that, 1 1 fear they'do more harm than good. Every man has an inalienable right to earn his living without being ■ made a bond- J dave - W. Philcox. I

Sir,->lr. Ewington deserves tbo thanks of jho public for bringing this most important; subject before them.'Most of us accept it as one of the changes that has to be'endured without considering' what it means.'' If trade unionism is such a good thuief. and serves to uplift labour'and humanity, as Mr. Ev A. Browne declares, it is extraordinary that'the jjfoat. majority of men have to be forced into the unions by th operation of the preference clause, There is much good in unionism, but unionism rtin wild, backed by the preference clauses, is a curso to evervone. Too often a mail joining a union' fincla that he has placed his nock under the foot, of .the bosses.' who will see to it that he Is kept in Jiis place, and if lie does not tote as directed woo betide him.' The question arises: Has unionism really benefited tho workers? It' stands to reason that increased wages mean increased cost of living, and diminished output, 'according to union scales,- has the same effect. Marty industries in England are practically extin because of this fixed maximum tor the day s work. Mr. Browne tells"us that labour needs grading." The remedy is, abolish this preference clause and labour will Be Ouy quickly graded.' Th o good honest worker will got- his due, and- tho lazy, or incompetent, ones will get what' they are worth. 'Qiero arc, I believe, tradesmen walking the streets of Auckland to-dav because they are barred by some red taoeism from joining a union, and. not beinc allowed to work unless they ' arc unionists, they are' Sentenced to perpetual idleness ?o far as their own craft is concerned. As long as preference remains discord and trouble will prevail. We have constantly the feeling of a man sitting on a volcano not knowing when it may " go off." EQPrrT."

STREET STANDS. Sir,—lt was with a. groat deal of interest I read in the columns of the Hkrai.d a letter written by '"Fairplav." lam glad the authorities have at last taken action in penalising firms who place their wares upon the footpath to the inoonvenieiicd and annoyance of pedestrians. Although one firm in Albert Street has been made on example of, there <uo other firms who are guilty of the same offence. The practice of using the street as a stand is unfortunately only too common, and I would like U, m the authorities make a thorough and systematic attempt to clear the footpaths of' these obstructions. It is yen- annoying to pedestrians to have to walk out Into the road, when that which nas been provided for their use and convenience is obstructed bv cases and goods) the opening up of which causes a litter and an unnecessary amount of noise for a public street. • B.H.T,