CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12394, 2 July 1902, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

" Progress " discusses tho opening up of certain country in Goodwood and Green Valley districts, and eays it is necessary to remove all barriers to procure more feeders for our railways. He rcco:r.mondg- thoso who arc interested 111 the prop-rties, when an officei of the liand Board appears on the scene, to look into the matter, to stand aside "si as to avoid-any mistako." Thomas Allan, voting- from Ilc-tson'c-Ray, Av.cldf.nd, criticises adversely a catuloguo of what tho 'Government -Department of Agriculture has for sale, and says thai poor as it is " there is this fast staring out. the; lot arc priced at seen a, low figure thai no respectable nurseryman eou!<l pcssiWj live by, and tho department must bo iv soro straits when the management deicandi to such shady tactics. 'There might bo the semblanco of .111 excuse had tho price: quoted been fair, but to nee our money— 1 say oui'3, a,i I think I represent tho feeling of all nurserymen in New Zealand—tc keop up a nursery termed by the misnomei of tlio New Zealand JCxperimontal Nurserj at the expense of-tho country for tho pur uoso of underselling legitimate tradespeople is the most despicable and mean system oi business that could ■ be practised, even b) bur Liberal (sie) Ministers. 1 a3k, Sir. what would other trades say or do—boot makers, tailors, • dressmakers, etc.—if oui awfully parental Government started any 0 their trades, and with their money, sc as to undersell by ono-half honest tradosmnv paying big rents, heavy taxes, and gooc wages, and turning out a creditable article ;as I am ratified is done?" ' A-resident of the Argentine for a grcal many years, who is at present visiting Australia and New Zealand, considers Mr Join Koborl'i's remarks on somo points on the ■Argentine somewhat misleading.- Ho says: "The fact is undisputablo that, as regards natural advantages, Argentine is quite equa to Australia, and on the score of elosei proximity to tho wool and meat markets o the world tho South American Republii possess at least ono important advantage Tho country is a boundless plain, covercc with rich natural grasses, with 110 heavj forests to be cleared, and virtually no seriou' difficulty to contend with. The'soil is riej and fre? from stones. ' The rainfall Varia from 26 to 52 inches, and is veil distributee throughout the year, and serves t-o refres! the grass and flush tho water supply. Tin temperature at its coldest does not deseenc below 20deg I'ahr., while its extreme hea in the shade does not exceed 96deg. Thcr> are neither snowstorms nor sovcre hurri cahes, nor atmospheric eruptions of au; nature sufficient to injure stock or oeca sioil lo?s. No more ideal home for shoe] could bo pictured. True, tho curse of tin Argentine has been the scab; but when tin Scab Act (no\v being drafted) has been pu into working order' things will be altogethe: different. The Argentine Itcpublic has larg freezing works, ike in number, capabli of exporting upwards of 5,000,000 carcase, per annum. It -will thus be seen that thi Aregntine is undoubtedly a big rival t< New Zealand and Australia." " Subscriber to the Fund" draws atten tion to the invidious distinction made b< the Green Island School Committee in tliei' treatment of children who attended the trca given to the children of the district in eon neetion with the Coronation festivities. If. avers that tho committee refused admissioi to a boy who. he believes, pasEed all hi standards with honours, but was trantsfcrrei to a Dimcdi'.i school. The boy was, how ever, given sixpence, and, returning to thi hall, lw saw ether ox-boys being charged i shilling, and, having only sixpenco in hi pocket, he dceided not to take a second ic lmff, and returned whence ho came "I think, Sir," concludes "Subscriber,' " that boy will remember tho Coronation and especially tho magnanimous committci and their invidious distinctions."