LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17337, 8 December 1919, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ic WEAPONS IN RESERVE." . J Sir,—lt is a matter for congratulation ' that Mr. Bloodworth has come out in his ] true colours—Tho Great Middle Class has 1 no reason to quaka at his threats. They ' are decidedly in the majority. So is ' he working man if ho would only take his 5 head out of tho, bag ( in which the union 1 keeps it and look around. The fact is ] they don't know their strength/ If they 1 all choose to.vote against "Labour" so- j called— one can Sop —and Mr. ! Bloodworlh and his friends will be utterly ! powerless. Mxddleclass. ■ THE IRISH QUESTION. ' Sir, —Over the initials J. J./O'B. , a letter . appears in Friday's Hebaid, in which the writer says : "Is it any wonder that the 'unreasonable* Irish are now demanding the same rights that have been granted to : those who were formerly ruled by the Central Powers?" In spite of the blessings of English rule in eland, the Irish keep on singing that exasperating ballad, 1 "Self-determination for Ireland. Let me j ( say if J. J. O'B. and' his friends will let "Ulster" sing "self-determination" Eng- ' land would grant the rest of Ireland "self- j . determination'' to-morrow. Loyal Ulster ; desires to work out her own destiny in conjunction with Britain. "'What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander." , Why does, J. J. O'B. object to Ulster singing the same as a solo? S. L. P. Rxmmeb. • RETURNED SOLDIERS* CORPS. Sir,— view of the possibility that we may be called upon to defend this country against a direct attack by a powerful enemy, would it not be advisable to form a Returned Soldiers' Reserve Corps? It is quite certain that soldiers returning to civilian life will very soon lose touch with military matters, and, in the event of war, would require re-training. I believe the great majority of returned soldiers would be willing to devote two or three weeks yearly, in order to " brush up" their military knowledge and receive instruc tion in latest developments of modern warfare. Training camps could bo formed near the chief centres, and, as far as possible, men could have their yearly training with the battalion in which they served during the war. The knowledge that, in addition to the Territorial Forces of Ne\y Zealand, the " Diggers" were still ' in training and " ready tor business," would have a very strong moral effect on ; a possible invader. I feel quite sure that there are thousands of the Great War veterans who are willing to keep fit and 1 prepared, if only given some encouragement and assistance. Onward. SALARIES OF TEACHERS. Sir,ln the matter of the increased pay granted to teachers, I would 'ike to point out a ssrious flaw in the allotting of the increases. The increase was fixed by calculation at £45, to meet the increase ' cost of living. Now, I do not need tc • prove that the one who has. suffered most i from increased prices is the man with the family. Yet the family' is absolutely ignored! The basis for granting increases in salary is. the Dominion grading list. In many cases, therefore, the married man is deprived of part of the £45 required for family heeds, while the bachelor or man without a family receives the full amount. Finally is it fa ; that money intended to lighten the burden of the _ family should be diverted to the bolstering up of the grading list? Certainly the efficiency of married men endeavouring to rear a family will not be increased by granting him half the amount he requires. Teaches. TAXATION AND SHIPPING. Sir,l notice in press, reports of election meetings that candidates are continually} referring te the immense increase in values of products shipped during the war period compared to pre-war, and inferring that it went into the pockets of the producers. They overlook the fact about the increased cost of production, etc., also that about one-third of the increased value reverted to the Government in the shape of . income tax, and a large percentage of the surplus was invested in war bonds, thus enabling the Government to meet part of its heavy war expenditure. Unfortunately the debit still remains at £100,030,000. Re shipping - combine, I am strongly opposed to com- , bines. At present thefe is a deal of talk ' ; about this one, which is controlled by the * j brainy skipping magnates of Great Britain . and America (with populations aggregating ' > about 150,000,000), and the capital of the * (combine runs into many millions sterling. * j The Dominion, with a population Of one > million, and heavily in debt, is threatening - what it is going, to do by building its own steamers for freight purposes. Assura-

ing it starts to build IS to 20 steamers, at the exorbitant rates now ruling, and that while the ships are being built the combine leaves the Dominion alone, and then, when its shipping is ready, starts to nurse it at 50 per cent below Dominion rates, add lands it for an annual loss from £500,000 to £700,000, and then finally buys the Dominion fleet as a " job line," who would shoulder the loss? As there is an ; absence of patriotic Sentiment with com- . merce, it will always support the cheapest ! rates of freight for competition purposes, 1 otherwise it would go under. If the combine showed any loss it would be infinitesi - I mal compared to the Dominion one, as it j I could recuperate in other quarters. This threatening, to me, resembles the two castaways on Christmas Island challenging 1 the H.M.S. New Zealand's 'pinnace when 1 going to rescue them. The only powers : able to tackle the shipping combine are the Imperial and American Governments, and they are not likely to do so until things come back to normal (if then), and judging by indications it is yet a few years ! distant. Under present conditions we j should settle down to increase production ! and leave commerce to do the shipping. The same applies to imports. Doubtless some day combine will be fighting combine, and when they reach bedrock rates, if possible, fix them for a term; as threatening in -the meantime will only agcrravate the position. P. VffiTTS. December 6, 1919. GREATER NORTH SHORE. Sir, — recently expressed the desire of a large number of the electors of North- ■ cote to have the financial aspect of the proposed amalgamation -with Birkenhead placed clearly before them in printed form in sufficient time to enable them to acquaint themselves of the advisability of such a. course or otherwise. The Mayor of Northcote has commented upon this expression, j but facts unfortunately do not support his ' comments. The published reports of the , Birkenhead-Northcote conference were no doubt read by many electors as well as by myeelf, and it is common property that polls were contemplated at Birkenhead and Northcote as the result of that conference. Mr. Greenslade, however, infers that the published report goes further when he states: "Not only that, but public meetings prior 1 to the polls to explain the proposal and to give, all information were to be held, j while the electors were to be circularised, j i furnishing tho necessary data to enable I I them to form a conclusion prior to the ' poll." If these details were published it j would be interesting to know through I ] what medium. What are the facts? A ' I poll is being taken at Birkenhead on the • 10th inst. No poll is announced at North- ' cote. A meeting is called for Birkenhead on Monday, Bth inst., two days before the. poll. So far as Northcote is concerned, no data as promised is forthcoming, and , no meeting called. If Mr. Greenelado bad read my letter correctly he would not 1 have imported into it a request for public ' meetings which he takes me to task for demanding. No such request appeared in • I my letter. What was asked for, and very j specifically, was the "necessary data' - '! which does not appear to be forthcoming. ' Again, he is singularly unfortunate in bis reference to the confidence he feels *' that every fair-minded elector will concede that ! , there is not the slightest justification for I I any insinuation that the fullest informa-1 . tion will be denied the electors by the councils." Whilst no insinuation was made, it seems there was ample room fori it, seeing that the " fullest information ' if it has been oollected-r-is being kept in j

the background. . Mr. Greenslado is ~| perfectily correct when.- -he states, that -. 1 it is Only necessary "to take a poll -in one ■ ? borough. It is also correct that if the i poll to be taken at Birkenhead is in favour * of tho amalgamation, - the Northcot e < Council' can, without, taking the poll, ( petition the Governor to gazette the same and the amalgamation is complete. Howthe electors of the annexed borough have the right to petition the Governor not to accede to the request conveyed by the result of the poll. The fact that two previous councils have negatived the idea is, Mr. Greens lade "thinks, of little importance because at that time owing to the boundaries of the two districts hot joining it was > impossible to take a poll. Seeing, howevcre, that the last decision was arrived at after going; carefully into figures, when it was the unanimous ' opinion of the council that as there was nothing for Northcote to gain and probably a good deal to lose, it would bo unwise to take any steps to remove the disability, it should be of some importance, Tho present Northcote Council will not, I feel sure, do anything they think inimical to the interests of the district but no figures have been placed before them and they are presumably acting on the Mayor's idea that discussion is "unnecessary until a decision a-s to the date of the polls is arrived at." Tile simplest way is apparently to postpone all discussion until the poll haa been" taken. The matter is too serious for jolting—it is not a question of ,a greater North Shore to be brought about by the proposed Birkenhead-Northcote amalgama- ' tion. ' Politely that is camouflage. Is ■ North cote to be saddled with very much ; heavier liabilities than she now carries without any corresponding advantage 1 What is the true financial position? That ; is the -pointand neither the Birkenhead j or Northcote Councils appear to be throw- i ing any light on it, which, according to the Mayor of Northcote's letter, thev have a right to furnish. Horace IL Htot. . Northcote, December 4, 1919.