LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14702, 9 December 1909, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

the state coal mine strike. Sir,—ln a leader under the heading of ''The Irony of a .Strike," your opening iciunrk "It is a misfortune that Socialists are for the most part- devoid of a sense of humour"—has been totally misapplied. It should have read: " Anti-Socialists, in their endeavours to criticise, are devoid of a sense of humour," for the Socialist who only understands the A B C of Socialist scienoe and philosophy gets a wealth of 'humour out of anti-Socialist criticisms. Tho more logical they appear on the surface the more is tho humour they contain. The above-mentioned leader appears to lx no exception to this rule. To summarise the moral of your leader, it amounts briefly lo (his: that the Socialists of New Zealand have been crying out for State-ownership of the means of production; their desire has been gratified, am) now that they have got it they arc abusing it: hence Socialism is a demonstrated failure. This is what I could only deduce from it, and I trust that I am not misrepresenting you, as I have no such desire. The above summary of your argument, which 1 trust I have correctly stnffld. has excited my sense of humour greatly, when I take into consideration the facts as they really exist.

j _ Now, let us analyse these facts. The [Socialist, for the ' practical benefit of the whota community, demands the Stato ownership and control of all the moans oi production. Have we got that in New Zealand? Ilavo we even got the ownership and control of a portion of the means of production? I answer emphatically, "No!" Every Stato industry in New Zealand is run on borrowed capital. Who, then, 1 ask, are the real owners of the means of. production of those industries? The inevitable reply must be the capitalist money-lenders! Where, Sir, is your Socialist ownership? What is more, we haven't even got State control, Alt, this is where I appear more foolish than ever! And I may further saff that this is where the great argument, on the true definition of the, State, and hence State control. Herbert Spencer departed from the law and causo of progress—i.e., from the incoherent homogoueous to the coherent heterogeneous, upon which his synthetic philosophy is based—to attack Socialism, all because, like others, he did liot correctly understand tho true socialistic definition of the State and Stato control—i.e., State governmont;—and your leader proves jMf no exception to this rulo also. The socialistic definition of tho State, the national Slato, about which wo a.re at present concernod (for we recognise tho ultimate univeisal State, which will bo tho most coherent heterogeneous State that society will probably reach), and of State control, is an intelligent administrative democracy, with the initiative .and referendum in tho hands of the people. Under sucn an industrial demoo-acy the miners collcotively—subject to the approval of the rest of the democracy—would elect their own administrative and managerial officials, would enact their own conditions of labour—for who knows better than tho worker himself what his conditions of labour should bo ?—and won throughout the whole industrial State. What are the facts to-day respecting Stato and Government? The State, of New Zealand consists of the people of New Zealand; all over 21 have a right to vole. Now, this ; .s Che very point—what liavo .they go' a right, to vote on? * The answer is apparent : to cast it in favour of an homogvneous number of irresponsible moil selected by the capitalist class and supported a capitalist press. Here, ends the administrative and legislative power of our sham democracy for throe years. During that time it is legislating and administering through the medium of an autocratic Cabinet in the interest of the capitalist class that h;is succeedcd ill placing it there—by fooling tho people. ] W'lien tho people ask—not demand—a ! general referendum, Sir Joseph Ward rc- j plies, " You want a general referendum which will give you, the peoplo of New ! Zealand, tlw _ power to dccide directly J what legislation should bu enacted and administered. Why, what- do you think that we 80 members, the brains of New Zealand, nrc going to do? Why, that's taking the power completely out of our hand.;, and making us your re,a.l—not nominal—obodient servants. What nonsense! ' That will never do. I oouldn't do it!" Nobody can refute the correctness of the' above. " Compare, the above definition of the true" State with jt.he facts of our supposed democracy and the talk of Stato 'ownership and State control. Let it- be made quite clear that our Governjnont is purely a capitalist institution and carries on its bißMiess on purely capitalistic lines. That being so, tho industries run under' its supervision, and on borrowed capital at that—which is, not tho way that Socialism would find the capital, but by State note issue and land and income and inheritano3 tax,—tho workers in its employ must produco interest and profit, which is the very thing that- Socialism is trying to abolish, and which in turn determines the'condition of labour and tho amount of wages. Ilence labour endeavours through its only medium, tho strike, to iinprovo the wages and conditions of labour, as wage slaws under other capitalist employers do. Here, then, wo have established our position that the Stato colliery, being in reality a_ capitalist institution, tho miners inns justified in their endeavours to obtain better conditions, for, gooditesa knows, thero is a great deal of room for necessary improvement in tho mining industry. And what are those demands of tho nliners ? Tlicy want to rob tho community of £4000 per annum, which avorag'3s out at over Jd per lwad of the population ! This wc must admit ia real robThat tho minors have to produce the interest- on the borrowed capital of tho mines—that is not robbery! That the increase of unimproved values in private lands alone in tho last 15 years amounts to £113,573,987—which morally should go to tlw State,—averaging alout £113 12s per -head of population, is not robbing tho community! There are a host of other items that the community is boing robbed of continually, but this is nothing compared with tho miners' penny per head iw annum, and this a penny that they themselves produce! After ail this, you come along and- say that "it is a misfortune that the Socialises aro for tho most part devoid of a sense oi humour"!

As long :i3 tlio workers as a class will remain disorganised, spending their energy and money outside of tho realm of politics, so .long will they remain tho losing party and tho tool of it capitalist minority.—l am, etc.,

Scientific Socialist, Duncdin, December 6.

Sir,—You have not attempted to show that tho miners' demands are not just. Your niaiin concern is to protect iho «pri-vately-owned iriines of the country, as following extract from your leaocr will prove:—"Moreover, if the concession'for wli:ch the State coal miners have struck wro granted them a similar conccssion would be claimed by the workers in pri-vately-owned collieries on the West Coast, and tho increase in expenditure, equal to an advance in wages of 20 per cent, on the Klta at prosp.nl paid, would have to come out of tJio consumer's pocket" Tim clearly proves that theTC is a. grievance existing at, present in the West Coast mines, but should the State agree to abolish this wrong under wheeh the miners aro workiing at. present, then the private employers would have to follow suit. Tho Prime Minister's statement, in the House is just ■ what might have been expected from Sir J. G. Word, seeing that lvis sympathy novci' goes out towards the toilers. Somo of his recent legislation has proved that. Sir J. G. Ward has made many statements lately that iiavo jiot proved to lw correct. You will therefore cxcuso mo I doubt his last one—vii., that tho Winers' wacres are 14s per day on an average. The Prime Minister tells us that this extra cost of £4000 would have to ho passed oil to the consumer. I should like to know why, seeing that tho mines bts one of the Slate's most valuable assets, according to tlio Prime Minister's own words: "The investment in ths State coal mines has proved so successful that in a few years' lime these properties will be good for nearly half a million, and will stand to tho Dominion practically free of Met.'' Seeing, then, that the mines pay so welt that within a few years they wij] cost, tho State nothing, then why should it lw ncr-ttwiry to increase tho price of coal lo t-ho consumer? Or will an extra e.jp-;iKliturc of about £1000 per year make the mines i«s valtnbk?? Will it not ba more humane for the Slate to grant- this just demand of its workers and allow it to_ take, year or two before the mines become, a free ■ to the Dominion'; True, if tho State grants the miners' demands the private employers will have to follow. But if the State does not increase the price of coal, as there is no need for it. the prfvately-ou-ned mines will not bo able to do so either. The dividends will -be a little less, but otherwise no great calamity will befall the Dominion. Tho whole of your argument, that the Socialists require the State to run industries at a loss falls to the ground-

after tire quotation I have given from the Prime Minister's speech in the House. The Government of Now Zealand is anything but. a Socialistic one. There is no need to stress the point unduly, for tho unsoundness of your reasoning must be apparent to all thinking winds.—l am, etc., M. ' TIIE EARNSCLEUGH RUNS. Sill,—That the agitation and desire for tho subdivision of this extensive tract of country held under a few pastoral leases throughout Central Ot-ago is as fervid and warm to-day a 6 ever it has been goes without saying. ere proofs of the sincerity of the agitation wanting ono has only' to refer to what is now lieing done 'by lesidents at Alexandra and Clyde in advancing the agitation for the _ closer settlement of those large runs, which, in their present form, have been a stumbling block to the progress and welfare of the interior of Otago. In faco of the good that- has been, and is being, done by those desirous of settling upon the land in our midst, there are still the most absurd inconsistencies cropping up to ictard tho best efforts of those w-ho have the. real welfare of the district at heart. The latest incongruity is to the fore in shape of a petition praying that tlw Jiarnsclough runs bo not subdivided into suitable pastoral areas. And this same Ijctition IB Hot without its prophetic clause, by which it is shown that those runs may be required as fruit-growing areas in the future, and maybe the site also of an extensive an<L expensive irrigation scheme. From this one might infer that we have those amongst its who are Happily dreaming of that visionary £60.000 worth of an irrigation scheme that, was a-i much a sham as, and of less substance than, the fapanui airship. Only a short time back the lessee of these runs offered (generously offered was the term applied) to concede 1000 acres for purposes of fruit-growing. May I say. oil', that in my opinion that acreage would absorb all the land suitable for fruit-grow-ing within the runs. In view of this very substantial fact, the dreamers may set. aside the idea of any extensive irrigation scheme being undertaken by the Crown, where so little suitable land is available. It is purely a. question of private enterprise, tins pretty petition would have the Crown lOO.C up oO.OOQ acrcs from dose settlementin order to conserve 1000 acres for fruit larnifl. Could anything more absurd be propounded by human intelligence and reasoning? Even were subdivision to be resorted to, 1000, or even 2000 acr>s if available, might, be set aside to meet, 'the demands ot future fruitgrowers: but no- 1 thing must stand in the wav of t.lw larger I scheme of subdivision into small grazing runs. Tho landless in Otago Central may be grouped as follows as regards their desire for settling upon the land:-(I) Those who could and should, but won't; (2) those who could and would, but don't; (3) those who shouldn't and wouldn't and won t. Those coming under the third heading are mainly of the class who find it ever convenient to drop along the groove of least resistance, or'who find it rather burdensome to conceive mentally an idea that might trend in the direction of doing the district in which they reside for the time some little good. It' is to be hoped, Sir, that men who are resident on the land throughout the districts of Clyde and Alexandra will join in making; no uncertain demand for tile subdivision of the. Earnsclcugh runs. Of what avail is it if we are to be governed by a land monoiioly that is dictated mainly by people who hive no intention of s-ttling upon the land, but who two ever reiuly to lend themselves to purposes the consequence of which they are not always capable of foreseeing? It is hoped the Alexandra people will immediately move, if they have not done so already, in making recommendations as to the subdivision of those runs. We want population, industry, and energy in our midst now that we have a railway at our doors and families at our elbows urging us to still greater effort,—l am, etc,, December 6. Settle! 1 ..

THE LOSS OF THE DUCO. Sie,—The court appointed to inquire into th© lass of the l)ueo has unanimously decided that she foundered at sea with all hands. The court has also found that the disaster was attributable to excessive deck loading, Tlw loss of tho vessel herself doesn't amount to much, as she was insured for a sum which would probably cover her full market value. Tho crew have gone, however, and nobody seems to trouble himself about, the matter. Possibly a requiem may be sung over their loss, and the Duco business is finished. If the same number of shipowners as comprised the crew of -the Duco all disappeared at the one time there , would be weeping and wailing. But t.be disappearance of a mere crew simply swells tho already bloated figures which indicate the numbers who go to watery graves from the mcijantilo marine. This is far and away tho largest of any occupation in the world, and every precaution that oan be devised to check this deplorable loss of life should be exercised.

It has been urged (and resolutions passed) in soino quarters that tlio supervision of ships in New Zealand is too stringent—that they are less irksome in Australia, and that work hitherto dono in the Dominion would go elsewhere. If tho people who talked in that strain had had the misfortune to .have relatives on the Duco—or any other ship which disappeared through tho same causes,—they would probably hold & different opinion, and demand full reparation for their losses. In addition to which the Government would be denounced for laxity of administration aJid supervision. Such an important finding as this cannot very well be ignored; and one has the nght to expect that tha swift and summary punishments meted out to seamen for derelictions of duty will also be applied to those who are responsible for the deaths of so wwny of those who go down to t-ho sea in ships.—l am, etc., n „ , William Beloueh. Duncdin, Deoember 6. ANTI-PROHIBITION MISREPRESENTATION. . Sin,-I notice that Mr J. Wyclifle Baylie, L?"? 10 ! 1 w many otl 'er3, has been dweivod' by a most glaring liquor mis . v p n^, li ; s , hes unc,6r tho headVm» • k''- 10 " Fails an extract from an in. n nc "' s W o1 't Stating, first, that fo tunes are being made shipping liquors into Mississippi, and that i n Nashville a ln,nL-nrt hlld ha<l drunkards bef oro ll!m th(lt month thfm in any other tmio during his tenure of ofiioe. a he lirst statement is tho usual liquor '1 r aotly on a with the olt-rcpeatod statements "that more liquor is now being drunk in the New Zealand no-license areas than during license times." o anyoiio who knows these places this assertion is pajpably absurd. As regards the statement about Nashville, in the Stato of Tennessee, I have absolute proof that it is a. glaring and pure invention, without even a substratum of truth. I answered the same paragraph at Petone « W?'uUn° n V? o ', As Nuhvilfe only went refer t V e P ara " ra Pb must T tvl A first "'? nth of prohibition, and 1 lla\o the exact figures for that nr -ith. ,r!2 w w ms «"y » ,cm ™ b w th «t the drunkenness l ? Wl ' uccd than lwjf and tho total orimo to nearly half, and that the su, '!' rise that, &J 1 1 1 , 1 , 0 liad ken forced into no- ) J C f l " t - ly P ressui 'o on Parliament and not by its own vote, the result hao been so good. If Mr Wycliffe tovaetfi 1 1 S ' ly ' 1 ,vio l ,ub!ish Pertot ft." my re,,lrn to D «n«lS- ; n. u,ill hT ° !'• ! S ox ! )6r ' <itloo - Mr Baylie ZL tT m " lmcd , t0 liquor asscrfeu 13 n . othin S in the world less reliable.—l am, etc,» G- B. Nicholls. STREET PREACHING. bin,-I am practically a visitor to vcr beautiful city. Whil o admiring ts people, to my mind, being the mast homely m the colony, -vet 1 th t a°nSi lllectlon ., ,vlth «' certain liberty granted by your city, a Hbertv I «iv which ought not to be given in such cS as that 1 now geek to mention. On mv return from St. Andrew's Church on Sunday evening last my attention was drawn to a speaker ,n tho street, on the corner of Dowhng■ antf Pninoa street. There were cTm u'" 8 ! 6 s Wlllai 'l:s to which I could object, but I confine myself to (he niajn trend 1 of Ins remark. In the i; r6 4£sure ■ lßt , m ° thal 1 fi[ld Pleasure in listening to the citv street 1 W f VG ', y in<li S»a»t when I heard this _ speaker dragging into the mire many oi the time-honoured institutions of the country which are sacred to so many. I„ short, while I listened to the speaker, I heard nothing but scorn for the Clergy not of any one sect, but of them all. I heard them called -ill that might oome under tha head of fake prophets bv this speaker in what. I think, mav bc called the most illogical 6 pe«ch to which I e\er listened. Here is one sentence I well remember: " I would not give sixpence lor all the religion in Dunedin." This is only one very choice selection. Sir, I heard my church, the church whioh 1 lovo and reverence, held un to ridicule; i heard this sneaker calmly tell ui that

wo were all wrong, ami (to concludo) (hat nobody in nil Dunedin know anytliintr about real religion except this liereo "talker and his few followers lam stating the case very mildly. 1 spoke to a numlx>r standing around listening:, and all the reasonable, to a man, expressed disgust. I heard of one sensible lady who, as myself, was deeply hurt at the foolish and cruel remarks of this would-be preacher. She listened and, oncc satisfied that she was doing right, went up to him and, asking pardon for using the word, called the man a bmto in her holy indignation. All honour to her!

Now, I write this in order that steps may bo taken to limit this man's horc«.v. It is too bad to be simply left alone. It is hard to combine tierce enthusiasm with wisdom, and this sneaker has enthusiasm. With my sincere thanks for your valuable space, I concludo, trusting that somebody will undertake not to suppress free speech, but. in some sensible way to guide more wisely this erratic speaker, or, if need l>e, to take tho street "also and refute these shameful statements.—l am, etc., Vertos. THE CONDITION OF RED DEER IN NORTH OTAGO. Sin,—l would like to offer a few remarks on tho statement, made in a recent interview by Mr Harold Connolly. I do not expect my remarks to leceivo the samo respect '''■■> those of Mr Connolly, because I cannot toast u[ HO v«uvi' experience among the deer in North Orago, Nor do 1 think there is a guide who can boast of 20 years' practical experience amuiig tho deer. Thero are many like myself who went out with parties of stalker about 18 years ago, but at that time deer were not very plentiful and stalkers were very fow and fur between. As time Went on, however the herd increased up to its present stale.' And go did the stalkers, and t?o also did the guides with unlimited experience. Well do I remember when tho Tmaru. Creek was tho ideal minting ground, where I have 6\.on nino stalkers and five guides and a cook camped at tho Timaru Creek hut. At the present time this block is full of malformed stags and weedy hinds, though there are a few good stags and hinds in that locality yet. J

. Nex'i Dingle became prominent as an I ideal shooting ground. Then ihe deer in--1 crossed till fliey reached tho Upper Dingle, whom Messrs Hodgkiiison brothers secured several of tho best, heads shot in the forest I wis m the (Jppcr Dingle with a party of stalkers in the season in which Mr Harold Hodgkinson shot hit, 17-point®r, but I was a week later than lie was. We stayed a fortnight and got some good heads, though tho weather was very bad most of the time. That season I saw the first malformed stag- at the head of the Dingle. He was by himself, and we wore within bO yards of him, so we had a good look at him: lie was quite a curiosity. At that unio I did not think malformation would become such a nuisance in tho herd, or we would have shot him. So far as I can remember, that was about 12 years ago, but 1 am not. sure to a 'season. At that time there was abundance of feed, with plenty of shrub?, where the doer could reach them, ana there wore scarcely any rabbits, tho i!? g r k ; i,lod , them the P re ™>* »!no 1, °T Connolly explain how it w h V va? at ' tho head of the Timar " Ueek about, six yettrs ago, that on tho ti spur ln the swampy l3i fa , g T s P ur > and to tho H and Z ' If" WM abUndMlce of f d «£* "bo ft one to half a teen, 'nnlonwd stags. When the Timaru Creoles m the 1?lnk of condition for fine heads and the ideal spot for stalkers, I remintbl » of (Cameron and »rM & ,n bL O,M0 4 r b " in one that block. Along tho top of tho homo spur and winter pass, and up to the spring there were from 20 to 40 dead rabbits' day picked up when they first went up to lay POKon. These had died of starvaAnd'Jrt was <imte bare. And ?6t . the deer ivero m g2o d condition. Ceitainly, since the days of tho Dingle Mount Jones and Hunter Valley have bo"1 rT llc sllo ? ting Brounds - TJle iimaiu Creelc was jalmost deserted U Mount*' T ' ura,lj '" when the a ,,| Mount Jones wevo boinc shot over, tho effect was to cause tho dew, which »» beginning to increase, to bo driven bacg on rtwi grolln - <l tho ? w °"* reared hey nave mcreased to »>* an St bnmlfcf f°" ntry ° ut of *" th " s h'"hs I "a rirfS-T 61 ;' aild SeV of l,t« th 'u nk £° r wiil th nvc. S s *' 01 Jte years the Timaru has b«cn. stocked with sheep, and tho rabbit* "Zl kept Horn, by Mr Bell, wiho owwd the station, to such an extent that a marked' H^rr (o 1,0 sMn in tHe e™n lf > lf t!l e grass is so poor as Mr -onnolly states, that the sheep on Timaru ESb ire rt Wjß fa ' r COlldition ' iind that 601b wethers can bo taken offl the hills all summer, and most of the winter? I have noticed from observation that sheep liberated. It was stocked with sheep, and +u nv stags wore much scarcer than on the limaru side, and much wilder and more unsettled. Strange to say, it was at the Timaru Creek that malformed 6tags made their first appearance in such numbers as to cause alarm. They tiwa, spread up to tho head of tho creek (the timaru Creek is roughly speaking, about 16 or 15 miles long). Then they spread over the ranges to Mount Jones, Big Basin and tho Upper Dingle. They liavo reached as far as (,ho Grcenbush in the Hunter valley, though there are very few in this locality. I attribute a lot of the deterioration to inbreeding, as the <H»r forest has grown to such an extent that it is impossible for Hie stalkers to slwot over f.' o' it. in a season. Had tho forest been shot over every year, as the deer were increasing, t.bat would have helped to break up families oi <teer that have taikcn to certain localities year after year, tiil they havo become mobs. Morcovor, while the young stags had been afraid to leave their native spot, only to be lmnted back by the big stags that had taken to the fresh country as the deer increased tho biggest 6 ta«s went further back into the loneliest country, onJy to return when tho ruttiiie Mason came 011. b

One peculiarity I have noticed is Out t.he majority at the best stags I have seen shot had only a few hinds compared with the smaller stags 0 n tho Timaru country. of d 4 in th y i i' el ' OVe th ° . goocl stmin On lif eoonti-y is kept up. On tho Tmtani it is quite common to see an eight or ten-pointer with as mm us ♦ and up to 27 hinds. I have s en reformed stags with from 6 and up to 10 hinds, and on one occasion I saw a stagWith large antlers, but no s i gu rf b™ tmes, which had 14- hinds. Needless to he was shot. On another occasion I saw «ST„ th ° ne , ant i ler fw thl ' ?e BUcc^ehfuil I" ? 1 . le , loMllt y- For two seasons ith I'nds Th' fi n< V" tI,U ho kld oi o nr ninrts. ihe first season I visited (hi one Thel«t W « n ° ' n T a,fon " 6 exre Pt this to? four a^Kr r ont^' 1,0int6 ," anllered stair I l'° ' )ro^9,) y °f tbe onepfiJfc'swßssrt i»» s m's rhrri,™"'" '■'diet wound,t tie 80 b >' »■*"> uilm o,', it. had caused the deformity. ' bt I liavo Sjjont a considerable amount nf hnid trving io find out th-> ™ , ount CM bo overcome. Vmmtil^ be .ev3 that would be more effective tlnn see that the Otago Acclimatisation Weietv la■"< - f F»m what I hear, a ? numlxr of wietly stag.? and hi>' stand 6i , 1 p t tb,s ■ SCilso '>. and I undcrS h u? '\ io r Co " tinm > »S»i" uZ. .1 'T^ 1 ? of Janua, 'y to a month wto e he shooting season opons. There is no rloubt. if ihe society continues the cullS in a vigorous and systematical manner, an oninloys only thoroughly experienced men to do the work, the difficulty will 1,, ffot over in two or three years, though I ■n i® a Ml '(ain amount of culling "•ill bo noressary every year, as tho herd is increasing enormously in comoarkoa

with what is shot every season. Moreover, °"I.V tho best stags and practically no hinds aro ehot. The consequence is that tho stags have a larger proportion of hinds t urn they are able to look after. Though tjo stag 8 "d hinds may be in good conunion when the season comes on, bv (he nine he has collected his harem together, iiih,',!i l ! OU ' y :oum,in S them up from the i , , cl ?' ';ho stags and hinds have st'in.l IC "i C0 I " < ' l t' o "' an( l are too poor to healthy calw "q!" ,? " d , rear of hr* w,,,." • , n ° * * KIVO nouoocl calves 1 m hll 13 tlle of to Im "^, !allc " °» ™'siderably. It use<» seen at t)m u ' • * mobs of hinds have about thc season usually foot 60 !W Collt ' of calves at <"« ■«■«:> the society woukl & v C o ul "■ Then jvhich to get information II it is to improve the door nwl ti.V quir S s tIOU3 of the forest, instead "of at Vre'ent relying upon any source that ,„av ' r 4 J self. Where there aro several'opinion, there always is conflict, ™<| it is j," ™ s.blo for any society to work to a SUo <L. ful issue. rhu forest has bccom« a rood source of revenue to the society, and" the returns aro steadily improving ovory year iho number of stalkers from abroad is also increasing. Without doubt the North Otam herd is equal to any herd in the world. This is tho opinion of big ga,me hunters from other parts of the world, who have shot over it. Every effort, therefore, should be strained to keep it up to this standard. In tho past there has been a great o.'eal of discontent among tho stalkeis over tho allotting of tho blocks. Tho trouble is largely caused by the fact that the guides have all tho powor in their hands. If the guides would work amicably together when selecting blocks, most of the trouble would be overcome. I hope tho guides will take tho hint this coming season. If not. lam afraid tho society will have to take steps to have tho bloolcs allotted by ballot or otherwise in tho near future, or tho stalkers from abroad may desert the forest. It is very hard for those sportsmen coming all tho way out here, attracted by glowing accounts of tho forest, to find out when tliey arrive that the wholo forest has been held tip by the guides engaged by local stalkers, who know tho condition of the forest. There is amplo room for allcomers if the blocks aro allotted systematically, 'Thero is unlimited country for tho herd to incrcaso over. In future years there will be good sport to bb hud in the Makarora. through tho Haast Pass and up tho Landborough. There is a fair sprinkling of deer \>ver this country at present, but not sufficient to warrant more than two or throo rides for about tho next four or fivo years to come, for most of tho stags wintering in the Makarora and the flaast travel back to the Hunter Valley each 6cason as tho rut comes on. It is the Hunter that is stocking the Makarora and tho Haaet, and therp are not sufficient hinds to hold all the big stags over thero yet. Tho fact that a few tine heads have been got over there within the last two years has caused the belief that the Makarora is well stocked and in good shooting condition, but if a rush is made to that district this season I am afraid the result will bo the same as was experienced in the Hunter a few years ago, when, after Mr Leatham had secured seven splendid heads in the preceding season, the field was rushed by almost- every stalker that went to North Otago. There were a goo'd many disappointments there, as the Hunter was not stocked sufficiently at that time to stand the rush. Mr Leatham 'was himself there, expecting to get another big bag, but 1 am sorry to say ho was disapiwinted. When he caine back to Dunedin he made a statement to the press that the Hunter Valley had " gone to pot," but such was not the case, as that is where most of our best trophies arc coming from at present. A few weeks ago I noticcd in tho Otago Witness the reprint of a letter written by Mr Gordon Shaw to tho Fiokl. Ho complained about the cost of pack-h'orso to get supplied to canin, and also about the charges of the guide, as a farmer's harvest. I do not consider the charge of 7b 6d per clay for tho horses and 103 for the driver is.too much, as tho trackers have to Icavo all other work at a standstill till the stalking season is over. Besides, there is a considerable amount of risk, in packing up some of the gorges, of losing a horse, or perhaps tho wholo team. Mr [ Shaw did not take into consideration tho fact that it would not pay ppekers to keep sufficient horses in general use all tho year round to pack out perhaps tivo parties at onee, ■ who. would need about seven to nine horses. Therefore, to meet the needs of the stalker, all spare horses, such as mares with foal at foot, etc., have to bo called into commission. An<i' as the feed is scareo about the camp tho horses have to pick what grass thoy can till they got homo, so they are unable to carry heavy loads all day. I have eeen a team of pack-horses going out in good condition at the beginning of tho season, and return dog poor after live weeks' packing. One suggestion I may make is tha,t where it tajies two days to pack out loaded, tho empty horses could return in one, and only one day should bo charged instead of two as at present. I remember when, all guides used to charge 10s per day, but as tho number of stalkers increased, there wasn't sufficient guides to- meet their needs, and some of the n ore generous stalkeis offered 12s, 15s, and up to 20s per day for tho services of a guide. Some of the longeststanding gu : des thereupon considered that if their services were worth, say, 15s por day to ono stalker, they were worth it to others. I understand, however, that only a few of the most cxpericnoed guides chargc thoso fees. Tho ruling charge is 12s 6d for guides, and 8s or 10s per day for cooks, according to tbeir abilities. Ido not oonsidcr these charges aro unreasonable, considering the long day's work—from before daylight till after dark, and often in wet weather. Besides, on many occasions in the roughest parts of the forest they have to camp out in tho bush all night with nothing to cover thorn except the clothes they wear by day, and the comfort of tho camp-fire, and talk over what their luck will be on the morrow.

Before closing this letter I would like to make a few suggestions to the Otago Acclimatisation Society about the future culling of the herd. I would suggest that two men bo sent to the Upper Dingle about. January 20 to shoot there tiS about February 20. Then thoy should work down to the Big Basin and over tho watershed into the head of the Timaru Creek, till about, the 10th March, and then work across on to Morvcn. Hills and along- tho Timaru Creek till the stalking eeason opens. Two other men should bo sent to the (rreonbtish, in the Hunter Valloy, about January 20, and should ehoot there for a fortnight or three weeks if nocossary, arxl then work down to tho point of Mount £<>"«, an( l to the watershed between tho Dinglo and Timaru Creek. Noxt, they should pass over the watershed till tliev moot the party in tho Upper Timaru Creek and then proceed across Timaru cm to Monen Hills till tio shooting- season opens. I would rccommoild that only malformed stags and old weedy hinds bo shot b.v both parties till after they crow the'watershed into Timaru Crcek/ Z sfaSjSteaf'A'WK n ■ of these suV T2V\ 7 llis xjs n-ht throu" ? A 0"'? " 0t contin « (:rl tho ,Tirei- **ir - 011 country, as dm-in? n, cff f ct,v s wor!t culd be done «hui«B flic rut. But them.will bo no 0,perienced men available during April, a*, tnej will then bo employed as guides.-!' am ' etc " A.Gowr HARBOCH LIGHTING, To tiik liuiron. • ® IR,— '} am pleated (o notice in your ISs y? to-day a letter signed "Mariner" Oii'.lmg attention lo tho inadequate lightor, rather, the abienoo of lights, In our harbour from Kilguur's Point to' the Wcaila. The harbour ha.-> frequently to be iiavigati.'ii at night, wp.xia.lly by the "smaller class o! vessels, and the accident to thu Koonya, which might have been of a'much mow serious naturo but for the caution of the captain, serves to emphasise the impoitunce of having .something done. Now" .Sir, tile Harbour Board has done'much to improve the reputation of our harbour ami to render navigation of it safe bv d-lv n ,- night. The lighting Of the VktoTia Chan " V lia . t C(ml(1 l» "ishsd; but wh> •stop there;—l am, etc., Duneilin, December 7. Lr T ° DaW: '