MISS MURCUTT'S LECTURE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6313, 13 September 1907, Page 6

MISS MURCUTT'S LECTURE.

(To the Editor "Ki Ttoea.") Sir,—ln reading “Timea" this morn* Id? I came across an account of a lecture entitled “America as it is/' delivered in the Concert Hall of the Town Hall on the previous evening* by Miss A. L. A. Mnrcutt, F.E.G.S. Alter dealing with the great American nation 'from her point of view, she wound np her discourse by a strong In* dictment. according to the report, of the drink traffic in that country. So far, m good—and I take no exception to the tone of the lecturess's remarks in that connection—but I do desire to resent her unneoee* aary and uncalled for remarks about Robert Bums. Surely Miss Mnrcutt had ample scope to deal with the drink evil* of the United States, with its teeming population, without having to cross the Atlantic to “Dear Anld Scotia 1 * to dig up the Scottish bard out of his peaceful grave to add a lustre to her deliverance of speech to her audience. I think if she had confined her remarks at least to the composer ol ''The Raven"—himself an American—lt would have been more in keening to bet enbfect—the American nation. But no. thil *ady, who by the way is *’a bird of passage." must again unearth poor Burni from his resting-place, though “Old Time" has crept on apace since he was laid to rest with militarv honours, t regretted and mourned by hi« beloved countrymen. Thil im the mouthpiece pro tem. of the New Zealand Alliance, under whose auspices she is delivering a series of I am. etc, “SCOTS T7HA HAE.* September Ilth.