NATIVE COAL ASHES AS A DEODORISER. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10179, 13 October 1894, Page 2

NATIVE COAL ASHES AS A DEODORISER. TO THE EDITOR.

Sin, —Further to recent correspondence on above subject I have for several years used these ashes in lieu of dry earth iv a wheelbarrow closet of special shape, emptied once or twice weekly by myself in the early morning in a garden, and cau vouch for its efficiency as a deodoriser, for its value for garden purposes, and for its complete inoffensiyeness to sight and smell if the following simple directions are adhered to :—The ashes must ba kept in old buckets or kerosene tins, ke., until the fire has died out of them. They are then available for a layer of three inches or so in bottom of barrow after latter is emptied, and for placing iv a box to be used in scoopfuls by each person of the household. Tha receptacle is then perfectly inoffensive to sight ot smell, as the ashes are, by reason of their extreme dryness and closeness, a complete absorbent aud deodoriser. Dryness, however, must be insisted upon, no bedroom slops or other liquid to be added. An open trench is kept ready in the garden, about two spades deep, and left loose at bottom. When barrow is emptied along the trench the ashes are to ba roughly worked in—not dug in but mixed with the earth—aud the earth from where the next trench will be is thrown on it. Iv a few weeks, if tbe ground is again turned over, it will be found that the ashes have become part of the soil, and that tho latter has beeu meliowid aud rendered fine and friable by thr admixture. Thus a waste product usually a source of expense and objectionable in many ways can be rendered inoffensive and utilised to advantage. The bedroom slopa can be likewise utilised inoffensively and to advantage if mixed with

Hill, a hill distant about a mile beyond the site of the tunnel. Let those who know so much about this work come and see the slow progress which even an Al gang of men can make in one of those rock cuttings, and they will see nfconce that the Government in acting on the advice of its officers, who know something about the work, are certainly wiser than they would be if they took their cue from those whose knowledge of the work consists in what was gained during a drive in Craig's drag along the main road, a stop for refreshments aud " spouting " at Ryan's, and a night at Kyeburn. To see this work one has to put off his patent leathers and do some walking and "hanging on by eyebrows." Now, Sir, criticisms like yours do more to hurt the Otago Central than anything else, because incorrect statements at once lessen the influence of those who make them. By all means advocate the speedy prosecution of this work, but do, for goodness sake, try to make yourself Acquainted with what is being done before you write. And when yon do write, don't try to make us believe that John M'Kenzie is delaying the railway, because, whatever may be the faults of the Seddon Administration, this portion of Otago never before got auy attention, either in railway matters or in land administration. —I am, &c., October S. Faie Play is Bonnie Pay. "INQUIRER" ON BIMETALLISM. TO THE KDITOB. Sir, — Tha letter headed " A Vexed Question," which appeared in your paper 011 Tuesday, seems to demand some attention from me. It was sigued "Inquirer," but, judging from the tone of it, it was rather the letter of some rabid—or, at all events, embittered — monometallist who, for some occult reason, is ashamed to express his own views on the subject. Certainly no inquirer—by which I understand a searcher after truth—would have adopted your correspondent's plau of misrepresenting the entire purport ot my letter, and some of my statements in order, I suppose, to " make points " at my expense, and try and win a dialectic victory.

" Inquirer " begins by " presuming " that my letter (in your issue of September 29) "contains an authoritative statement of the cause of the alleged general depression of trade" (whether the " authoritative " is intended for sarcasm or is merely au impertinence it is equally out of place from an anonymous correspondent). Now, if "Inquirer" had read my letter he must have beeu quite well aware that it did not contain, and that it was not iutended to contain, anything of the sort. I did not evea discuss the cause of the depression of trade, but took it entirely for granted. I even took the trouble, in order to prevent any mistakes, to define the scope and limitations of my letter, (which was, in fact, merely an attempt to answer the question " whether the increasing supplies of gold would be likely to load to a general improvement in prices "; if not, why not; toge-

he might favour me with them. I ought to thank him, however, for giving me this opportunity of emphasising the important fact (on which I ought to have laid more stress in my letter under review) that as far as international trade between "gold countries'' is concerned, when the bimetallic mints were closed to silver, all the silver in the world was demonetised at one fell swoop. In his next paragraph "Inquirer" makes his one solitary point against me. I confess I did express myself obscurely in reference to tha effect on the silver that ■is still legal tender in the Western World, of its market value in gold having been halved by the closing of the mints. I intended'to show that this fact made it useless for international trade. I will remember henceforth that brevity is not the soul of lucidity. As to my remark that it is legal tender money only which determines the general level of prices, that certainly is the opinion I have gathered from my reading on the subject. It is, however, a nice point, and if "Inquirer can throw any light on it, I for one shall feel much obliged to him. (Apparently, by the way, according to ," Inquirer," auy opinions expressed without reservations and limitations are intended to be considered " axiomatic' !) He next informs us that economists say, with regard to foreign trade, " I- the loug run goods are exchanged for goods." I think this startling fact, and also the fact that coin does not cross the seas for each foreign commercial transaction, are as well knowu to everyone else as to economists. Everyone also knows, however, that each separate transaction has to be backed by money, or by credit baaed on money; and that bills of exchange, also based on money, cross tho seas in considerable numbers. But if " Inquirer's " opinion (for he here scl far forgets himself as to express an opinion) that " the amount of trade [between England aud .America] might be doubled without creating aiiy additional demand for gold," is alao supported by tbe economists, I shall be very glad to be supplied with authorities. (If doubled, why not quadrupled or increased a hundredfold?) I gave R. H. Paterson's estimate (and he quotes other authorities) for the annual percentage of loss on the gold stocks of the world by abrasion. " Inquirer" gives the smaller estimate of other men. Where doctors differ neither he uor I' can decide. But after Inquirer" has pointed out that this would not total up to any very great amount, he goes on to say, " And yet this is gravely put forward as one of the principal causes of tho fall in prices " This is really too grave 1. misstatement to be passed over. Would it be believed that I was not even discussing the causes ef the fall in prices 1 I merely mentioned the word abrasion as a loss which had to bn replaced by the annual supply of gold before there could bo any addition to the money of the world. The force of misrepresentation could hardly further -g">

"Inquirer" then decides that "there is no need to proceed further, especially aa tbe rest of the article consists largely of prophecy (in which bimetallists feel they can safely deal without fear of refutation), and of extracts from.Mr Paterson's ' Golden Age.'" .As _ matter of fact "the rest of the article" is fully threequarters of a column, of which not more than nine lines are of a prophetic nature. Five of these are as to the effect of the adoption of a silver standard by the United States, and the vast stimulus to its exports which experience aud economists agree would result therefrom. (As au instance of this well-known effect of a cheaper currency, notice the bound in the exports from India at every fall iv the gold value of the rupee.) The other four lines.of prophecy ara merely a fair inference (sis to tho probable effects of tbe remoneti3ation of silver) from some historical facts I had mentioned.

It showed, however, a great want of judgment on tbe part of " Inquirer" to mention the subjsct of prophecy at all. If he is as well read on the science of money as he appears to be he must be well aware of the significant fact that the prophecies of the bimetallists for the last 30 years (from before the demonetisation of silver by Germany to the closing of the Indian Mint) nave all come true ; whereas the prophecies of the monometallists have been as uniformly* falsified:

*.' Inquirer "finishes his letter by sneering at Paterson's "New Golden Age" as "turgid rhetoric," "a book of ho scientific value,"' and soon. Considering Paterson's standing in the world |Of finance "it 'would have been more seemly if " Inquirer "had tried ts combat some pf Paterson's contentions. Anyhow, the sneers are quite undeserved, and aro apparently due to .the fact that the book does not, support " Inquirer's " views. I need, hardly point out

that the.same reason would justify sneers at the writings of nearly all the living economists. In conclusion, though, I am always glad, for purposes of mutual enlightenment, to discuss this subject either with a moiaoinetallist with the courage of his cenvictions or with a'real enquirer, I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue with one who is neither a fair foe nor a possible ally. :■ . . .'..-,-.. •.-.-.. If, however, I have misjudged "Inquirer," and he really ib an enquirer (I prefer that form of spelling the word), I would serionsly ask him to read the articles previously mentioned (published in your paper in July), in which I set out briefly what seem to me to be main arguments in favour of bimetallism, to read »Ibo the authorities therein mentioned, and then to come back to the charge. If, en the contrary, he is a monometallist in disguise, I would still more earnestly ask him to take the same articles and try and refute the arguments que after another, - from the first paragraph to the last— (e.g., Does he believe the quantitative theory of money? If not, why not?: And what, then, does hie uhderstandby a .-' standard of value" ?)—at the; same time.confessing his inability to refute them whenever, br if ever, that should be the case. After that we might meet again; I can promise him a sufficiency of fame if he succeeds in his"'refutations ; for he will- be —to the best of my knowledge and belief—the very first : monometallist' who' has ever so much as attempted the task.- Giffen takes up one point;.and is promptly contradicted by- other monometallists, and -so on; but I have' never yet seen any attempt to traverse the, main body of the bimetallists' arguments. The .policy of the monometalliste, has hitherto been to rely on the ignorance, and consequent apathy, of the general public, but it is becoming clearer every day that this pelicy will not succeed much longer.—l ami &c, ■ Dunedin, October 5. E.'Melland., 7 PS.—Just as a matter of curiosity I really should like to know whether "Inquirer" is serious in his contention that "ah increase in the foreign trade does not throw an additional demand.upon the stock of gold." It is a startlingly new idea to me. If bills of exchange for foreign trade do not need to have money, or credit based, on' money, behind them, why need cheques for the Home trade be based on money P What, in. short, do we want with money at all, excepting some small change for cash purposes ? If " Inquirer " can prove this statement of his he willhave done the monometallist- a real service.—E. M. ■'', !■' ' '.7-7 '. 7}2' '