THE OPEN COLUMN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3826, 23 August 1899, Page 3

THE OPEN COLUMN.

MR ALFRED SAUNDERS AS HISTORIAN. Allow rao (writes “Old Settler”) to congratulate the “Times” critic on having put his finger upon the weak spots of Mr Saunders’s work, namely, that portion of it tainted with strong political bias. I have known Mr Saunders for more than half a century, and a brief resume of his past public life may not be uninteresting. Ho commenced his public life in the Nelson province in tho early forties as a temperance lecturer, with considerable force and ability, and after a few years he left Nelson and went to Australia, returning to Nelson after a year or two of absence, and shortly before representative institutions were granted to New Zealand, at which time he was elected to a seat in the Nelson Provincial Council, and continued a councillor until the unfortunate death of the late John Perry Robinson, the then Superintendent. Mr Saunders was then elected in his (Mr Robinson’s) place, and was several times re-elected as such. He obtained his first popularity by dividing the population into two sections. The one he designated the “blue-shirt” party and tho other the “high-heeled” party. This so pleased the blue shirts, who were far and away in the.,, majority, that he became immensely popular—so much so that the “blue-shirts” all swore by him, and anyone wearing a decent coat stood a good chance of being hooted in the streets, especially near election times. He certainly fought well for his party, and, so strong were his likes and dislikes, coupled with great force of character and a very suspicious turn of - mind, that he ivould pursue with implacable energy anyone who differed from him, or was only suspected by him of doing so. If such characteristics, which ho undoubtedly possessed, are to be deplored, and objectionable in a politician, how much in or <T .so must it be in anyone posing as historian? If all past history had been written with the same amount of political bias, it makes one shudder to think how futile may have been our attempt to obtain anything like a- fair and truthful insight into nast history. Having said so much to the author’s detriment, permit mo to do him the justice to say that it must not be forgotten that lie has devoted the greater portion of his life to politics, and has been elected by largo majorities to most responsible positions time and again,, first in the Nelson provincial district, and afterwards from toe Canterbury district to the House of Representatives, doubtless performing his duties to the ' best of his abilities, and according toiiis lights. If, therefore, the Government had seen fit, to have called him to the Upper House, after; he had failed to obtain one in tho Lower, it would have been hut an act of. grace, and perhaps justice, on their ' pai*t,‘ not 'only to him , but to the constituencies who had ,so many times returned him to Parlia-; ment. Tlion in all human probability, the “History of New Zealand, by ‘Alfred Saunders* M.H.R.,” would never have been written, and, if written, , the tone woiild have been very considerably modified,-- .

HOMES FOR THE WRETCHED. I see (writes Mr Edwin Arnold) .that a good honest man is finding a groat deal of fault with the Salvation Anhy because they /are going to open a night shelter in Wellington. He says they are paupers’ dens of the worst 'rind. Now, lam greatly pleased someone is going to open a house where a poor fellow, when stranded, can get a night’s lodging, and also get work to pay for such. Every Magistrate will bo pleased to know such a place has been opened, for a door will be opened where a poor, weak and ofttimes infirm man can stay for a time until some light employment suitable tb his strength has been found, and so pre-/ vent honest though poor men being sent to fill our prisons. I hope the day is not far off when we wall have a State farm, where many a poor follow can • ' employment, an<k that vegetables will be grown and Tent to supply Wellington. There is many a man in bur. prisons who would not have been tbete if such a place was run by , the Government. If a train of vegetables came in. every morning from a State farm-it would not compete against the white man, only?*the Chinaman, and a market could be opened up and vegehawkers could buy from the Government, and hospitals and the asylums could be supplied. In conclusion, I would say all glory to the Salvation Army for trying to shelter the poor fellows that have no home; and not to Salvation Army only, but to any people who put forth their hand to help the helpless., I don’t think it is generally known that we are to have a home shortly in this city for incurables. This is to be brought about by the Rev Mother Joseph Aubert.

LOANS ON TOWN PROPERTIES. ’“Elector,” writing, from Feilding, says:—l see from Mr Lethbridge’s long, and brilliant oration in the financial debate that ho intends to vote against the extension of the Advances to Settlers Act to town properly. No wonder, as I believe he belongs to the Building Society, charging 7 per cent, interest, and' where would he and others be if the Government started lending money at 4; per cent, to poor struggling town settlers? But have not we as good a right to cheap money as country settlers? Andl is not the security just as good? The. building societies take very good care of that‘before they lend their money. I hope the Premier, who has done so much good for the poor in the many good Acts he has passed, with the assistance of the Liberals, will not listen to such selfish twaddle, but will do his best to have the Act extended. Hundreds of poor people who have borrowed from the building societies to get a little house to live in, with wives and children, have an awful job to live and pay 7,8, and more per cent, interest. A SUGGESTED SAFEGUARD. Mr W. Withers, Palmerston North, writes as follows:—The disasters to the Perthshire and Waikato have brought a suggestion to my mind which I would place before the maritime_ authorities. I propose that every seagoing ship shall carry' a certain number of buoys or other suitable airtight vessels, weighted to float upright, with a space in the middle to ship a light flag-pole, and a recess, with cover, just large enough to

contain a bottle. Now, on any serious mishap or breakdown, full particulars, together with position of ship, direction of wind, etc., could be placed in a well-corked bottle and secured in the recess in the buoy, the pole with flag shipped into its place, and the buoy set adrift, to be followed by others at certain intervals. Some of these would bo sure to be picked up, and thus give information of the accident and enable early assistance to be sent in the proper direction. The buoys, etc., would also bo useful for other purposes—even rafts, if necessary.