CORRESPONDENCE

Southland Times, Issue 20613, 11 October 1928, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

Letters must bo written in ink and on one aide of the paper. Unless a signature, not necessarily tor publication, accompanhs a letter as a guarantee of good faith it will not be considered. An Asterisk attached to the signature to a published letter denotes that some portion has been deleted by the Editor, a right which is exercised in questions of public policy, libel, good taste and fair play. FARMERS’ DAIRY FEDERATION. To the Editor. Sir, —In reply to Mr Fisher’s letter in your issue of this day’s date. Originally I was to be paid £5OO commission by the selling companies based upon a certain price being obtained. To enable this sale to be effected 1 waived my claim to any commission at all. The £350 paid to The Farmers’ Dairy Federation was arranged for specially by the selling companies. Despite Mr 'Fisher’s statement that Mr Rutledge will verify his statement the fact that £lOO was paid over by me towards brokerage and £250 for Mr Fisher is news to me. What was to be done with the £350 beyond Mr Fisher’s statement that he and Mr Rutledge required to be paid for their services was never discussed with me and I had no knowledge of what amounts would be paid over to Mr Rutledge and Mr Fisher by the purchasing company.—l am, etc., A. H. MACKRELL. October 10. 1928.

SCHOOL CHILDREN ON TRAINS. To the Editor. Sir, —The behaviour of some school children on trains has been a long-standing grievance with a number of other passengers, and I hope you will allow a thorough discussion of the matter now that it has become a public question. As you have said, a “blanket condemnation” is not fair; but is an equal mistake to treat complaints as unfounded or trifling. The innocent have often to suffer with the guilty. I think Mr A. W. Jones was justified in his reported statement that “Izay” “as good as called him a liar.” If an unintentional untruth was meant, why should “Izay” suggest that the accuser had “blackened his soul?” I do not know Mr Jones personally, but have had a tilt at him in your paper for championing the Invercargill secondary schools at the expense of district high schools; so I do not think he is likely to make a prejudiced or unfounded statement against children travelling by train to town.

“Izay” made the accusation of untruthfulness more general by writing “In his and others’ remarks there is absolutely no truth, Mr Editor.” This indictment includes me, for I some time ago in your paper referred to the present subject. In answer to the call for definite complaints of misconduct, I shall give my last experience. About a year ago I went by train from Riverton to Invercargill. Four school boys came into the end of the carriage occupied by mixed passengers,, sat in opposite pairs, spread a coat over their knees, and played a noisy game of cards. Meanwhile from the other end of the carriage, occupied rightfully by school boys, there sounded alarming bangs, which made some of the ladies exclaim, ‘Whatever are they doing?” On the return journey, as seats except in smokers were scarce, I went into a compartment occupied by boys. A quartette started playing cards as in the morning. Other boys walked along the cushioned seats to pass them, or stood on the seats to watch the game. At least one boy lay on his back on a seat and battered the partition with his boots. Another caper was for one to hold a door shut while another tried to open it and kicked it if he failed. There was also a general scuffling in pairs. Disgusted with the boys, I found plenty of room in a girls* car; but as the girls ail took the giggles I was disconcerted. I think it should be stated definitely on good authority whether or not other passengers are entitled to sit in school children’s cars.

As I neither knew the names of the boys nor of their schools, I could not inform on them even if I cared to incur the odium of doing so. They behaved when the guard was present. The teaching of civics evidently was lost upon most of them. Hoping this discussion may serve as a warning to rowdy school children in trains. I am, etc., OLD HAND.