LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 14

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

WHEAT AND FLOUR DUTIES. Sir, —It is with the greatest pleasure wo read that tho Hon. J. B. Donald is brave and honest enough to face the wheat question, as it is common knowledge that something is radically wrong somewhere. Tho price of the ordinary loaf in England—where most of tho wheat, is imported—is 2£d, against 6£d in "God's Own Country," where they grow it, and every other wheat commodity is correspondingly high. Then, again, if wheat could be bought at a reasonable price, think of the efTect on the poultry industry. Instead of little farrnlets lying forlorn and vacant within a short distance of tho cities there would bo thriving poultry farms, thus helping to solve to a certain extent tho unemployed question. Also, if this revolution did come a,bout, London need not be almost without eggs next winter as it was this last winter. One of the Bled. CHURCH POLITY. Sir, —Permit mo a word on the difference between the Presbyterian and Baptist Church on "Open membership for all true believers?" The fundamental position of tha Presbyterian Church regarding church membership is that it is open to all who make a credible profession of faith in the fundamental truths of Christianity. Such profession is held to be credible on the simple affirmation of the applicant, and, unless there is knowledge to the contrary, the responsibility rests upon the applicant. Mr. Wilson informs your readers thai, "over a score of Baptist Churches hold precisely the view expressed by Mr. ■Jolly." That is to say these twenty Baptist churches now hold the same view as the Presbyterian Church has held since its foundation. We do not question the fact, but will you permit me (o nsk Mr. Wilson a question ? How does be reconcile the attitude of these twenty churches with the Articles of Faith of the Baptist Union? Article 5, "Membership in the Christian Church for the regenerate"; 6, "The immersion of believers as the only Scriptural form of baptism ?" Open membership is fundamental with the Presbyterian Church; it is repudiated by the Baptist Union of New Zealand. That makes all the di(Terence. B. Huston. SOUTH ISLAND RAILWAYS. Sir, —I have read with great interest articles and letters on the subject of connecting the South Island's Main Trunk, and it is to be hoped that better counsels will prevail and stop this shocking waste of money. But what surprises me is that you do not discuss the proposed filling the gap between Nelson and Inangahua, as this has been promised by the present Government; in fact, great preparations are being made with extra men and big camps to go on with the work. It is one of the maddest schemes ever started in New Zealand, as it is possible for a few cars daily to carry all the passengers, and it is certain that the goods traffic can never justify an expenditure of three millions. It certainly cannot, open much country of value, as for 30 miles or more in the Buller Gorge the land is quite useless and the engineering difficulties enormous. I consider the whole of the North Island should rise against this proposal. It is possible that the earthquake will open the people's eyes to the disaster that may happen to the railway if put in that locality. Another point overlooked in the controversy is the important one of population. One starts from Wellington north and you are passing through towns the whole vay, but leave Blenheim for south, and m about 220 miles you do not touch a town of any importance, Kaikoura being the only one with any pretence to being a town. Further, it is certain that the majority of the population would use cars if the railway were built. Surely, if railways in Great Britain cannot make profit with their teeming population and commerce, what chanco has a Nelson-Inangahua got? If New Zealand had Glasgow and Birmingham to connect there would be a good case. The day for railway construction has been postponed by the motor traffic. Let the Government give the country good roads, and then, and then enly, wiil the great question for New Zealand bo solved. Sleefx Hollow.

WHOLESOME PRISONS. Sir, —There is no disguising the fact that thoughtful citizens are uneasy about the conditions prevailing in some of our prisons, difficult though it is to ascertain what these are, in the face of the "conspiracy of silence" maintained about them. The mere fact that over 60 per cent, of inmates have been there before shows that these' prisons tend to punish rather than to cure; and yet with serious crimes constantly increasing this punishment has evidently failed to act as a deterrent. Knowing that in these old prisons men of all ranks arc herded together with littlo classification, in conditions that tend to undermine self-respect, wo may well ask ourselves if this ucble ideal of "proper punishment" and nothing else, does not manufacture "proper criminals." As a great English lawyer has lately said, we need to approach this problem of the cure of moral ill-health in a modern scientific spirit in place of the emotionally revengeful one now so hopelessly out of date and inadequate. Yet efforts made to let in tho light of modern methods of education and mental and moral training for good citizenship are too often blocked, and the administration is keyed down to the needs of the 10 per cent, of moral imbeciles always to be found in such a community! Where are tho evening lectures and classes, the debates, and uplifting influences on Sundays, the team games on a Saturday ? The suggestion of a "citizens' committee" to share responsibility with tho prison authorities is excellent; it is certain that they would soon demand the emptying of these old dungeons, and the bringing out of the inmates to a wider life of real hard work for selfsupport, and for the development of the social instincts along right lines. Medico. ROTORUA-TAUPO RAILWAY. Sir, —So many people are now interested in the Taupo railway—which we hope to see shortly—that 1 thought a little account of an incident which took placo a few years ago might be acceptable. My husband had to pay Taupo a business visit for the Government. We started early one morning in the big whito car. After lunch we were arranging to return to Rotorua when our chauffeui came up to my husband and said:—"A gentleman from Australia could not get a seat anywhere. Every car was full." He answered, "Wo have three seats to spare; ask him to come over and accept one." He came, sat down, and was immediately interested in everything lie saw. Ho was a banker from Australia, and was through the terrible drought they had had over there, which destroyed every blade of grass, and in consequence there wero starving cattle and sheep. Ho told us he posted out to the back country every scrap of food the animals had It cost thousands of pounds, but it saved tho cattle and valuable sheep, and tho owners also. After telling us this, ho jumped up, and looked around, and said: "What a wonderful country; 1 never saw anything like it. You have Taupo behind us, a marvellous place, with Napier to the left, Wellington to tho right, and Rotorua ahead, which I am looking forward so much to see." "But," he added, "Where's your railway ? It should bo here, and everywhere. What is the reason of the delay ?" Whon Mr. Coates started, and was pushing on the line, I knew our banker friend would see the reports, and I also knew he would im mediately say, "The right thing done at last." Should he have read of that foolish stoppage taking placo, I can imagine his great regret, and his remarking, "Someone has blundered." May we hope tho blunder may soon bo removed, and the work pushed forward, and that beautiful part of New Zealand opened up for i-ho world to see.

THE A.A.A. AND BICYCLE LIGHTS. Sir,—l notice that the Auckland Automobile Association has decided on a majority vote to forward a remit to make compulsory the fitting of tail lights on cycles. If a reflector is fitted on a cycle in a proper manner it is more than sufficient to warn following traffic of tho presenco of cycles on the road. For the benefit of the A.A.A. 1 would like to state that tho correct method of lighting the back of a bicycle is for tho rider to wear a handkerchief protruding from his hip pocket. No l a much more suitable remit for these worthy citizens to forward would be to ask the Government to deprive 50 per cent, of motorists of their licenses, for the protection of the general public and of themselves. It is only necessary to stand at a busy intersection to see what a menace the majority of motor drivers are to other users of the roarl. The humble cyclist, who is rarely concerned in an accident, due no doubt to the fact that ho has complete control over his machine, has to take too much of tho blame for misuse of tho roads, which rightly belongs to tho owner of tho engined variety of death trap. H. G. Buewrn'.