ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

New Zealand Tablet, 5 February 1920, Page 17

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

K.A.R. (Cronadun). —We do not know the song you speak of. If we can find it we will let you know later.

Question. —Unfortunately the answer is "No." Poetry is not worth publishing at all if it is not better than prose in two respectsboth as to form and ideas. Very rarely indeed does young New Zealand rise to the standard required even by our tender charity. For one original stanza we publish we consign a hundred to the W.P.B. —with tears of regret, of course. The Editor officiates at the funeral and the staff play the Dead March.

SroKT.The famous Eclipse was owned by Colonel Kelly. His usual bet was "Eclipse first and the rest nowhere." That meant, of course, that his horse must win by a "distance" so great that the second and third horses were not placed. Moifaa won at the Liverpool National' carrying 10.7. Jerry M. was probably tho best horse that ever won the event.

Reader. There is a new edition of The Ballad Poetry of Ireland. The Spirit of the Nation is an excellent collection of Irish songs. In Every Irishman's Li-

brary (Talbot Press Co.) there is a good volume of Irish poetry, containing Selections tfrom the oldest and latest poets. The-latter volume is our own favorite. You can get it at O'Connor's, Christchurch. W.P.M.—The law which gives certain facilities to Catholic school children as well as to others was passed as it stands by the / Massey Government. The P.P.A. used it against Ward, of course. But does any man expect either honesty or truth from that unhallowed pack of mongrels? Their prophet Luther taught them to lie and they strive to surpass him in that and in certain other unsavory ways. A political party backed, by such people is not exactly a thing to be elated about. Nevertheless it is true that a country gets the Government it deserves when its representatives are elected by popular suffrage. A.M.A. —When two days of fast and abstinence come together meat is allowed at the principle meal on the second day. On ordinary fast days one who is not obliged to fast may take at all meals what is allowed at the principal meal; but this principle docs not hold for the second of consecutive days of fast and abstinence. A grave reason always excuses from the observance of either fast or abstinence. In the absence

of such grave reason the law certainly binds under pain of mortal sin. Owen. You are quite right. The fact that we have so many young -barbarians of each sex around us is due to education which tries to make the notions of some fool-politicians take the place of the Law of God. Manners go with morals, and morals go to the devil when their religious foundation is removed as it is in New Zealand. Seaghan.—Yes, we saw the story about Carson's coining to see his friend William de Limavaddy. When he comes we may expect to have him set upon an altar to which all the Orange parsons and professors, and the whole bang lot of the P.I*.A. pugs, will flock in their eagerness to kiss the feet of the man who helped the Kaiser to make war on England. A.M. (Ngapara).—We thank you for Francis Carlin's book. We have read many of his poems in American exchanges and we are pleased to have an opportunity of making a closer acquaintance with him. We shall be very pleased to deal with it in our "Notes" later on. There is always a warm welcome here for a Catholic and Celtic poet —and for the friends of Catholic and Celtic poets. CM. —All Stephen McKcnna's books are very interesting. He knows English Society and gives one a pretty fair idea of what a sinful and unsavory thing it is. Our acquaintance with his books extends to The Sixth Sense, Sonia, Sheila Intervenes, The Reluctant Lover, Midas and Co., and Sonia Married. They are not books for school premiums. His criticisms of men and things are honest and wholesome. He is not afraid to refer to

Lloyd Georgo as the man who turned on Asquith after the latter had dragged the Welshman out of the gutter after the Marconi scandal. Yet English people seem to think there is no shame in having such a person at the head of affairs.