Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 687, 12 June 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

BACK TO DRAKE! Sir, — The captain of the Emden is credited with the sinking of many ships laden with treasure so it is probable that the damage he inflicted on allied shipping eclipses even the exploits of the late Sir Francis Drake. Would the Spaniards have given Sir Francis a civic reception? Mr. Baildon lias a precedent there. The German Consul’s letter to the Mayor was in order. The visitors would do well to make the Emden a closed ship to citizens while it is in Auckland. Drake would have done the same. ANOTHER DRAKE THE LABOUR PARTY Sir, It is often said by opponents of the Labour Party that “as before, their term will be a very brief one”. But it must be remembered that the Labour Party of 1924 was in a very different position to the Labour Party today when a better and definite test can be made of its policy. When England pulls in harmony with the rest of Europe instead of pulling persistently in the opposite direction then will her prestige of fifty years ago be restored. B. KING. EMBRYOLOGY Sir. — Mr. Rueben E. Dowle states that he “took part in the discussion” at the University on the occasion of Professor Sperrin- Johnson’s lecture on Evolution. May I say that there was no discussion whatever. Following a convincing array of the biological evidence for Evolution, some questions were asked and were answered by the lecturer. Are we to understand from Mr. Dowle’s ipse dixit , embryology provides no argument for; the Evolutionist” that he is an authority on that science? Otherwise laymen may still accept the concensus of embryological specialists’ opinion to the contrary. Nor can Mr. Dowle find corroboration in. Professor E. W. Macßride’s opinion of the evidential value of embryology, which your correspondent totally misrepresents in his isolated extract. I have before me an article by Professor Macßride on “Evolution as Shown by Embryology,” written last year and published in the symposium entitled “Creation by Evolution.” Therein he conclusively marshals the evidence contributed by embryology to Evolution and completely shatters in advance Mr. Dowle’s little edifice of unscientific antievolutionism. For example, he states, “The embryological argument rests on a daring hypothesis, which was first clearly expounded by Haeckel in what be termed the fundamental late of biogenetics. which he enunciated as follows: “Every animal, in its growth from the egg to maturity, recapitulates

the history q£ the race.” After quoting instances of this law' he says: “In recent years the law of recapitulation has been proved by experimental evidence.” There follows a description of the development of the human embryo through forms illustrating man’s development from a water animal, through a lower mammalian stage with a tail, with a final stage having ape-like characteristics even at birth. Ho admits that embryology is but one link in the chain of cumulative evidence, and concludes: “But every animal begins its development in an egg, which is a single cell, comparable in structure to the lowest forms of life known to us, and as it grow r s to the adult form it sketches in broad outlines the whole story of its evolution.” A.E.C. “THINK THEIR GEESE ARE SWANS” Sir, — How many times have we seen a horse win a race or two early in his career, and be acclaimed a coming champion, only to fade into oblivion 51s an ordinary hack. Yet I doubt if any of these winners could have been bought at under a l,ooogns., when their real value was about 350gns. Take a list of hack winners in this province from September to November:—Grand Tea, Arikitoa, Storm Fiend, The Lover, Cashier, Moy Hall, Sir Russell, Golden Wedding, Royal Linage, Leitrim, Fernden, Big Bertha, Catapult, Tidal, Te Money, Vallar. Jollie Money, Wenday, Eager Rose, etc. Of these not a third were forced into open company, let alone won in that class. Owners will not realise that the chance of a horse becoming a champion after passing the three-year-old mark, is very small, and figures show that it would be wise to quit the average horse at 500gns. and turn the money into a promising two-vear-old. STUDENT. ART IN AUCKLAND Sir,— Your correspondent “Mahlstick,” when lie refers to tlie "vague pain" he feels at tlie thought of the public’s choosing a picture a year for the Art Gallery, has my sympathy. I feel the same pain; but it is more acute than vague. Already our Art Gallery contains much that can be described only as junk. There are many fine things there, one or two splendid things and one or two treasures. But we should jealously examine everything that is admitted to the building. I take it that an art gallery is designed for the education of the public. If we allow the public to vote for the paintings it desires to see hung we shall find ourselves confronted with suburban-draw-ing-room art—still life studies of an aspidistra, two butterflies and a leek

or photographic representations ladies, in flowing robes, sobbing agains trees after violently quarrelling ** peeved lovers (in knee breeches) pro* sumably over the quality of the po® of Felicia Hemans. No. No. E®t experts look after our Art Gallery, an even they will make mistakes en £?r GAMBOGE.