CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10417, 20 July 1895, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Nils Jepson, Otalria, writing on the proposal to eendths unemployed to the gpldfields, suggests'that .the mayors of every borough and town; in the provincial district should call a public meeting to ascertain the people's mind as to Government assistance being given to prospecting parties. He has no fear but that if liberal-assistance were given it wonld be returned in; 12 months from a start being made.! If the movement is supported, it would lessen mneh of the distress of the poor, and sn all probability dogood to everyone in ■ town and: country. •■■'_' ' . .- \ . '~-. ...

Citizen • writes:—"As there seems a general desire to beautify cur city and its surroundings at the present time, I would like to draw attention to the disreputable appearance of. the Gargill Monument, which is in no way.in keeping with the handsome struckires surrounding it. - Some few. years ago our worthy'mayor.did .his best to remove a very neat little coffee stall or cabman's rest which was considered an eyesore, and perhaps did not enhance the beauty of the adjoining monument. By the way, this small box was relegated to a cabbage. garden at Anderson's Bay, where I presume it may be;.tendered for-at any time. IE the Relief Works* Committee would, spare a 'couple.of .mdn- to scc&pe andclean this timehonoured nicsdmenSof: our early days it might become a tbing of beauty, whereas, aiib now stands, it has.a most neglected appearance, and almost turns a r»nk prohibitionist from imbibing the limpid stream which flows from'-the' small Fountain in the centre. Perhaps some patriotic painter vwould giva it a coat of paint afrertte clesEsing process." fj • Wabatah writes :^-" Your paragraph? about birds beibg driven into the city in search of food by stress of weather rscalls the similar experience in the old .country last winter of gulls, &c. becoming quite fcaeae sud being fed on the Thames Embankment; There was also the strange incidenfeof a peacock being frezeii to the ground, by its feathers. Humming birds, the most delicate of all feathered creatures living in semi-tropicil countries, will flourish in the midst of frost in mountain ranges. A writer iv "Cornhill Magazine" assures us that birds never die of cold ; but this does not hold good of the opposite—c-xtrenm heat. He believes that birds never absolutely die of coid, and attributes their invulnerability to the closeness and waraith or their feathery covering, the peculiar tektnre of the skin of their feet and legs, tha fatfcy plumpness of their flesh, the warmth and richnesa of j their blood,-and other purely physiological characteristics. If kindly-'disposed-people, in the viskations of severe weather, take care to spare a little for the birds, ths birds will take care of themselves."

T. Buxton write*:—" ' Humbug' is a very propsr signature to the letter of your correspondent, who says it is sickening to 6ee this class oE gentleman (the Isitt class) trying to delude thu public. We prohibitionists are glad to hear that humbug-s are getting sick of Isitts. ' Humbug' is greatly astonished to find that Mr laitt's declaration was not made before a justice of tbe peace. 0 tempora.'. 0 mores ! To thick thet a minister of the Gospel should make affidavit when • contradicting something that hid besu said by Richard, by the grace of the grei-t unwashed, Premier of New Zealand. Prohibitionists are not so lost to self-respect as' to do aaythiog so utterly preposterous." FoRFAKsmnE Lad writes:—" The expected 'seqael to the disruption in ths ranks of the Auckland Liberal party has at last come to light, for the; telegram announcing that Messrs Piukerton, Morrison, and Millar, M.H.R.'s, and so-called.Liberal-Labour leaders, had telegraphed to the Central Council urging them to support the Government nominee (Mr Thompson); i a staid of the Liberal-Labour candidate (Mr Fasreus) . shows unmistakably that it is not an independent' representative they want, but rather auother companion in their Secldoaiari Kennel. Not', eontont with slavishly following one of the most corrupt Governments this colony ever pts-eseed, they have the brazen efirontery to mske use of their pusition by endeavouring to mislead the Auckland electors. The same tactics woi-e 'u62d in our city a few months ago hi connection with the Trades Council and the Danediu Assembly of the Knights of Labour ; bat the latter body—to'their credit bs it saidresented their treatment, and withdrew from their, contaminating . circle. It is to bs hoped the Auckland Knights of-Labour will show a like determination aud insist on their selected candidate (Mr Fawcus) goiog to the poll." Joseph Cox write 3 -—"The charges made against the Hon. K. Seddon by tte Key. Mr Isitt in yonr issue of the 15th inst. are, seeiDg the position the accused occupies, of very grave import. A. man ia a hnmble position could, if he^so wished, treat sueh'chargeg with contempt, but a' man occupying the highest position it is possible to attain must keep his honour and reputation bright; he should bs like Csesar's wifa — above suspicion. The cnarges are clear and distinct, and are as tollow, viz. :—' Tiiat his astuteness is devolfcd to unworthy ends, his democracy a sham ; that members of his own patty regard his word as absolutely uEwotthyof belief; his position as Premier a colonial disgrace and disaster.' These accusations sre certainly defamatory, and must not be shirked by our Premier. Judgment should be withheld until the other side has had an "opportunity to bs heard. I with many others auxiomJy await the finale." Haust Nig writes:—" Perhsps it is not generally understood by the public that fcbere i 6 a Pharmacy Act in existence at the present time. The 1880 act admitted all chemists, or, I should say, ail those gentlemen who had been in business as chemists before that year (1880). After, that date all who wished to become chemists had to undergo a very stiff examination. The quesbioa is: Is it iair that an examination should be passed when we have chemists in this tewn who have neyer undergone a single examination simply because they were in business previous to. tow passing of the act of 1880 ? I should be inclined to advoc&ts, say, a five years' apprenticeship, then sny one who has served thai; term in a druggist's shop should be qualified to fill the responsible position of a chemist. Mr Seddon'o bill is a little unfair in stating that all should be admitted as chemists sine examination with a three years' experience. Examinations are all very well for those who have tiaie and money to work up. Seeing the hours the assistant has to work, it leaves him no time ia which to work up for his

examination/ Trusting to hssr more-oa the subject."

Lisden Rhenauit writes :—:" In the debrte on the Free Land Billthe leader, of the Opposition is reported as having asserted that ' there i« no such thing as unearned increment.' It would be iostrnctive to know on what grounds Captain Rusaell based his assertion. If I mistake riot,' the London County Council has power to rate on the bettermeut principle, which I take to be a recognition by the Home Legislature at any rate of the reality of unearned, increment—or betterment;. ' The principle involved is one of the fundamental parts of oar political life ; and when it has been dag out of the encrusted seifishnees which has entombed it during all the ageß, its inherent truth and equisy will compel national acknowledgment of its claims'. It may be described as a nugget of rare value, well worth the closest a&tention of the Premier and his coUengnethe Minister for Lands. If Captain Russell is correctly reported this utterance of his goes far to stamp him as a Tory among Tories. It confirms the opinion his Duuediu address g>tve that he lags" behind the current thought of the times, and is therefore isaniiug in that political prescience which should characterise- a leader in the House. The honourable gentleman handles his subjects too daintily, as if they'were play things far a drawing room entertainment, instead of giasping them boldly* 3nd r: masterfully. ; I miss Sir Robert Stout's expected support of the-bill. Its priaciple3 would, I thought, hstvej found ia him sn a-dvooate." -

Competitor considers that as certain civil engineers are named by the 'Dnnedin Drainage Committee for the purpose of examining the cotnpatitave plans for the Dunedin drainage scheme, it is" necessary to. ascertain from all tbe geafclemen selected that they bave no interest, direct cr indirect, in any of tba schemea fchafs may be submitted to them for consideration, and have no knowledge of which scheme may have been designed by < any-.par-ticular person : '

A Bkake considers the ;presioeat of the Knox Church Literary Society ' ■worried to death. Kef erring to the homely simile :pf the Rev. Mr Hewitson • about each member holding his own plough, he asks who ever heard of a plough having- a brake, or even of the necessity for applvhuj a brake to a plough travelling.downaslope"? Tha young mea can keep on With their ploughs down the steepest of Blopes. So long as they continue ploughing it will be all right, and there will be no occasion for a brake. -

Justicb^thinks the Royal Humane Society should recognise the actioa. of the young men who prevented a terrible railway accidsht-'near Seacliff, on April 13, by the removal ■of tha eleepers laid across the line, afterwards shown to have been placed there with intent=to cause danger. " If," he writes,." a man fa!ye3 a life from drowning they reward Km with a medal, but when a few yoang men save the" country the cost of ms-.uv carriages and a great deal of roiling stack from being broksn1 and many valuable lives" acd many families from misery, no notice is takeu of them. Surely some mistake b.63 been made. The pa?seDgcrs in that train have never realised that they owe their lives to these young men, aud not a word of gratitude ia heard. Not very humane encouragement for noble deeds."