LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16293, 28 January 1915, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE MOT!lit < 'Y('l.l') TRIALS. .Sill, .Va all illlen i-li ,1 ,-pr< 1.„t,il ill, till' 111< >Lul' ryrje ,i l U ill lieiull tin .-.ill inday , i must c- illlll,lllll ,ii sou on Hill ill 1(1 IllU'l 1 ."-Hi J-, , -H I.IHS lllul 11.1.J 13 jrj.lU ' Ol ttli' i lIMC.T, but i UlUhl VilllUl'r 1(1 liL-putr tin .1 Ul 1,1 lIH 111. UliLt l'\ Alaedunakl wtif, " I in' most, t>ui.a.sstul rider during Uie day." ,1- In in 1 very puna ol view !'. .1 homiii-i .-uii, o <'iirni <1 tliat distiuetioli. Thomas uu,-. first 111 two wuis and second ill iwo ollkm's, equal l(.i a total score ot 10 points, whilst .Waedonald was first in two races and .second in one other, equal to a total score ot 8 pu<nts. Further, 'J homus won the seratch raw, usually considered to be the chief honour. J nomas also sooicd wills in the handicaps from scratch, giving away lug starts to higherpowered machines Mum his 3i horsepower JS.S.A.

in writing this I desire only to do justice to a young visitor, and have no wish to depreciate the very tine riding- o[ young Maodonald or the excellent qualities of hu> machine. 1 was partly responsible for Thomas coining down from Christchurch for the races, and 1 naturally desire that ho should get all the kudos to which fie is fairly ent.tled.—l am, etc..

Dunedin, January 25. L). Y. Rennie.

Sir, —1 notice by your report in this morning's paper of the above tests that Mr J, L. Price is credited with winning the Two-mile Handicap Race for light and heavy ears, after being in receipt of a liandicu;> of 16scc, the largest handicap in the race.

Having made inquiries into the entries in this race, I can quite understand why Mr Price, being a novice driver, should receive a start from other cars the same horsepower as his own. But I am told that this gentleman did not drive his car in the race for which ho had entered, and that the car was driven by an e.xpert driver from one of the local garages. This hardly seems a fair thing for tho other competitors, as if this principle is allowed what is to prevent, say, yourself, Sir, who probably are a poor motorist, from entering ajid receiving a liberal handicap, and then passing your machine over to a crack rider to ride in your place?—l am, etc., - Interested. MR BRACKEN'S GRAVE. Sir, —I have indeed been pleased to see the illustration in the Otago Witness of the beautiful monument erected to the memory of Thomas Bracken. I was personally acquainted with our New Zealand poet, and once when I was in conversation with iiim a short time before his death, he remarked, " The people of Otago will not recognise any genius in me now, but when I am gone they will raise a monument to my memory." I am pleased to know his words have come true, even at so late a date, for on the 16th February he will have been dead 17 years. "Not Understood" is tho gem of all his poems, and few could read it unmoved. ~ Wliile we have only to read " Dunedin from tho Bay " and " God Bless Dear Otago" to know how much he loved our southern city, and it was his dearest wish that it should be his last resting place. I would like to add the following verses, from his works, written by him while in Wellington:— Old memories come flying fast 'lo link tho present witn the past, And love grow., green and love grows vast Whilst tnuiking ot Otago. Until the face of death 1 see My constant jirayer shall ever be

ibuccvss, Duiiuiin unto thee, And " God Bless Dear (JtagoJ' —I am, etc., A LovEii of Poetiu. Nor til Otago, January 18. -CIVIS" ON SOCIALISM. Sir, —" <Jivis "on Socialism reminds one oi tile old joke of the drunken man who reviled tho pavement tor getting intoxicated ana junip.ng uj and bumping ins head, l ain an innocent who takes Suite ownership ot railways, coal mines, and tne like to be mstalments ot Socialism." Many others 1 know ol nave the same notion. " Uivis" says wo are all " muddlers." He has not cnougn subjectivity to notice his own mudaiomeut. lie says: " State ownership of tho New Zealand railways is joint-stocK company ownership. Socialism is the universal molting [Kit —collectivism, —the common ownership of all the means of production, distribution, and exchange." Well, then, are not our railways means of distribution ? Is not joint-stock company ownership common ownership? Does not "Civis" himself show that State ownership of railways is an instalment of Socialism? In his blind, mad rage at Socialists in general and Bernard Shaw :n particular "Civs" has got himself tangled up m the barbed wire of his own phraseology. He to talk about tho inconsistency of Socialists m retaining the incomes they earn! What about the inconsistency of anti-Socialists? Why don't they refuse to travel on the State-owned railways ? Can any of us afford to be consistent in this socially-organised world? There was a man in Sydney who argued that a Inininium of clothing was desirable during the hot Australian summer —a perfectly sane and reasonable proposition. But when he tried to be consistent, and to practise what he preached, tho authorities clapped him in .gaol. So it is with us Social.sts. Fashion rules in society. The war has made Socialist joint-stock company ownership by all fashionable. "Civis" is evidently afraid the tendency to socialise everything will outlast the war; hence his tilt at Socialists. —I am, etc., Rtjsncus.

HORSE JUMPING COMPETITIONS.

TO THE EDITOH. Sih, —What constitutes a win in a jumping competition? asks your correspondent "Sancho Panza." It depends partly on the judge and partly on the opposition. But if your correspondent imagines that the chief point about a good jumper is to got over a hurdle without striking, I am afraid he is a little off the track. There are other things to be considered. If a horse goes at a 3ft 6in hurdle as if it wero a windmill, and lands on the other side like n bomb from a Zeppelin, he may not strike, but I doubt if he will win.

I have not heard of any unusual dissatisfaction with the judging at this 6eason's shows. Of course, there is always dissatisfaction where there are contests. Even in the quiet game of politics there is often doubt about, the winner, while in the war many of tho battles are won by both sides. Perhaps, however, things are different on "Sancho's" island.—l am, etc. Cart-horse. '• CIVTS " ON IRISH HISTORY. Sm, —I do not wish to pursue this subject any further than to say it is disingenuous on" the part of "Civis" to say I object to Jrinh affaire being mentioned in Passing Notes. My protest was that "Civis" quoted papers which had already been suppressed, after being denounced by Mr Redmond in the House of Commons, and then queried, ''What is John Redmond doing?" The only inference that would ba drawn from this was that Ireland was disloyal, and that Mr John Redmond was powerless to change tho people. Jso good purpose oould possibly be served by the note I took exception to. Was it not premature to look to Mr Redmond to suppress sedition in Ireland? It will be time enough for that when he 16 Premier of Ireland. 1 do not regret with "Civis" the seditious utterances of Mr John Milroy, because it is better for the Irish people that everyone having such convictions should express them, as Mr Redmond and his colleagues, with tho assistance of the rational press, could then warn the people not to bo gulled by such firebrands. It "Civis" will look up the Now Zealand Tablet of .January 21 (page 51) he will read something which will make him understand why it is possible for 6ome misguided Irishmen to make euch utterances as those of Air John Milroy. Ireland has a history which is hard to forget, and which may at times cause some of her children to spoak bitterly, but Mr Redmond's memorable offer of Irish assistance in the present great crisis, and tho ready acquiescence of nearly every Irishman, make it possible that tho old taunt, either direct or implied, of Irish disloyalty, can now be flung in the teeth of the jibcr or scoffer.—l am, etc., J. B. Crowley. RAILWAY ENGINES. Sib, —I once spent a night in the company of Mr Conyers, Mr Armstrong, the late MiDavidson (of Conyers and Davidson), and another railwwy man whose name I forget, and I remember well them discussing the railway engines, some of which had just recently come from the Baldwin Company, America. Mr Conyers, I remember well, said—and the others -all agreed with him— that when tho Baldwin engines were on the scrapheap English engines would bo running as well as ever. Not only that, but, when both were on the seraph rap, the English engines would be found to ix- as cheap as the Baldwin, on account of the value of the different materials which they were composed of. He explained the difference; but. not being an ex-pert like the others, I did not exactly follow him. [ may tell you another thing: None of them could understand how the Baldwin Company had got the order, though Mr <"onvers was the chief niilway official it the time. I am, etc., An r.\ Railwav Employee. Dune din, January 27.