P. T. Replies.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19269, 5 January 1931, Page 6

P. T. Replies.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —I must contrive not to be like " Serious ” —much too long. I see your wise observer of women’s ways, “ 8.E.5.,” says that Amy Johnson is committed to flying (before she has attained angelhood), and it seems that P.T. is committed to replying —working out a sort of Karma, or purgatory in this life maybe. I got away with the last word last year all right, and there was a lull, but lo! the Philistines be upon me again. J.B. comes first, armed with an armful of texts as usual, useful for proving alibis, and such things as you know ain’t so. Bibles, J. 8.? There are a few around—the print is too small in the small ones and the big one is too big to take to bed with me. (A hint here to popularise the Bible—it should be split up into sections—the poetic, the philosophic, the mystic, and so on—three parte of it is pure spiritualism.) No sacrilege intended, J.B. —handy sections, good print. But I am afraid my Saturday “ Star ” would remain my Sunday reading. No, I can’t produce evidence as I do these letters—on demand, as it were—also, what is evidence to me is tommy rot to others. J.B. will have to do as I did—seek it. “ Seek and ye shall find;” but, with the likes of J.B. as a seeker, I would say “might find” his “ thinking organ ” would require much adjustment. Candidly, I don’t see my wav to help J.B. on this plane of existence. But the time will come when he will see that the views I hold are not “ unreasonable nonsense.”

“ Sceptic,” your letter, like the curate's egg, is good in parts. “Too late” does not apply to spirits like ourselves, who are in eternity now. “In the present state of our knowledge scepticism is the only justifiable attitude to adopt,” etc. If “my ” had been used in the place of “ our,” I would have passed this without comment. I am not aware that my confidence in the things I have seen, heard and proved in my lifetime has been at all shaken by this discussion. If I saw any “ beneficent change ** in “ Sceptic’s ” direction, I should not hesitate to go after it. The “ house ” of the spiritualist is founded on the rock of reasoned, proved experience—we have a questioning faith in the sands of tradition.

“ Sceptic ” is quite tvrong about my regard for opinions—I follow a different coterie of leaders to what he does. If “ giant strength of mind” (like the Scribes and Pharisees?) leads one along the path “ Sceptic ” is on, well, I hope my “ thinking organ” will remain comfortably normal. Yes, we do get “joy and satisfaction” and more than that, out of the knowledge (call it superstition if you like) that has come our way, and some of us think we should try to broadcast that knowledge as God's modern gospel. Oh dear! there is that same old misstatement cropping up again. Both Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were confirmed spiritualists long before their sons were killed. “ I am following your letters closely,” a man said to me today. “Are you continuing?” “I don't know, it seems I have had the last word?'* “ That Bible chap gives you some posers.” "Do you think so? I think he is weak.” As this is a double barrelled letter, sir. please excuse its length. PETER TROLOVE.

“ Play Fair ” writes as follows of a news item and an editorial article which mentioned that double time was paid on Sundays and holidays in the Telegraph Office:— “ This is all rot. In fairness to the abused civil servant, why not publish Double time has never been paid. Ovtffc time is at ordinary rate of pay according to salary. Sundays and holidays, time and a half. During depression, no overtime is being paid, and we have had two salary cuts.”