THE OPEN COLUMN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3785, 6 July 1899, Page 2

THE OPEN COLUMN.

POSTAL DELAYS. , Mr F, Houghton writes; —I wish, to call the attention of those on whose shoulders the fault may rest, as'to the cause of letters being delivered so late in the mornings, some of the letters reaching their destination long after the usual time of delivery. lam led to believe the cause is the postmen being put on rounds that are quite new to them; Such a thing is not known in the Old Country. There we have the same men for years delivering our letters, so that they thoroughly know their duty. [The postal officials explain that the late delivery on Monday was due to the very heavy postage of monthly accounts and the arrival of Vancouver and. Australian mails. Recent alterations of beats have been caused by adding to the staff of letter carriers to secure earlier distribution of letters. —Ed. “N.Z. Times.'’] VANDALS RUNNING RAMPANT. “Vis a Tergo” writes : —Notwithstanding that the'City Council has strictly prohibited football from being played on the Basin Reserve, an enthusiast of the game greatly deplored seeing it in full play on the soft ground after the Cricket Association’s efforts to give it the rest it requires, and the, expense they have inburred to put it in fine order for the next season. He says that one beautifully clear moonlight night a week or so ago, he saw a host of de’il-may-care-hoodluras racing and tearing like mad all over the soft green sward, digging their heels in it at “mark” afid “scrumming” on the newly laid pitches, tearing them up, till his agonised spirit verily groaned in despair. UNEQUAL TAXATION. I notice (writes “A Widow”) that the Advances to Settler’s office is being boun-ty-fed this year to the extent of over £BSOO, thus placing women and orphans at a disadvantage of nearly a half per cent, on their capital laid out on mortgage securities, compared with this department. Fair competition is right and proper; but to bounty-feed an office to crush the widow and, orphan is to my mind simply nefarious, and! think those similarly situated to myself, have a most substantial grievance, which I would ask your help to get removed. Under testamentary disposition I inherited a trifle over £7OOO, fixed up on heritable securities. On, these I contribute towards the taxation of the country a penny on every pound of my capital. The Advances to Settlers office has considerably; over two millions out in the same way,, and it escapes without contributing a farthing of taxation; that is,' Parliament, which ought- at least to see that the balance is held even for all, helps the Government to oppress me and such as I am. Investors of the same class should all stand on the same ' platform i . It is time that women were, represented by women in the House to denounce' and cauterise such one-sided legislation. I further notice that the Tax Department is giving an undue .preference to Unregistered mortgages, by assessing these on the income derived, instead of on the capital laid out. This is another injustice to women, whose securities, I am told, are all registered. ■; I . have searched, laboriously through the various Acts for the clause under which this- is done, " but without success, although-ho ' doubt it is there in some-covert-way. But why should there be two- modes -of assessment for mortgages and the most favourable of the two applied, to the class which is dealt with'in the least regular way?

MR EARNSHAW. ■Ulysses ” declares ; —I have no time to devote to the elucidating of riddles or mere word-bandying. The annual Trades and Labour Convention and the Trades and Labour Council of Wellington' are stated td have passed resolutions' affirming the support'of measures not men. It may be so; tut, if so, I fail to find in the fact any answer for Mr Earnsliaw. From a previous statement it appears that, prior to the*-elections for ’9O and ’93, the Dunedin Trades and Labour Council passed a similar resolution, butin the result jfc did not agree with the interpretation placed on the word “ support” by Mr Eariisliaw, -as shown by his conduct in the House. When the Trades and Labour Council of Welington is found supporting a labour candidate for Parliament who, assiduously and pertinacioiisly, has sought to ruin the Government from whom, all labour measures have come, and from whom all labour measures arp likely to come, then—possibly—there may be something in such a reference as Mr Earnshaw makes; at present it Is an empty arid vain thing. One man having fallen, Mr Earnshaw thinks tthe fact good enOug.h excuse for his going down, tpo. . This is his, entirely lovely way of looking at things. After prancing before the public as an: unusually intelligent man, an unusually honest man, an unusually sober man—a bill-filling man in every way—Mr Earnshaw might be expected to know that Mr Pinkerton never boasted himself in either of these aspects; had’he done so in ’96, Heaven only knows what the consequences might have been! Anyone who is honoured with the acquaintance of Mr Pinkerton knows thjit he is only an extremely sensible, plain, modest', unassuming and perfectly straight gentleman, so that-when Mr Earnshaw condescends to place himself on the same political plarie, he scarcely does justice. • y In reply to-Mr Whiting’s letter, Mr W. Earnshaw writes:—l have only to say that my rejoinder to “Ulysses” covers hi£ first question," though a further answer may be given—that public opinion is ever a variable quantity, as witness the great number of able men of SII shades of opinion who have been the'idol of the day arid the crushed-clay of the morrow. Mr Whiting holds .strange /views regarding party politics. He states that,.while he, is ■ opposed, to - party' Government, I while we have it a representative must al'y hiriiself with one side or the'other. When, under, such, conditions,.,may I, ask, will government by party'cease ? However, I will try to suit Mr Whiting’s pecuhar views, and declare in answer to his question on which side do‘l stand.i Why, on the side of order, as against the present rule by; disorder; on the side of.principle, as against the present rule of opportunism; on 1 the side-of righteousness' in politics, as against the present misrule of bribery and corruption by tbe present Seddon Government. V'; Mr. Whiting, can ; count me in the party against the Government.