LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16495, 22 September 1915, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE SUPPLY OF FARM LABOUR. Sir, —1 tonsido 1 : that tho farmers need no workers at present. I am a single man used to farm work, able to miLk, etc., but not plough. My three mates are what we would teini farm hands. Wo havo been >in Dunedin lor iu days, and have culled at various labour agencies in quest of work, only to Usui no work avaiiaole. We havo advertised in both daily papers in quest of farm work, but have not received oue reply. This is the state ot affairs in Dunedin at tho present time. Ploughmen are all that the tanners require, and not every farm hand can be a competent ploughman. If the farmors had one agency in each town to which they would send their requirements, then labourers would know exactly who wants them, 'ihe labour oliices are of not much use to the labourer, as situations aro often kept on the boards alter they have been tilled up. My mates and myself have called on alternate days on various labour agencies in Dunedin and asked for a job mentioned on the board, only to be told that the job is gone. Still, tho same job is supposed to be open ior days after it is really gone. Workers do not care about latour agencies, but would rather answer a straight-out advertisement.—l am, etc., Une of Foub Mates.

Sib, —May I venture to suggest. that the farmers' cry is respecting not so much a shortage of labour as a shortage of cheap labour. It is superfluous to point out that the farmer will not employ men with families. This has been apparent for years to anyone who lias studied the advertising columns of tho press. Tho only reason they will not employ married men with families is that the cost of thcic labour- is greater than that of single men. Single men are prepared to rough it, and will settle down to practically any housing. conditions; but married men are not in the position to do this, for they must have proper and di>ccut accommodation for their wives and children. Who will blame them for desiring this? Tho situation has been made. more acute by the terrible holocaust now raging in Europe. The farmer will have to wait until this war is settled before ho will bo ablo to draw cheap labour from the older countries of the world, as pract.ica.lly no emigration of men who are able to carry arms is allowed from any of the oountrics engaged in the war. Hero is a chance for the farmer to show his patriotism. The very best of our manhod are being cut down in their prime; and the prospective loss of population as a consequence is enormous. Why not employ married men. and give them a chance by providing conditions under which they can bring up a family in decent comfort, thereby doing good to the nation by creating an incentive to replace the wastage now going on ?—I a.m, etc., ' E. J. T. MAORI LOYALTY. Sib, —With reference to the letters appearing in your columns over the signature of E> Karetai, allow me to say thero is no one of that name at Otakou. There was an E. Karetai, but she is married to a foreigner, a German named Waldsgott, whose remarks in public- about the war have excited_ a great deal of resentment anions the British residents at the Heads. Hence these tears! Hence tho explanation of the letters! —I am, etc., POBTOBELLO. Portobello, September 15. Sir, —As a loyal subject of his Majesty, I am much surprised at the tone of the letter by E. Karetai. No doubt most of your readers are not aware E. Karetai is the wife of a foreigner, who is enjoying British freedom. In a time of trouble in which we are at present involved it would be more loyal if E. Waldsgott would better employ her spare time.—l""am, etc., 1 Loyal Subject. Portobello, September 16. THE AND SOLDIERS IN UNIFORM. Sir, —I notice that the Dunedin Athenaeum Committee has resolved to grant soldiers in uniform monthly tickets on application at the library until such time as a soldiers' club is established in Dunedin. Tho above is, I presume, the result of the action of an official of tho Athenaeum in asking a returned soldier if he_ was a member •or entitled to the 'privileges of the institute. I understand that on the question being raised it was reported that the official was only doing his duty. Now, cannot the committee see that the only duty they and their officials have in reference to all our boys wearing the King's uniform is to make them heartily welcome to all the privileges of the Athenaeum without asking any questions, the only reference required being the uniform, which ought to be a passport to every public institution in the dominion?

The Mayor is to offer a welcome home to oiir returned wounded boys. Let him be able to tell tlicm that every place in the city, including'the Athenseum, is open to them at all times, -without any questions. —1 am, etc., Member of Athen^tjm. September 15. COMPETITION IN TAILORING. Sir, —The letter of your correspondent, "Scissors," in Tuesday's issue, announcing the existence of a combine amongst the tailors, and 6tating thi;ir endeavour to obtain legislation in order to further their purpose, is most enlightening, but, I trust, doomed to failure, ■as their efforts, if successful, would be quickly followed in other businesses. The working classes are already heavily burdened by the increased cost of living, appeals, etc., etc., without having to submit to the dictates of the affluent tailor, or doomed to wear "slops" or ill-fitting garments. . The experience of myself and family is that the factory-made "suit to measure" is equal in quality with, and very often better- , fitting than, a similar suit "tailor-made," which costs almost double. T.he price of the former. This fact is proven by the admitted growing demand of the "suit to measure," and the combative actions of the tailors themselves. The latter have had a prosperous run of business, but things have altered. "Modem times" ha,ve come to stay, and tho tailors, like many other tradespeople, must conform^to the altered conditions of existence. —I am, etc.. Justice. SUNDAY GARDENING. •Sib, —I could not help being amused to read this morning that several Chinese had been fined for quietly attending to their vegetable patches in order that they might produce sufficient, for their scanty fare. How inexplicable must New Zealand justice appear to the Chinese, who know that over the fence the white man can annoy - the whole neighbourhood, hunting round behind his lawn mower to his heart's content. Take a recent Sunday in my own district, and it is typical of every first day of the week. After cleaning out the fowl run and painting the bath I sauntered out with the younger members of the for their usual Sunday walk. During this I came across one man wheeling in manure, probably left on the kerbing by a Celestial 011 tho day previous. In tho next section tho owner was busy sawing and hammering for the erection of a new fowihouse, completed by him in the late afternoon, aftor which he stretched his neck over the fence to tell his neighbour not to make so much noise in his efforts to .hammer a sheet of iron into a.different shape. Furthenon, I spoke to a man who had taken down his fence, and was mixing concrete for a new base. Wherevrr you could see into a back garden you could observe wheelbarrows being pushed or rubbish fires in evidence. All these incidents are absolute facte-, and took place in properties in close proximity to others, while the yellow man in Tainui and St. Clair, out of sound a.nd sight of anyone, quietly worked the hoe or carried the water. There were extenuating circumstances for two of the whije men to whom I have referred, in that they always went to church when it was "their day at the door" —so my wife tells me.—l am, cte.. "John Chinaman." September 16. THE DROUGHT AND (SUFFERING ANIMALS. Sir, —Information received of late from the Oamaru district discloses a serious and pathetic state of affairs in oonsequonce of the present drought We are told of cattle and sheep dying by tho hundred, and of Jambs being constantly destroyed on account of the dearth of feed for the mothers. Today I wa-s assured that the sorry picture can be seen on many farms of sheep actually suffering from skinned noses, as a result of their vain search among tho stones for blades of grass. Cannot something be done to alleviate the suffering of these poor animals? May I suggest that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should inquire into tho condition of affairs in tho districts most affected by this long-continued drought, and see that the miserable, helpless creatures are provided with food of some kind ? Certainly, of late, farmers have been reaping a fortune with high prices, and should be compelled to feed their stock properly. Those not in good circumstances should be assisted to do this*. In any case, it seems to mo downright cruelty to permit Animate to suffer as unquestionably they are doing at the present time, when it is possible to prevent at least a grpat deal of that suffering.—l am, etc., J. A. Forbes. Sawyers Bay, September 16.

THE OUTPUT OF MUNITIONS. Sib,—-A sense of public duty at a time of. national stress impels mo to draw the attonLion of your correspondent " Perplexed '' to the fact that we have just as much diroct evidence that the employers of tho Welsh coal miners were at fault as we havo that the coal miners were at fault. The employers refused to sell their coal at less than a certain price, which was an increase on that which wa3 charged before the war. The coal miners followed suit naturally, because tho purchasing power of their wages was reduced, which is equivalent to a reduction of wages. They did not begin to hold back their commodity for a higher price till the sellers of coal and other necessaries of life set the fashion.—l am, etc., Not At All Perplexud. ELECTRIC LIGHT AND GAS ACCOUNTS. Sir, —Who is responsible for the circular setting out tho new arrangement for payment of electric light accounts? Is it a departmental or council order? Can anyone show any merit in it? It is time our business concerns were placed on business Jines. Why not do as in Wellington and Christchurch, where electric light and gas accounts are payable on a stipulated day each month —not the same day for each; say, for example, gas accounts on the 15th and Electrio light accounts on the 20th? Consumers get accustomed to these dates in the same way as a trader gets used to his 4th and 20th of the month. This is simple and better than zig-zagging ' these accounts all Over the month, especially as they carry large discounts and are likely to be overlooked by the system now in vogue. —I am, etc., H. S. [The merit in the system to he adopted for the payment of electric light accounts, which is the system already in vogue in the gas department, is that it saves the customer such a tedious delay as would be unavoidable when all accounts are payable on the same day, and that it distributes tho work of the officials. —Ed. O.D.T.] • THE WAR PENSIONS. Sir, —In the Spectator of July 31. (page 131) is an interesting fact bearing on my recent suggestion that a representative of tho Society for the Protection of Women and Children should be a member of our Army Pensions Board. In the House of Lords was debated on July 26 (says the Spectator) Lord Crewe's proposal that, two representatives of the Soldiers and Sailors' Families' Association and two representatives of the Soldiers and Sailors' Help Society should sit on the Statutory Committee of the War Pensions Fund. We have no such societies in New Zealand, but we have the Society for the Protection of Women and Children.—l am, etc., Gbacb Fox. September 17. TEVIOT LORRY OWNERS AND WAR TAXATION. Sir, —In your ' issue of the 15th inst. "Fruitgrower," of Roxburgh, states that tho 'leviot, motor lorry proprietors have fixed an advanced rate on the cartage of fruit and caise timber for the coming season. Such is not the case, and "Fruitgrower" is not fair, because he insinuates that, these lorry ownere, while protesting against the proposed duty on motor spirits, are protecting themselves by advancing the rates of cartage. It is true that three of the fruitgrowers of Roxburgh, who purchased motor lorries for the quicker and smoother carriage of their fruit to the railway station, did protest that it was unfair to tax motor spirits, which were necessary for the working of their lorries, and also increase the rates of railage on motor spirits, which are, already charged at a .rate and a-half. The fruitgrowers who own these lorries do not pose as philanthropists, but _it is' generally admitted that their enterprise in introducing motor lorries has initiated a system which is beneficial to'the fruitgrowing industry, and helps to bridge a gap that will ahvays exist until railway. communication to Roxburgh is an accomplished fact. Last season proved that these same lorry owners camo to the rescue of the fruitgrowers of Teviot district at a time when other lorries were unable to cope with the fruit traffio, from causes which were not entirely attributable to the heavy crop. If "'Fruitgrower" wishes to know exactly what charges were discussed bv the Teviot motor lorry proprietors, I shall be pleased to furnish, him with the information. —I am, etc., J. H. Waigth. For the Teviot Motor Lorry Proprietors. Roxburgh. September 18. THE PROPOSED SOLDIERS' CLUB. Sib,—l should like to aslc through the medium of your paper if the offer of the Y.M.C.A. towards the formation of a Soldiers' Club has been definitely "turned down" by those who have tho matter in hand, and why? It seems to me that the ofEer affords all the comforts and advantages requisite for a successful Soldiers' Club at a very much less expenditure than would be required to put any other building on anything like an equal footing, together with the, saving in cost of upkeep. I understand that the Y.M.C.A. has offered, in addition to all the privileges of membership, the use of a room or rooms' for soldiers only, providing facilities for correspondence, reading, smoking, games, magazines, use of piano, billiards, swimming bath, and gymnasium, and has also undertaken to supply meals, including supper at a minimum cost; with concerts and socials to be arranged at intervals — all this at the nominal charge of 2s 6d for registration. The men would elect their own committee and make their own rules, subject to the approval of the Y.M.C.A. Board. The handsome donation given by Mr P. R. Sargood will go a long way towards meeting the extra expense which will have to bo incurred by the Y.M.C.A. if their offer is accepted. Before tho public; is invited to contribute tho large amount which will be required to furnish and maintain a separate club—the money for which might be, better employed in providing comforts for wounded soldiers and their dependents— I submit that the offer made by_ tho Y.M.C.A. should receive further consideration before being finally rejected.—l am, etc., T. A. Hunter. Dunedin, September 20.

THE EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION. Sib, —The Employers' Association has issued its annual lugubrious wail in the shape of a report, and it may all be summed up in the old aphorism that the mountain went into labour and brought forth a mouse. The Labour Party, as a whole, is again well whipped with the lash of scorpions, and the salt is rubbed in unmercifully, and one supposes the Labour Party will smart for some time under tho oastigation. On this auspicious occasion the association has paid marked attention to,, eeamen, who have been charged with quite* a number of offences, which, if proved, should land them into tho Government hotel for tho term of their natural lives. The Inquisition or the Star Chamber would not have imposed worse punishment than that handed out by the association. It may bo assumed from the outset that the association never took the trouble to inquire into tho law, or the rights or wrongs of the men, it is simply a matter of the ignorance of tho members which causes them to get furious and lash their tails in impotent wrath. The gentlemen of the association have no doubt had a large experience of ships and men and tho law pertaining to them. .They have rounded Cape Horn in winter time in an old "windjammer," when there was a southerly wind in the "bread barge" and their fingers were torn to pieces handling tho frozen muslin on the branches. They have, perhaps, done a turn in tho "stokehold with the thermometer showing about KOdog or 160deg Fall.—but I guess not. Their prerogative is a nice clean office, with typewriters and all the other nice, clean appurtenances, at about £600 per annum, from which point of vantage they, like Ajax, defy the lightning. But tho men who operate our shipping under dire distress know just oxactly what they are -doing. Can the Employers'% Association point to one case where the men violated their agreements or took action outside their logal rights? If it_ can, let it ■trot out its evidence, and the writer will be pleased to acknowledge same and make amends.

One thing noticeable is the fact that tho Employers' Association does not make any comment whatever on the slim methods of merchants, manufacturers, arid others in the way of putting up tho prices of commodities. Tliis fake is done by a "scrape' of the pen" • but when the indispensable seafarer comes along and says, "Give us. a out in the share of the profits," he gets the cold shoulder, and the saltpetre is nibbed into him pretty hard.

Will tho Employers' Association endeavour to got a little horse snnso and trv to push along tho maritime business of the Empire ill toad of using its worst efforts to .retard it ? Six hundred pounds and £1000 a, year alone; with nice offices and genial surroundings are very pretty for the Employers' Association; but, put its members on a deck or in the fire room with a rn.ke, shovel, or «lici\ and I'm afra'tl they would not earn bully boof, let alone ham and egfjs, for breakfast, and a five-courfie dinner in the evening, leaving out the perspiration they would lose, and not allowing for snacks in the meantime.—l am, etc., William Belcher. Dunedin, September 21.

THIS PATIENTS AND PRISONERS' AID SOCIETY. Silt,--It is a well-known fuct that t-ho needs oi tho societies working in the city mnoug tho poor arc, tor the moment, largely out ol sight and forgotten, and this must bo my excucio for addressing you. 'lho Patients uiid PrisoiKira' Aid Society is tho oldest in tho city and district; its agent is the friend of friendless, irrespective of creed or colour. Its operations are carried on in tho hospials (general, sanatorium, and mental), and 111 tho prison, whikt outside thesfl institutions its Held is in the homes of the poor. To these institutions arid homes, in season and out of season, visits are made by the agent, and not only is he welcome, but his visits have a beneficial effect. Tho present moment compels me to put forth an urgent appeal for help. Everything has gone up in price, and I am not able to maJce ono pound go as far as in the days gone by, and there are fow things more pathetic and pitiable than to look upon a scene of real poverty and distress of any kind and be powerless to help. Five pounds would be a miracle of mercy; £1 "will do much ; even 5s or 2s 6d is more than welcome. Please remember that this is the only society in Dunedin which helps the prisoner and assists the patient. Its work is practical, aj>d certainly economical. > It is not possible in tho limits of a short letter to indicate fully the scope of the society's operations, but they are worthy of the most generous support on the part of those to whom Christian and sdcial progrres are more than mere words. At the present time tho society is greatly in need of' increased funds to carry on its good work. Indeed, thero was never a time when it could put a gift to such good use as it can to-day. It is true that the town and district are deluded with appeals of one kind or another, and thero is a danger of those in need at our own door being forgotten. It is for this reason that I appeal most earnestly for a gift to-day to helo tho patient, tho prisoner, and the poor.—l am, eto., F. G. Gumming. 250 King street, Dunedin.