CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15826, 26 July 1913, Page 13

CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

" Sportsman" oxpressee dissatisfaction with the manner in which tho South Island football team is chosen. Ho argues that tho four unions—Marlborough, Nelson, Bulletr, and West Coast—which annually compete for tho Scddon Shield, aro entitled to a representative on the Selection Committee. He urges, further, that tho various unions should have a direct voieo in the appoiatmont of this committee, and that such appointment should be made earlier than has been the practice.

J. W. P. Victory, traversing the arguments of members of the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in opposition to coursing, askes why, if these be stable and logical arguments, the housewifo is allowed to keep a net cat to pursue, to torture, and to devour a poor innocent mouse, which, he ventures to soy, docs Joss harm than tho wily hare. Hares aro fast becoming a pest in New Zealand, and it is necessary that measures should bo takpn to copo with the increase. If tho society is going to prosecute, the only logical and correct manner is to prohibit men and boys from ooursing at aIL What is to become of tho country if tho hare and tho rabbit aro allowed to bo protected? If the society's test case bo upheld, in tho natural course of things the above remedy must necessarily follow.

"Onlooker" expresses amusement at the latest movo by tho _ Prohibition party. " Givo us tho bare majority " is now their cry. How will they havo it? Will they bo pleased to concede license to Oamaru, Ashbnrton, Invercargill, aik) ekewhero on a baro majority voto? Timo after timo they havo met in conference with the legislators, and had laws altered aJid framed in the interest of their pet hobby,—unwarrantable intorferenco with other people's business. If tho Prohibitionists do not want liquor, they' aro not asked to havo anything to do with it. Why then do they want to meddlo with what other peoplo want and intend to have, law or no law?

"G. 0. B." inquires whether Mr John MacGregor, since ho is a bare-majority advocate, believes in the principlo of everything being decided by a bare majority. Would he hang a man on the bare majority of a. jury? And will ho explain where tho unfairness of tho three-fifths majority system comes in? Under tho baro majority system it would bo possiblo for ono man or woman to ruin thousands, without doing good to anybodv for wherever thero is a demand for a thin.? there will always bo a supply.

Win. Skinner characterises the suggestion by Mr John MacGregor, that the Government should favourably consider a proposal for a reduction of -the throe-fifths majority on the licensing issuo as a puerile attempt to gain tlio support of, the Prohibition party for Mr Msssey. Ho denies tliat the enactment of the three-fifths majority was a concession to "the trade," and declares it to bo an intolerable injustice that "the trade," after supplying tho wants of the community for half a-century, after being compelled to build up-to-date hotels, involving largo 6ums of money; after complying with the over-increasing demands of tho prohibitionists; after defending for 25 years the rights and liberties of the people, should bo met with this demand that by the will of a bare majority the liquor traffic should, be "conducted by merchants, artists, cheroist6, doctors, and parsons" is

most unreasonable. Ho is personally of opinion that with the view of purifying tho politics of the country, the issues should be removed from the vote of the peoplo entirely, and State control with compensation, versus National prohibition should become a policy measure of future Governments. Especially should this bO'so when Mr Maesey declares that to concedo the baro majority would bo to involve the Government in "financial embarrassment." It is sincerely to bo hoped, therefore, that Mr Massey will be wiser than to accept Mr MaeGrcgor's proffered advice.