OPEN COLUMN

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4292, 27 February 1901, Page 3

OPEN COLUMN

MINE SALTING. Mr P. J. O’Regan writes; —While your strictures on mine salting iu the “Times” of the 22nd will doubtless be generally approved, there is one point which deserves to be emphasised. Suiting is probably as old us mining, but there is nothing more difficult than the salting of a dredging claim. in the case of a quartz lode or an alluvial face salting is an easy operation, and a very difficult one to detect. But with a dredging claim it is not so, because the ground can be tested at any number of places. Careful prospecting, therefore, will make salting impossible, aud a dredging claim is much easier to prospect than a quartz or alluvial claim. Salting, therefore, is certain proof of either connivance dr carelessness on the part of the responsible prospector, or perhaps, 1 should say, of his over-confidence. Carelessness on his part is as much a,temptation to such men as the Lawsons to commit a crime as a beggarly screw is to an underpaid servant to embezzle. Let the prospector, on the strength of whose report the public put their money into dredging claims, exercise ordinary prudence, and salting will be heard of no more. During the late dredging excitement this precaution was not fully observed, and it is. therefore, scarcely fair to place all tbe blame on the men who yielded to the temptation which carelessness placed in their way.

FEDERATION WITH AUSTRALIA. Truo liberty, such ns we possess and to a certain extent practice in New Zealand, is on© of the greatest blessings to any free people who know how to value it and to use it. So writes Mr John Plimmer. the wellknown and popular “Father of Wellington,'” and he adds:—The people of this country have felt the great value of it, and perhaps no place on earth made better use of it. The prosperity of the whole country is the best and truest witness to this fact, for a fact it is of which the world is a witness. Now, if we have done so well walking alone, what inducement have we to federate with the Australians, or any other people? We have done, and shall do. very well. We cannof do otherwise while our laws are pure and strong j then why should we sell our birthright, or. rather, give It away for nothing? We want nothing but friendship, such as we can return, without parting with our pearl of great price, our liberty, which we could never regain. We should be worse than the African Boers, who .■ regard their liberty, such as it is, more than their lives. Would our good old Mother Country have been what it is had she federated with any Continental nation? Let ns try to be a worthy daughter of such a reverend mother. Let ns walk in her steps. It is of little use locking the stable door when the horse is gone. If any of our settlers like Australia better than New Zealand, let them go there; they will be made welcome, as will the Australians here; but let us retain our liberty and our laws. The markets of the world are open to both. These are things that naturally find their own level, but the liberty of our country is too great a blessing to be put in the balance with a market. It is worth more than money ran buy. Let us be free and be strong. Let us try to do right and God willbless us. I have been asked to give my opinion on this subject, and I have said wbat I think is truth. UNLAWFUL SHOOTING. "Snort” writes from Otaki as follows; Might I ask the officers of the Acclimatisation Society if they can spare their ranger for an occasional visit to this district ? I believe the authorised shooting season will not open for over two months yet, but shooting has been going on. in the Otaki and To lloro districts for weeks past.

"TO THE DEATH.” Mr R. G. Knight writes as follows: The Anglo-Saxon law does not recognise getting and giving satisfaction with nature's weapon the fist. During the past week the hoardings in the city have been adroned with a murderous picture of a combat, between two miners with knives. Are we to allow our men and boys to be murderously educated by pictorial lessons that adnear to say it is all right to settle our differences" by mortal combat with two seconds

to see fair play, one armed with a knife and the other with the more deadly revolver? Are we to exchange the chance of a good thumping, which many a scoundrel needs, if he does not get it. for a murderous stab or a deadly shot? Is there no law, municipal or otherwise, that will prevent such an exhibition as we have seen this last week? If not, let public opinion gibbet those who for gain will risk the rising generation being imbued with murderous notions respecting satisfaction for real or imaginary insults or injuries received. Arc the drones of society, who produce not a single article of commercial value and come here to scaop in the money, to be allowed to damn our youth with their false pictorial teaching and notions of the rights of honour? I commend it to the attention of the Ministers' Association—gentlemen who are solemnly set apart, and paid to look after the moral and religious interests of the community. Are they afraid of giving offence to the members of their various congregations who hold shares in the Theatre and Opera House, and visit the same to enjoy the socalled intellectual and elocutionary treat supplied by those who cater for those who hunger and thirst for something more spicy than they get in church or chapel ? Servants of the Living God, do your duty, I beseech you, in the best interests ol humanity to prevent such brutal teaching to our youth.

STREET OBSTRUCTION. May I he allowed (writes “Q”) to protest ftprainst the too common practice regularly adopte-J by some of onr importing retailers of using the public street as a convenient spot for the opening of shipments of goods? Just at present Lambton quay daily affords an illustration of what I mean. Wellington is now past the village state, and it is time this private use of miblic property was put a stop to. jand property-owners in rebuilding or altering made to understand, that proper facilities should bo provided for work of this kind, without encroaching on the public convenience. I beg to commend the matter to the notice of both onr Police Department and civic authorities. LET US EXALT DUE KINO. It has been suggested (writes Mr A. O. Cousidine) that when King Edward VII. is crowned he should be made Emperor of the whole British Empire. Considering the magnitude of the Empire and the enormous expansion it has made during the reign of our late beloved Queen, it would be a fitting tribute to her son to make his Majesty Emperor of his white subjects in this first year of the century. The "New Zealand Times” of the 11th January says: "The Empire embraces 22 per cent, of the land surface of the globe and 29 per cent, of its inhabitants.'” The Empire possesses one third of the wealth of the world, the tonnage of its ships equals the combined tonnage of the ships of all other nations. No title can , signify nor language convey the greatness of the monarch who reigns over this colossal Empire. During the reign of the groat and good Victoria, her Majesty's subjects were allowed the greatest of all privileges in being oormitted to worship God in that manner and form which their conscience dictated to them to be right. It is a blot on the constitution that the sovereign must take an oath to support one religion, when people of other religions are equally as loyal subjects. The British Empire is unique in the world’s history. It holds the pre-eminent dual position of being the greatest monarchy and the greatest democracy the world has ever seen. If it is God’s will that the influence of the British people continue for the good of mankind in this century, as it has done in the century just closed, at the end of this century the prophecy may be fulfilled that "The sword will be turned into the plough share,’’ and then the millennium will become a reality. We who live to-day owe a deep debt of gratitude to the men who gained so many conquests in the last cen-tury-conquests of pence and war. The men who fought for reform in onr laws to upraise the masses and better their condition were not less fearless than the men who fought in the fields of battle. If the reformers were not slain or wounded by the sword or bullet they very often bad to suffer the poignant feeling of being cruelly slandered and, calumniated.. By their suffering and bravery they have left us a great heritage—a heritage we ought to honour and uphold. The British people may very well use the words of Julius Caesar “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered); and like that great man, wherever they have conquered in. modern times they have bettered the condition of the people