CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17064, 24 July 1917, Page 2

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

,'-, Warrington" urges, that the old-age' .pension should be increased to. 15a a: a; sum wk.ch' would be little enough' for .the pensioners to live upon in these days of high prices.

"J. R. H.". tWnks . thai v the rank and' file of the workers must exercise th"eir brains i concerning the/ questions of Imperial 'relationship. Indifference and political ignorance on their part may spell disaster. What, he wonders,' does the average worker know about Imperial questions? Certainly, there are some thoughtful men here and there among them,, but is the average common man honestly, concerned? "L S." twite "Onlooker" with inferring that the license fee represented the publican's sole contribution po the general revenue. "Onlooker" overlooks the duties paid on all spirituous liquors, the publican's somewhat Ueayy taxation in general rates, and the expenditure in the employment of labour. The evening hours of business are generally the publican's best hours. Has the 10 o'clock license during the past three years _of prevented some. thousands of. our citizens from answering the country's call, and acquitting themselves creditably? Or has the 10 o'clock license, for the past three years, affected the liberality _of the publics in subscribing towards patriotic, and charitable objects? The general efficiency of our men at the front speaks for itself, and 'the 10 o'clock license did not injure them. "Occasional Traveller" endorses the complaint of "A Soldier's Mother" respecting the hardship of \being exoluded from the railway. : station on the occasion of the departure of her son for. the front, and mentions a case of the kind as having occurred on the 21st inst, when a father who hadi oomo all the way from above Cromwell was not permitted to enter the station. Most people do not object to reasonable restrictions to.admit of the railway traffio being managed, but when there is not the semblance of a crush why should people be de-

prived of the privilege ,ot seeing their ; friends away on their own station platform?' " Another matter for investigation is'the worrying of people about the ages of little •children. On Saturday last the assistant. ', guard of the north express was evidently i not satisfied because the mother of a little boy had* not a ticket for. the child. He 1 , ; - , explained that were he not to demand the child's age he would be to .be/ "dropped, on" by the was 1 probably the case, I J. A. Anderson complains that, -although !a. number of farmers attended at Balclutha • , last week to object to the assessment of 1 their properties in the Eichardson and , South Molyneux Hidings of the Cluths/ County, the valuations having been in- - * creased by ;40 per cent" or more, the stipen- , - Qiary magistrate who is president of the' court, having other dnties to perform, ad-, journed the sitting few hoars - In ." ~ the interval many of the objectors, probably apprehensive lest they, might not ' x ' receive much consideration from the court privately settled their appeals with the de-'. - partment Our (correspondent' asserts that,' / while he has taken part on many* former '' occasions in various capacities in the' pro-, .ceedinga of the oourt, he has never seen ■ the business carried through as it was after' the court was opened on this occasion. He suggests that the president's examination of some of the witnesses partook of the character of a cross-examination by -opposing counsel, and avers that, for this reason a- witness who" could haye given important evidence in one of the appeal cases was not called.