LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18549, 6 November 1923, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

PROCURATION FEES. Sir,-In support of < 'Aiitomo' , I say it is '-the common , practice, . and bj a, well-known' firm, too/as 1 have been charged on several occasions. iirnßmy - * Sir,— is interesting to read £he ; letter of Antonio, regarding Mr. Justice Stringer's remarks lon procuration fees. A single procuration is bad enough under •' the best of circumstance# ; but ; what would y; our friends think of a double procuration, fee? A case came under my notice ;in a locality not 200 miles from " Auckland,: .. where a laud agent ; promised ft)' procure a certain sum of money for a elicit for, which he was to receive a remuneration.;; of 1' per cent- The agent, after making ..... this stipulation, went to a firm; of solici- > ' tors wher* he procured the money. Things - seemed quite in order until the • unfortun-; ate client found : himself faced~wiw» an account for ,a like fee from both Iftca ngent and .solicitorthe ; solicitor de- . ducted bis fee from the money before handing it over to the land agent. Ihe client then disputed the payment of a second fee to the land agent,, stating that the fee held by the solicitor should be y handed over to the agent. The - agentpromptly sued his client and - obtained ' judgment for the amount claimed. -The ruling of the Court was that , the land agent was the only rightful claimont for the fee and that there could be only one fee for one specific purpose. The client, in the face of tills, proceeded agr?n3t the firm of solicitors for the amount held l>y , them and paradoxical as if may seem, it was proved to the satisfaction ; of the Court that the firm of solicitors were the - only right and proper claimants for the s fee. ' Ajax.

NAURU PHOSPHATE, Sir, The report of the Nauru Phosphate Commission, from your • Sydney /• - correspondent, which appeared in the Herald of October 23, will provide in- - teresting reading for our dairy farmer-; how it may interest manufacturers cf superphosphate la another matter. Soma surprise may be expressed by those not familiar with tho ruling price of this fertiliser, why its increased use in Australia is so much greater than in New Zealand, considering that acre for acre we use a great deal more than they. Whßn however the prices here and in Australia are compared and taken into * account, no surprise will be felt. Soma V months ago Nauru reek was being ' de- , livered in . Sydney at 49s 3d per ton and superphosphate (45 grade), was being retailed at £4 10s, while in Auckland super of same grade and made from " the same; , rock was charged £6 5s cash with order. Since then a fall of 3s 3d per ton in the price of the rock has taken place and our* manufacturers hare made the magnanimous reduction of 2s. 6d per ton ; we are now paying £6 <Js . 6d, against Sydney, £4 l(fe. When three years ago the Par- / liament of New Zealand bought a 16 -per ' cent, interest in Nauru, some fears were expressed that this state of things might possibly oome about, but such fears were somewhat allayed when Mr. Massey told . the House that if the rock was not manufactured bv the local manufacturers &at a reasonable cost, the Government - would erect works and manufacture and supply > superphosphate direct to the farmers ati the lowest possible price over cost. - Yet in the face of these prices the Board of J. Trade and the Government Agricultural Department look ,on with complacency. 1 To Auckland farmers the most gratifying point in the ' report is the prospective j. , visit; of Mr. Pope to Auckland, to" confer * with the , Dominion Commissioner on im- - portant developments May we hope that . these important developments will be the ' * erection of works here, as at /.Hobarfc, which will give to tho farmers the manufactured article at a price which will , allow him to usd it in greater. quantities than at/present,' for it.is Chat the main- factor making for the success of the dairy, farmer (herd-testinsr. notwithstandin?) is abundance of feed • and thai, call only be* obtained by the use of plenty of cheap . fertilisers. >;(\// Fab&br. ' REMUERA SPORTS GROUND.. . - Sir,We are being led to believe that.- . . by allowing a block of. land, about the f ; size of that bounded by .Albert Park arid/-' /.-• Queen, Wellesley v and Victoria Streets,, / to remain a public playground, ; the Dilworth Trust Board will be robbing countless poor orphans. • How : pathetic < this would be if .it were true. TheJDil worth'* • trust, in addition to owning two of the ; richest corners 'in *tha Dominion, viz., ; the Thames and Waitemata i : : Hotels, ./ owns practically all . the land between Remuera and Great South i Roads, from Newmarketto well beyond Mount Hobson, as well as -» other areas ' elsewhere. ////Despite '. this - wealth,"' the C Dilworth Trust/ provides . for/ a very limited number of ; our orphans, but ail of them " will aire s public playgrounds long after the few •' have i left: the V •// shelter of the Dilwortb Heme. 4 To.me:it-:/-, seems 'as if the y Dilworth Trust j; Board 1 suffers from commercialism;. in. / its worst: ' form. Witness thel wanton ;>■ manner., in which • it- destroyed that magnificent pine r , I forest : between the [polo ground «od what is now Omahu Road, for the sake 'of six j or eight . ■ building •. sites. : y The - pine /forest // was, I / may state, •' unequalled % anywhere within miles of Auckland, / One of your/; L correspondents. has suggested / that / being * / in Remuera, the ground is used by those ' who : can afford! their ! own -- playing' areas. I, might suggest to him that he try and catch; a Remuera or Market ; Road /' car / ■ from any part of Auckland when a hockey ? or cricket match • is ; being played: on this / '.i ground. Although '.J the cars )> re crowded v. on these occasions." he would find ' very few './v able to provide their own- homes, muchs ; f less playgrounds: and there are -no = other// suitable areas within the fourpettny - section. . • - Mack. ■ SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS. Sir, —We have learned much during the - past week. To-day we know more than ever of the outstanding, need of our boys. If Boys'/ Week ha« done notching else, it has drawn the attention of many lea<sng business men to the imperative need for larger and better equipped scbfioJ playareas. • Many of the speakers at the ■ schools on Monday last were astounded at the 6mallness and the poor equipment, of the school play areas. Cricket pitches ~ were conspicuous by their absence; football" 5 grounds and running / tracks non- ■ existing; gymnasium apparatus tin hear of in most cases. Nearly every master had the same story to tell. ' There was no lack of enthusiasm for games. Ice wonder was how the boys «had done so well under the existing circumstance. .It » v to He hoped . that the Rotary Club will at once form a Citizen's Committee to inspect every school area /in Auckland ;•' - procure data and submit a" full report,: to a specially convened public meeting :oi citizens, giving the number' of children .- /:? attending the'schools the size and equip- • ment of the play areas, md the additional ground that could be obtained: also the schools' accommodation, size of classrooms, eta There is no - room left for doubt that many of our schools are directly responsible for much of the sickness, that / affecfis ? our junior population. Most •. / children on entering school life are sound, vigorous and healthy, they : have febwrnv'-i brought up under healthy conditions, butt ' in many cases are condemned /during the -v school hours to live in overcrowded, badly j ventilated classrooms {/j and during their play hours are confined to small, over- : ? crowded/play areas. The call for .men, - grown-up boys, during the great',war . disclosed the fact that only . 33) per cent, fof the manhood of this - young country ~ were fit for service. Many who were not thor- -. oughly ; fit were enrolled.; / How many of /// these men entered school fit? To what : extent" is the overcrow din in our schools . : accountable;/ for./ sowing / the a^da/ of ; M healths If we., make school attendance: : / compulsory, i .then, liberal school:; space and recreation grounds should /be I compulsory. / • The rwaif.who '; is compelled Jto fiend s his children to the. public school has ; the right to demand ample room. / ■ They responsibility f t rests on j us, the citizens :of Auckland:-- We can" secure • for..the children all that is needed. It only necessary for Che citizens to say, '* Wo denwnd.