OPEN COLUMN

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4309, 19 March 1901, Page 7

OPEN COLUMN

BOWEN STREET. ! The “Times” paragraph reminds us! (writes “Sufferer”) that the ancient! Maori name of this street, which I will: not repeat, was changed to Bowmii street; but, alas, it is evident that the! old name was more appropriate. Bowen street is one of the locations of a. Couu-cil-oum-Govermnout conroversy. Offi- | cial amenities between the Council and I the Government were passing in corro- ; spondence, I think, about fifteen years ; ago, and we could not expect the Council to do any practical work until this is concluded ; and experience shows ns that an official quarrel of this kind takes at least two generations to get through. A short time ago, when his j Worship and Councillor Murdoch nearly i broke their necks, or lost their shoes, or ! something of the kind, in going to a levee, they held a kind of “ tangi,” the burden of which -was “ what a pity the j Government didn’t do something.” This I important phase of the question was i duly reported in the “ Times,” and conI vinced the ratepayers that the subject had not been lost sight of, and that the Council was still energetically at livork in “letting things rip.” Citizens ' who daily traverse this dirty, dishevel- ' led, lop-sided street, owners of vehicles | who break their springs and ruin fcluv.r ,i horses, and cyclists who risk their lives I there, wilT .alli feel grateful to the “ Times ” for again reminding us how admirable, it-would be if tilings were, not i as they are. In the meantime, let us ['‘return to our wallowing in the mire, - ’ 'while we discuss ‘’Greater Wellington,” the purchase of Miramar, tho Town Ha l and kindred subjects, the pursuit of which has done so much to improve the city. P.S.—Pray remember , ’.that there are much worse things in Sydney. THE COAL QUESTION. The value of Mr Brown’s contentions may he estimated, writes _ “A Breadwinner,” from the ’ extraordinary statameat which he made in the “New Zea-

land Times.’’ He says that “the price of coal to purchasers of small quantities had not been raised more than Is par ton in about ten years, whereas tho price of Newcastle had during the last twelve months been raised by 5s a ton, notwithstanding which the dealers _ Pad made no attention in tho retail price.” I have merely to refer you to the end j - ed receipts, which’show that in January, 1900, I paid 8s 6d for a quarter of a ton of mixed coal Westport and -'•awcastlo, and in December, 1900, tho price charged for tho same quantity was !)s 9cl, or in all a rise of 6s per ton for tl e year. Other people with old receipts can easily prove the truth of my assertion, and come to a just conclusion respecting the value of Mr Brown’s statements regarding tho charges for small quantities during the past few years. [The statements of “A Breadwinner” are borne out by receipts which he has exhibited to us.—Ed. “New Zealand Times.’’]

CIVILISATION. A small paragraph in the “New-itea-land Times’’ of the loth (writes “Justice”) certainly speaks well-for the commencement of the 20th century. ’ how being ushered in with so many military pageants and gaudy ceremonies. It is an follows;—“A young unmarried woman named Hutchison drowned : herself and her child in th.e harbour (Sydney). She left a pitiful note saying she had been persecuted;, and coulel not leave the child to go through what she had gone through.” I commend this to our leading men, whel thcr in religion, politics or “morals,” as a sample of tho civilisation and progress they are so often boasting about, and would, indeed, humbly suggest even that they bring it before thoir Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess’of York, aa still another instance of the. high state of perfection at which, we have arrived in these free and eiilTghtened colonies. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS." - ; lam given to understand (writes “Elector,”) that there is a tacit agreement among the members of the Law Society that any member who is elected as Mayor or City Councillor, wraps his legal knowledge up in a napkin when sitting as one or tne other, and places at the. services! of tne ratepayers a knowledge of matters he knows little about, Moral: Never elect a lawyer to fill either office.

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE. I have (writes “Old Traveller”) read with interest the report of an interview with Air Sprockels in Auckland respect) ing the - above service, as contained iii one of your issues of last week. I note tho pains and penalties with which. Air Sprockels threatens this poor little country if the Government does not grant him the subsidy asked. , Perhaps this might be considered an. opportune time to review' the question of this subsidy”, and if the public is not in possession of all the facts I feel sure you would- be’ rendering a service if its history were stated. ■ Am I correct in saying that the United States Government lias during the past year or so granted a subsidy to the Spreckels line of £50,000 per annum, anc] this is to be continued, but that previously the United States Government did not guarantee one cent., and had it not been for tbo subsidies provided by New Zealand and New Smith Wales, I suppose it is to be assumed that the line would not have been possible? The service was no doubt a mutual convenience, and the subsidies have served a good purpose ; but two questions may now be asked! First, are the new steamers, such as these colonies had a reasonable right tb expect, after tho sacrifices which had been made by them in supporting the old boats? Secondly, would it not be fair, now that the Spreckels line has been helped into a good and sure position, to excuse New Zealand and New South Wales from any further subsidy whatever? As to the first, I feel sure that tho public do not feel that these steamers are all that was hoped for, and taking tho Sierra as a sample of tho others, the consensus of opinion of those who have travelled by her is that in many respects she leaves to desire. (1) The cabins arb too small, and in tho best of them the traveller in the lower berth cannot sit up without knocking his head against the upper berth;,(2) when two days out from San Francisco the cabin bells broke down hopelessly; (3) the waste pipe in one of tho bathrooms would not act, and the bathroom had to bo discarded on the third day out, and for the remainder of tho voyage; (4) the passages are too narnow for two persons to pass comfortably, and some of the doorways are too low; (5) the smoking-room is uncomfortable,in that the seats are too hard and too high, and there is not an inviting corner in it. As regards tho speed, the best run of the Sierra under the most favourable circumstances, and before one of the piston rods broke down,' was only 369 miles. Tho papers reported a race the ftther day between the Sonoma, and the Alararoa, which resulted in favour of the Sonoma, by two hours some minutes, but, considering that the Alararoa was built about 1885, and the Sonoma made her maiden trip in 1901, this run may surely be considered a. defeat for the oonrma. , .Taking it all in all, these new steamers, in my opinion, cannot be compared in point of comfort, size and speed with the magnificent mail steamers which enter the Sydney harbour from England, Prance and Germany. I do not write this in any spirit of animosity to the Spreckels line, but I think it desirable, . now that the question of subsidy is raised, that the public should be in possession of ail the information obtainable. Whether tbe Spreckels line, bo subsidised or not, it is very desirable that an “all British” line should be ’ subsidised, and that up-to-date boats should bo put on the ’ service between Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vancouver, and I for one shall be delighted to see this done in a bandsomc manner by the joint Governments of the Commonwealth, Now Zealand and the Dominion. lam also hoping that the day is not far distant when the British and Canadian Governments will combine in subsidising first-class, and high-speed mail steamers from Montreal or Halifax to Liverpool, and that reduced return fares may be issued in Australia or New Zealand on the round trip, going via Suez and returning by tbe American Continent or vice versa.’ ’ ’

A REPRESENTATIVE GRETJCISET). “Patriot” writes as follows: —In tho answer of Mr John Hutcheson to the Premier’s invitation for an expression of opinion re sending men-to Melbourne to swell the military procession; I consider some of Ills remarks should; not 1 bo allowed to pass unnoticed. He terms the military spirit that-has been roused throughout the British Empire by the Boers’ invasion of Natal and Cape Colony “aggressive militarism” I tm.vt the day is far distant when any other spirit will be shown by tho people under similar circumstances. Mr Hutcheson’s firm has not been above receiving financial profit from the fitting out of the men for South Africa. The people have a right to an explanation of his persistent opposition in and out of tho House to what nine - tenths of the •people consider a national duty; yea a privilege, to af'skfc the Imperial Gov-

eminent and our fellow-colonists in' Natal and Cape Colony to resist the illusion or their country by an ignorant, ungrateful, man-enslaving fee, whij boasted that they would drive the British into the sea. The member for Wellington City was undoubtedly elected by a majority of misled, hypnotised Lib-, orals and Conservatives, who would uso anyone likely to help wreck a Liberal Government whose measures they detested. It is idle to suppose that he, with his radical and socialistic ideas, represents the Conservative element of this city. The electors will be failin'; m their duty to themselves. King anil country and colonial Government if they do not take steps to rid themselves of such a “mis-represcutative” as they have at present in the unpatriotic John Hutcheson,

MELEOSE MAY DEALT Y, ; Mr Jas. Eeid, Island Bay, writes: —In the report of my meeting at Eoseneath in Thursday's "Times” I am reported to have suggested an alteration in the Local Bodies' Loans Act, whereas I suggested an alteration of clause 125 in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, by inserting the words "cr part of a ward or wards." ’ This is providedlior in any undivided borough, and should be also in a divided borough, and thus enable 1 the people to take full advantage of this-excellent- enactment. 1 which they'could not do as the Act At present, reads. •-■ - ■ • - - 1 ■ , ; THE MAYORALTY. ‘ "Stonehenge” writes:—Since my previous suggestion, viz., to'offer-the'civic chair toathe Father-of the: City l (good- old Mr Plimmer) does hot-appear to "take on," which Imnch regret, I earnestly trust that the present Mayor,'ivho offered his services when there was no idea of any EoynLvisitors coming here, 1 will be-again Chosen. From past experience the cause of so many aspirants to the chair for the ensuing .term is but too plainly understood. '