LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 563, 29 November 1915, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE WAIMAKARIRI: A SHIFTY RIVER. To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir, — This subject has interested me-for years. I ask the following questions; will some of your readers be good enough to answer them? (1) Is it not certain that shingle will only travel when the gradient is steep and the banks of the river confine the water? (2) S.eeing that no shingle reaches the sea, and that there is only a little over 30ft of shingle to rock bottom at the Gorge bridge, may we not assume that the land on this side of the island is lowering, and that the accumulation of shingle from the said Gorge bridge to where it is stationary in the bed of the river is a very modern deposit—i.e., modern in geological time? (3) As the bed of the river is already above the plains nearing the mouth and the level of the sea water remains stationary, if the land is lowering, is it not indisputable that the bed of the river must rise and the chance of w r ater overflowing towards Christchurch increase? (4) Is it not a fact that there are mountains of shingle visible to travellers to the West Coast, and must we not therefore realise that there will be no cessation of shingle travelling in the beds of rivers to the sea? —I am, etc., CONSTANT READER.

RIVER BANK ROSE CARNIVAL. To the Editor of TpE SUN.- v

Sir,—May I mention an appeal on behalf of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund in connection with the River Bank. Carnival, which is to be'held on December 16 (Canterbury Anniversary Day)? I have, heard that some of our Canterbury bowlers are trying to arrange for bd\vling matches on Anniversary Day, and I venture to suggest, through your columns, that all such ideas should• be abandoned on this Carnival day, and that all sports gatherings as are usually held at this particular time should be given up in favour of the big effort that is being made.on Anniversary Day. I would also like to suggest to the New Brighton Trotting Club that they also give up their day on "the 16th, so that our effort to raise the • Canterbury Patriotic Fund to the proud position of being equal to any of the other centres of the Dominion may be realised, thus doing our duty at home for the boys •: who are so nobly doing theirs on the battle field for us.—l am, etc., W. J. JtENKIN, Chairman River Bank Rose Carnival.

- EN-IJST^^f /t - To the Editor of tHE SUN. „ Sir,—As a constant reader of your valuable .paper, I would like you to .put a few points before your readers in respiect' to young men of Methven who have not enlisted. Dr McNab was in Methven on November 22, sion I t dort't J)lani£ the working young mpn here, as I know there £ire a good nuMier of th6iid quite willing to go for :tt&ir Ring' and •cduntry^Hbtt^tihteyiwbii'irJgo -till'some of the farmers' sons are shifted. The farmers say, "Who will get our harvest in?" Who got France's and Belgium's harvest, in last year? The women and bid men. There are plenty of men here to put the harvest through. Last harvest Methven was rushed with men, some of whom never made enough to pay their fare back to Christchurch. Thanking you in anticipation,—l am, etc., "■ • " ■ A FATHER WHO .HAS "SUFFERED THROUGH THE WAR. Methven, November 26. FARMERS AND BOOKKEEPING, To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir,—lt is no wonder that the general public is tempted to look upon farmers and country men generally as somewhat dense and ignorant when a discussion, such as took place the other day at the Farmers' Union on the above subject is published. I am almost ashamed to admit that lam a country man. The executive, ' | which should be the brains of the union, but in the face of the discussion most decidedly is not, to my mind acted like a lot of school children—l can hardly call them even boys—to which a master has given a new sum and left the room. They went off like a packet of crackers. One would-be legislator opens out in a rage and calls the Government asses, and proves to his own satisfaction that the majority of farmers can hardly write. Several others follow in the same strain, on the whole mainly agreeing that farmers do not keep books, and 50 per cent, can.just scratch their name. Was there ever such an insult given to the backbone of this province ,by its presumed leaders? One or two of the members saw' things in a different light, and tried to stop the discussion; but the nofsy element tried, in spite of the chairman, to. pass a silly resolution, but fortunately did not succeed. 1 -will make no remarks about the one they did :pass. It can do no harm.

Now, Sir, I come to what I wish to say—namely, that if farmers do n&t keep books —in spite of the Farmers' Uni.on executive numbers do,—it is quite time they did. It is ridiculous to say that evert 5 per cent, of the farmers in' Canterbury cannot keep such a simple form of books as would enable them to fill in the necessary tax form. It will certainly pay, and probably surprise, many a farmer to find what his income really is. I say nothing for or against the form of taxation, but I venture to predict that the Government will be disappointed when the total of the tax derived from farmers incomes is made up.—l am, etc., AN INTERESTED FARMER.