LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13888, 27 April 1907, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

PROPOSED MEMORIAL.

Sir,—l beg to place before you some details of a proposal recently forwarded to mo which I have no doubt will appeal to' the sympathy and patriotic sentiment of your"readers. The proposal is to erect a suitable memorial on Mainland Hill, in Now Plymouth, to the memory ot the Imperial and colonial forces who fought and died during the Maori wars of 1859 to 1866 iu Now Zealand. The site selected is in every way suitable. It id near the centre of the town of Now Ply- 1 mouth, standing high above it, commanding a view of the surrounding district, and is a spot of historip interest. It is the site _of the first- military barracks erected in Taranaki, and was the head military quarters l>oth before and throughout- the war. Whenever the town was threatened by insurgent Natives, and.on all occasions of-alarm and, danger, it was to this hill the women and children resortod' as the place of safety. All this, cf course, refers 10 a period of morn than 40 years ago. Whilst our fellow colonists in the north were suffering from all the. miseries of war and from arrested progress .extending over many years, we in the south enjoyed peace and prosperity. Now limes have changed, and we arehappy in being able-to congratulate-former l sufforers upon the good fortune and sun-v shine, ho Jong denied them, which is nowtheir'lot, Can wo go a step further and' assist- them in erecting this memento ofin eventful piece of New' Zealand'history belonging as much to us as to them? I shall be glad to receive and forward any contributions, however small, and shall place my name down for a guinea to l>3gin with.—l am. etc., T. M. Hockek.

HOUSEHOLDERS' MEETING AT DUN-

Sib,—l have been under the impression that these annual meetings' and the conduct of them are provided for in tho Education Act. The meeting held at Dunback on Monday night was scandalous for its irregularities. Tho chairman seemed to run tlio whole 6liow. After the report and balance sheet wore read a householder proceeded to make some favourable comments on the progress mado during the year, when ho vvas quickly called to order bv the chairman; so the document, which was rather interesting, was never submitted for the approval or otherwise of the meeting. The chairman then proceeded to nominate a committee. This block system did not find favour with the meeting, and one by one seven persons were nominated. When the scventn person's name was mentioned the chairman declared Ih'o saidisevcn duly elected, and stated that no other names would be accepted. No vote or ballot of the meeting was taken. A feeble protest was raised agamst two of the nominees on the ground that they were .infants living with their parents. The chairman closed the meeting, deciarinir that the candidates took the risk upon themselves. The whole proceedings ivere a farce, 'and the meeting was not free from blame in allowing its powers to be usurped.--1 am, otc., Householder. Dunback, April 20.

A MINISTER AND HIS OFFICERS. Sir,-If an editor, for doubtless good ! reasons, considers that the affairs of Blackotone Hill and Tinkers (or, rather, the advertising, of Mr J. J. Ramsay for, of course, we all know it really means-thai) should occupy a large area of our daily paper for several weeks, he may te con•idered to know his own business best, and his suffering readers have their obvious, remcdv. The objcot of this brief note is not either to admit or deny to your correspondent Mr Ramsay the exclusive possession of the amazing array of virtues to which he lias been so noisily laying claim for some time past, but to call attention to the unprecedented behaviour of a responsible Minister in relation to the question actually before the public, which, after all, is not the glorification of a loca politician, who seems to have token us all under nis protection after a brief residence in our midst, but,thc decent and orderly arrangement of a very ordinary business operation. The telegrams of Mr M'Nab axe unique, fortunately, in our political'history. Never before have we had the nauseating spoctaele of a Minister publicly flouting his subordinates and jeering at their capacity for dealing with public questions committed to then- charge, openly joiriina' with their assailants in reversing their decisions without oven tho courtesy of reference* to them, and capping it all by boasting to reporters of his own superior wisdom and of tho uncompromising manner in which he used his Ministerial'power to humiliate them to • the uttermost before the eves of the country. I venture to say that the Hon. T. Y. Duncan, whom, (or reasons apparently confined to some internal parfv jealousies alone, ho was fortunate enough recently to displace, is a mail miles aboyo such a display, for which, indeed, there is only one word, and that word I will not use. ■ It is bad enough to sec an old and invaluable servant of the public like Mr Barron (a lifelong friend of small settlement, and one of the most capable, patient, and unselfish workers that ever a grateful State and an ungrateful Minister possessed) held up week after week to public execration by irresnonsible self-scckpi'fi in your coluninsj but it is infinitely worse to see a Minister betrayed by an inordinate desire for a slight interval of applause in the wearisome round of condemnation into publicly glorifying himself at the expense of thoso who are far more capablv doing his work, and into practically telling tlio public that the Land Board a'-ud tJio • Chief Commissioner are a-set of mischievous incapablpe who, tyit .{Qt.Jiis.slrpp^i^bqldJ.

n terror over them, would bo found devotng themselves to treacherously uodermiuing ;ho ohanccs of the. small settler «11 over tho :cuntry. Mr M'Nab is, I bolicvc, a for bettor fellow, and probably a far better Minister, tbnn his remit unfortunate apocaranrcs may have led ra to believe; but 3 inoy well take a warning- that such a rt as ho has rccciiily played in tho eyes '.the public in relation to the officers of would not bo tolerated by 'sh instinct, even were heaven to send US ri;ect a Minister of Lands. J'jho matter of the Blackstono Ilill , "it ha 3 been dinned into tho public H tho Land Board is utterly incapaitf jnor(! t | )an thnt it. is ijpstilo to small settlement. It. w as renioinhoi- upon what authority s !?°!\ous allegation rests, and to note thatj,y suc h authority it is practicflilv claiy boneficiaries of tho bovornmen.)p ara tj ons should proscribe tho conditions tfj, ost> oporaliom themselves, ihe public, \ owners, should seo that such grotesque p^ ns j ons aro by no means accorded, no-. or in tho futuio.-I am, ' ■ , Central Settler.

DR FRDffS PALMER STON « SPEECH. i.' iT , 'fooy-Keneral may'consider hitnsolf very lenittiy treated in your leader of to-day. That i should have rated tho intouijjonco of hiaudicnco so low ne his arguments indicat j 5 rather surprising. Surely Dr Findlayrnust recognise that tho fwducer in any;,o Un try stands on an entirely different feting i from tho mechanic, til 111 roni all others. It is pertectly ridiculous .to mply that the opening ip of tho country equally imposes upon tno .(government th- opening up of, say, barters shops. The worst aspect of Dr lindlavs spoeoh is Vit it is really littlo le&i than an insidious d eaplanduin appeal to tno town and laboi! unions against tho farming community,; ad will tcnd-coming rom one in his ofliccrgroatly to intensify a regrettable spirit cl hostility. Tho 'Government does not sttlo tho land and encourage the settlor, ieing " generously " iinclmcd, as Dr .Pindl? ( in his arguments infers, out of a spirit f pure philanthropy tovwds a favourcd' .iiiiyidual. It settles and idevelopa the county because, without such settlement' and deilopment, there can »i e t "S au v, 1 affirm that tho grcateafc- bonofi df such action on tno part of!the Govcrniont is to the town mechanic and tradesmaii;'Tlie.<Government is not looking after th farmer—or only indirectlyit is lookinj after itself. A man foods his horso teouso lie intends it t\ 'kf,? 1- JI'®1 '® on 'ts bac./ TJic comparison Dr l'indlay draws is fit ridiculous as not to be worth controvortiig.' . He goes so far as to characterise tho jffcs'rts of tho State in Jhe direction discussol.as a "mischievous principle," growing, heifterwards remarks, like "the wiekod and gron.bay tree"; but I think we must assutm these allusions are spoken "satiric." Dr ?indlar harps upon tho purchase of, say, i £1200 farm for a settlor as wholly a booi to the settler. It is diflicult to see - that It- is not Wholly an .intended gain to the Sbtc. If tho Government contends that it gains by retaining (as it dwarves to tloWlic fee of a parcel of Crown lands worth £1200 and leasing it •to a settler.at S per ant., then it ie equally good policy for the State to purchase tho feo of a freehold of £1200 and lease it to a farmer at 5 per cert.—l am, etc., 'Dunedin, April 21. . A Ratepayer.

THE SWIMMING BATHS MOVEMENT!

Sill,—Now the expression "tepid baths" is on.nearly evcryine's lips, dnd the prospect of a new aul ■ prosperous. swimming club is in every svimmer's. mind, I do not -think it will bo oit- of place to call attention to an ugly rimouv that has como to niy hearing. At iho .leasing of Morgan's hath by tho Dmudin Amateur Swimming Club a number of gentbaien attached their names to-a guarartee. Some' time ago tlw club disbanded, and since then an action has been brought against it by the owner for damage and depreciation to the bath, i ,1° not'being., in funds, tho gentlemen : -who signed the are called upon to pay. Through the liberality of two of '.the guarantors tho liability is lighter on tha others,.-but the question is, Why ehouiil they tovo to meet it? My contention is that those gentlemen who attached their names to - the'document wore only asked to so as a matter oWorm, and now, I think, the least the ow club members can uo is to cocce to the fore and meet tho expense in-a body. Such portions as this go more towards spoiling sport than anything else, as jthoy tend to keep away the men who assist materially with their trophies and in an official capacity. Although not a member of the late club I am ■•prepared to paj'" the samo lamount as a member to show I am not'writing just to cause trouble.—l am, etc., Dunedin, April 25.

SwiiniEn,

PUBLIC SWIMMING BATH SITE.

Sib,—Notwithstanding your sub-leader and Dr Colquhoun's letter both opposing • the proposed 1 baths being built on the council's lrath reserve in Moray place. I wish-to say tJia-Hhis* site -is, in the opinion of-th© General -Baths Committee), .eminently ;Suitablo in,every way. Where can be •'found a section so centrally situated and handy to trams serving north, Mirth, and the-hill-districts? What matters it if tho .sect-ion- should bo. surrounded by high .'buildings when it is' p.roposed that tho ■'bath shall- be walled and roofed?

Then please observe the advantages the site can boast of in being- quioldy drained, whereas on" the flat it would bo, necessary to put an engine on to pump tho bath out. As to the section being too valuable, that is a matter of opinion. If the bath is built ■ anywhere away from the conlre of the city ifc will lose cukom'; tho position in Moray place, is worth hundreds of poundo/to the bath simply 'because "it will bo so handy. .The traQic of tlio city must-. be ■ oaught before it takes to tho trams, and I question whether any other sito in the town i» to convenient for that reason.

Then again, look at tho number of people that are employed within a few •hundred yards of tho Octagon-engincer- , ing works, foundries, 'factories, warehouses, .shops, and : oflices. a!l i teeming with men and women, who will be constant patrons of tho bath, whereas were tho bath at the other end of town their attendance would •bo spasmodic. If the bath is-built at the Oval, Museum, or any other reserve, how is it to be mado self-supporting' when it will have jo be free of charge to tho public? To build on 'the foreshore is to'court disaster, and in its present stato not to bo thought of. The reclaimed land- at-the harbour side of tire railway is inconvenient, damp, cold, and bleak, and is. besides, ■ not freehold. The site nerf' the Art Gallery is much too small, and' the question of drainage arises. Dr Colquhoun has clearly •shown that Moray ' place south of tho Octagon is not going 'ahead—the surroundings are unsightly. ;uid give visitors entering tho city a bad impression, and ifc should be the aim of the City Fathers to remove this reproach by erecting baths, the most urgently-required reform in tho city, on their property. The Baths Committee is not wedded to any particular sito or system or plans, but is urcpttred to back what it; considers the best proposal nut before it—viz.. tepid water tiled and roofed "baths on the Moray place site—l am, etc., Hox. Sec. Baths Committee.