LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15858, 2 September 1913, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE UP-COUNTRY MAILS,

Sib, —Tho wa.shoufcs and slips on the Otago Central ljnc- have put the residents of the back-blocks to considerable inconvenience through tho delay in the delivery of the mails. The postal authorities did their best to remedy matters by forwarding the mails via Lawrence, thence by Craig's coaches, and via Palmerston,, thence by motor to Ranfurly; and thenco as usual per rail. But all this was frustrated through the action of a stationmaster, who, it appears, had received instructions from Clyde, I presume, that as there was no through traffic from Dunedin, ho was to send the 'train back light. It is scarcely oonceivable that although thero was an accumulation of mail matter at his station for Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, and the Valley of tho Clutha as far as Pembroke, he refused to allow, the mails to be loaded in tho van, as if the weight, which I don't suppose would be scwt., was so great that he would have oontravened his instructions by sending the-bags on. The consequence was that letters posted in Dunedin on Saturday, August 23, did aot reach here till yesterday evening, the 28th inst. By the same mail the Daily Times of Wednesday and Thursday came to hand. On Wednesday night about 11 o'clock a small mail came to hand via Roxburgh. This, of courso, business men could not get till Thursday morning. But for tho action ol the official to whom I refer the accumu lated mass of mail matter lying there wouk liavo reached us on Wednesday night. I need not point out the great inoonvenienco his action has caused to business men, and there is a general consensus of Opinion that ho showed a great error of judgment, —I am, etc., < Cbomwellitte. 'Cromwell, August 29. [Inquiries which we have made have elicited practically a denial of, tho statements made by our correspondent. We are informed that no accumulation of mail matter has been allowed at stations on the 1 Otago Central line. Mails have been sent forward by ballast train or railway trolly, in cases' where the ordinary train service is suspended, in order to minimise as much as possible the inoonvcnience to persons concerned.—Ed. O.D.T.]

THE OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD'S

VALUATIONS. Sib, —Your paper reports the re-election of the Harbour Board's present valuer, not- 1 withstanding tho contention of Mr Walker that the offico should be a rolling one. 1 It is surely well known that there are a number of builders in this city quite oa competent as tho present-valuer, and it is remarkable in view of this fact that the same porson.is constantly appointed to this lucrative billot. The board has lately divided the sales of leases amongst the auctioneers, and one wonders why it refuses to deal in like manner with the valuations, , I' have heard it stated by some who should know better that it would never do to have an interchange of valuers, as there must be uniformity of rentals. This is the most arrant nonsense, because the board's valuer has no more say in the matter than the lessees' valuer. Furthermore, if these two do not agree the matter is taken out of their hands entirely and the whole question is decided by the umpire, and so far as my experience goes the rent of tho land is mostly fixed by the umpire. Moreover,, however, this same rental arrived at the lease is put up to auction and sold to the highest bidder, so you see tho utter absurdity of the contention about uniform rentals being maintained by the board's valuer. Such boing. the case, it is pertinent'to ask what reasons the board has for refusing to divide this work amongst those as well qualified to do this work as the present valuer. The City Council, has? so far as I know, no trouble in dividing its work". It may be that members of the board have been under a misapprehension in .'the matter, and I would suggest that Mr Walker bring the matter up again with a view to rescinding the motion'and inviting application from those qualified to undertake # tliis work. Their. ■ names could be numbered and balloted for in the order in which they would act for each lot of leases as they'fell in, I submit this as a fair and equitable proposal to the favourable consideration of the booi'd.—l am, etc., EQUITT. ' Dunedin, September 1,

POLITICIANS AND THE REFER-

ENDUM ON THE. BIBLE. Slit, —A& a matter ot tiiei reieividum on the i& before tue publio just now it may interest a number 01 your readers to be rumnded of tne attuuue tuuou up by jwliticians.wnen they have been questioned oil' the relorm m the past. in J.aU<i tne itunediu Council oi Churches issued tne ioilowiiig questions to candidates: "if elected to Parliament, will you endea. vour to sccure that tne Question of iiibie teaching in schoois snail oe submitted to too elictom by way ot referendum, at the earliest possible date?" j It was explained that by iiibie teaching is meant "a series of lessons from the fecriptures with simple verbal explanations, ot the same." Nothing like a complete li6t of the answers given in answer to mis question -lias been kept, bur, as lar as my memory serves me, politicians generally took up tho position that the matter was one whioh they thought should bo settled by the vote of the people; The Outlook, in i 902, noted the answers of candidates, but made no attempt to give a complete list of answers. ]?rom tue columns of the Outlook for 1902, however, I have obtained information as follows:—The following candidates declared in favour of a referendum on tho question, although t'hey did not declare that they personally favoured Bible reading —Messrs Allen (Port Chalmers), Bedford (Dunedin), Stewart (LJlutha), Ramsay ('iaigri), M'Laohlan (Taieri), Sidey ((Javetsham), J. A. Millar (Dunedin), Arnold (Dunedin), Flatman (Lreraldine), . Martin (Geraldme),, Kwing (Mount Ida), Allison (Wa/kouaiti), W. T. Wood (Palmerston North), A. R, Barclay (Dunedin), Earnshaw (Caversliam), Thomson (Wallace), Raymond (Mataura), Rollett (Lyttolton), Lewie' (Courtney), M'Nab (Mataura), Herdman (Mount Ida). Tho tollowing candidates declared ip favour of a referendum, and also declared that they personally favoured tho Bible-lessons-in-schoois proposals Messrs White (Eort Chalmers), Brown (Oamaru), White (Awariw), Scott (Bruce), Studholmo (Ash. burton), Marshall (Tiiieri), Stewart (Waita'ki), Quin . (Clutha), Bolton (Pahiatua), Hassal (lva'apoi), Hodden (i'almerston North), Campbell (Waitaki), Birch (Rangitikei), Hanson (Palmerston North), Samson (Taieri), Allen (Bruce).: Quite a number of candidates, in answering the above question by letter. or from the platform, supplemented their affirmative answers by interesting statements. Mr J. A. Millar, for example though personally opposed to the Bible in schools, said he would eupport a referendum on the question for the following reason" Tho only argument he could see for the' referendum was that the question had never been placed directly before the people since tho passing of the Act in the early eighties, and, that being the ca6e, if it was tho opinion of tho people that there should be Bible instruction in the schools,. an opportunity ought to bo given to them to say so." Mr J. A. Scott, who stood for Bruce, declared in favour of Biblo reading in schools, and also for the referendum. As Mr J. A. Scott was a representative Roman Catholic, his answer is of special interest, and no doubt in the fiituro Roman Catholic candidates for parliamentary honours will take up the same gane and sensible position taken up on this question in 1902 by Mr •J. A. Scott. I enclose tho full statement of Mr Soott, which probably tho* congested condition of your columns ma,y not allow you to print at this time, but you might allow Mr Scott's eloquent plea for Bible-in-schools and the referendum to be examined at your office.—l am. oto., Robeiit Wood. . Dunedin, September 1,

THE WAIFORI SYSTF.M. Sin,—Some of your correspondents in- last Friday morning's Daily Times appear as apologists for tho Waipori trouble, but not one of them faces these actual facts: That the. rainfall for many years is on record, and the recent rainfall was not very abnormal; and that the country about 'Waipori is very liable to slips if it rains. This is well known to anyone who knows the place. To "Colonial Consumer" I say that I know the place, and saw it before pipelines, tunnels, or generators were there. When I did visit the works my surprise, was great to see tho power house built practically in tho bed of the river—in a gorge where a raging torrent of water' about 20 feet deep ha 6 raoed down in a big flood, and probably will do so again. The present troublo is just what anyone who knows the place expected to happen. I do'not blame Mr Stayk. Others have had more tp do with the Waipori concern than ho has. A thorough inquiry, of the whole business should be carried oat, from the time of tho Waipori Company to the present 3ay,

so that the blame for the blunders that have been committed may be put on those responsible. The main question ia: Has sufficient knowledge been shown in spending about half a million in this enterprise? I think not.—l am, otc., F. Duncdin, August 30.