LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 66, 11 December 1907, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

GAS COMPANIES' POWERS. ® ,r > I »ni glad to seo that His Worship tho Mayor is alivo to the unwisdom of granting tho Gas Company any more power than they have or claim to have. Not content with a monopoly of supply, they compel their customers to supply tho .capital to run their business. This may seem almost incredible. Nevertheless it is so. It is beautifully simple and very effective. You call at tho oflicc and are mot by a young mail all smiles. You inform him that you' have just come from Miramar, Island Day, or somewhere else, and that you havo rented a house somewhere, and wish to havo tho gas connected. He smilingly roplies: Yes, madam, ccrtainlyj You will see to it at once, please, roplies the lndy; but the smiler explains that for tho honour 'and glory of purchasing your light from such a great body as the Wellington Company you have to pay £1 for the privilege. But, roplies tho lady, have I to pay CI for the privilege of purchasing the gas you want to sell? That is our rule, madam. Why, do you know, he continues, there are over 8000 people in Wellington that for years have paid us roughly £8000 for that privilege. Oh, more'fools they! ejaculated the victim; as sho, with a sigh, handed her pound to tlm smiling clerk and banged tho door. —I am, etc., "A VICTIM." Wellington, December 6, 1907.

COMPULSORY" UNIONISM. Sir, —I ask you for sufficient space to offer the following criticism of ono of Mr. Millar's amendments to tho Arbitration Act. 1 refer to the clause in tho proposed Bill introduced by the-Minister for Labour which empowers employers to deduct from the wages of nonunionists a sum equivalent to the dues of the union in any branch of industry wherever a union exists. The'fact is that the Government party in the House, having failed to carry statutory preference to unionists, aro attempting' to discredit, their'own measure. Mr. Millar's Bill, which is au attempt to foreo a man against his will into tho trado unions, would not bo sanctioned in autocratic Russia, and such a measure could only germinate in the mind of the Protectionist-So-cialist.. Minister for Labour, who recently paraded his trado union card at tho Trades and Labour Conference in Dunedin. It is quite apparent that this measure would not benefit organised labour, but that jf. nonunionists wero forced to become members of trado unions under this Bill that such members would bo fi source of.weakness to the Labour movement. It is to the credit of: the trade'unions that they are opposed to this Bill; and if they do their duty at tho next general olection, the Minister for Labour will be among tho "also rans."—l am, etc., F. W. BURKE. Tailiapo, December 1.

.. RAGING IN TI-IE DOMINION. Sir, —Each race mooting hold in tlio Dominion brings fresh ovidenco that we are bfally in need of paid stipendiary stewards, and tlio sooner tho racing clubs realiso this fact, so much tho hotter for, owners, horsemen, and public alike. At the present time, there is an unovenncss in administering justice which docs not meet with the approval of truo sports, and the! sooner all closely conncctcd with the racing gaino aro placet! on : the same footing with ono another as regards the conduct of their duties, so'much the' better for themselves! As a matter of fact,- .at .present ono set of stewards will allow ,to : pass unnoticed malpractices'which another club will reprimand, Recent cases in point may be Cited,'and as an oye-witness of both instances," I venture to assert that, taking tho, seriousness of the two offences into.comparison,'l conclude that oho of our most promising horsemen at present holding his licenso would' have boon suspended for life had his malpractice been cnactod under the jurisdiction of tho Woodvillo Jcckey Club. As it was, his malpractice was carried out at Blenheim, and he holds his ticket.

And this is wlioro the stipendiary steward is needed,, for whereas tho. Woodville Jockcy Club .had a much more trivia) caso to deal with tliey passed a' tonn of! suspension; There can bp no doubt that the'Woodvillo Jcckey Club 1 wero right in holding an enquiry, though they may liavo met tho case by imposing a fino or suspending Olliver, for the" meoting. At . all ovents,' tho caso was not so "palpably" bad as somo of" our sporting writers would have us bolievo. Arthur Ollivor was in tho wrong, but must have acted on tlio impulse of the moment, and all will" agree that his suspension up to the present is sufficient 'to niake nim realise the seriousness of 'the. offence, and it is-to bo hoped tho Woodville J'ockoy Club will remove the'disqualification at'its . first meeting. ' ' . I would like ; to yontil,ato a v matter,, Mr. Editor; which possibly has never been mado public in the Press,', and which further instances the need of capable men for the positions advocated. For some time past, one of our most capable handicappers (undoubtedly . with. tho intention of purifying the sport) has been allegedly accused of making it a habit of picking out competitors,' which, in his opinion, are. only "out for an aiding." Tho gentleman in quostion would be perfectly right in doing s», but when he personally makes inferences to the horsemen who have ridden theso alleged i ''non-triers," it will .bo agreed that an°in-.l justice is done the horsemen by the absenco of stipendiary stewards, and,that they (tho horsemen) are perfectly within their rights when they wish -to" know what position tho handicapper referred to holds, and whether ho has the right to riiake inferences without them .(the. horsemen)' having any redress whatever. We cannot doubt that there-is crooked ■ running, but it is quite possible for all sports to bo mistaken at times. As a further instance of the noed of stipendiary' stewards, it is said that even our most able judgo -put a "question" to the rider of one of the competitors on his return to the : paddock at Woodville.' . : Those instances may help to. point out tho' accusations thrown at owners, trainers; and horsemen without onquiry, and I trust, that' I am doing a justice to all three, besides tho goneral sporting public, by bringing under' the notice of racing clubs the immodiato noed for the appointment of stipendiary stowards—mon who will bo capable of judging when a horso is. not allowed to do'his best, and men whoso integrity and sense of justice will provide for tho treatment of' : wrong-doors one and all alike. Until the appointment of such a tribunal, the sport will not bo clean, and those closely connected with tho sport in the Dominion shall always bo "undor a cloud"—l am, etc., ; E. G. SUTHERLAND. Sporting Press .Gallery. Palmerston.North, December 7.

THE OF WOMEN. Sir,—l thing I am right in : saying that never in the history of Now Zealand has a judge' or magistrate been known to sentence a girl or a woman to bo flogged. Practically tins .is what the Hon. Georgo Fowlds has dono to the unfortunate girl at tho To Oranga Home. For a Minister of our supposed humane Government to do such a thing must surely bo looked upon with amazement by every humane man and woman' in this Dominion. All through this lainentablo opisodo it seems to bo one sidod, i.e., the public, has only hoard the' Minister's and tho matron's version. Not a word has boen heard of the unfortunate girl's version. Why not have a fair enquiry, and hear both sides. I vonturo to predict that this matter, at the. next election, will he the canso of wiping out of political existonce, for all time, the Hon. Georgo Fowlds, and quito right too. Thanking you in anticipation.—l am, etc., P.D. Wellington, Dccombor 6. UNIVERSITY QUESTIONS. Sir, —Your loader of to-day dealing. with "University Quostions'' is an indication—of which wo have had many of late—that our methods of University education, and particularly that of examination for degrees, have got to justify themselves if. thoy are to be coutinuod. If 0110 could believo with you that "no sounder reason for a change has .been put forward than the objection that the present

system amounts to an unpatriotic insinuation that the body of Now Zealand graduates cannot furnish competent examiners for degrees," the case might very well go by default. Though I have taken some interest in tho question, it is the first time that I havo seen this argument put forward, and, fearing that the public may como to the conclusion that agitation for reform is based on so ridiculous a ground, I ask you to publish some of the many arguments that have been brought against the continuance of tho presont system. (1). It restricts the length of our University session. I (2). It entails a double series of examinations, with their dotrinjental effects on students' health. (3). It entails a long period of suspense before results are known. (4). It divorccs tho teaching and examining -functions. (5). It moans a lower standard than a local test. (6). No other University—certainly none of roputo—adopts a similar system. i (7). Tho degrees J1.1i., Ch.B., LL.13., A.0.5.M., and the practical part of scientific dogrees are wholly or in part examined within the Dominion. , (8). There is.no indication of a "Homo" examination on a New Zealand diploma, and fow people, either within or without the Dominion, know by what methods dogrees aro awarded. The public judgo by the graduates, not by the diplomas. (9). Tho present system is the most serious barrior to what you advocate, and what is of first-rate importance to the University and community, viz., first graduate research. (10). Wo should no more fashion our educational standards aftor those of England alone than we should our political, social, or economic ideals. I'o suggest a substitute for the present system is no doubt rendered more difficult by the fact that we havo four colleges, but a hoard of examiners, composed of tho professors in any subject (with assessors if necessary), would probably meet the case. This difficulty has not been insuporablo in medicine, law, mining, etc., and ivliy should it bo in arts-and science? '

I think you arc probably too hard on our pass degree. It is, 110 doubt, based 011 a standard that might well be raised, but it is certainly higher than thu pass degrees of some British Universities, that, in the popular mind at least, are beyond the impertinoncp of criticism by a New Zealand graduate. I am, etc., T. A.'HUNTER. Wellington, December 9. [Mr. Hunter's presentation of what is presumably the full case against tho existing system really demonstrates the literal correctness of our argument that "110 sounder reason',' has boon put forward, for a change than the objection which wo cited—an objection, we should add, familiar to half a generation of students. To tai<o his objections seriatim: (1) thcro is 110 demand for a longer University session; (2) this is an objection, not to the personnnl of tho examiners, but to the double sories of examinations (College and University) which will remain unloss tho G'ollcgo examinations are morged in those of the University, which may or may not be desirable; (3) the "suspense," though possibly a trial to somo students, is not in it-solf an.argument relating to the systom; (4) tho divorce of tho teaching and examining functions is tho virtue of the present system, as it makes the examination a test, not of skill in -cramming "points," but of knowledge; (5) a simple assortion,,which yo meet with an assertion to the exactly opposite effect; (6) Mr. Hunter himself shatters his sixth objection bv his subsequent admission that wo are not hound to copy foreign examples; (8) everyone whose interests are affected knows ' "by what mothods degrees are awarded." We cannot perceive tho relevance ofjMr. Hunter's 9th objection, but wo admit that his sevonth contention has some weight as evidence of an inconsistency in . tho present system. But Mr. Hunter will realise that perfect consistency may be achieved by abolishing local examinations for the degrees lie mentions. Wo aro glad to note that ho endorses our complaint of the, poorness of the standard, of the pass degree.] ■ ■

Sir, —I have road with interest your article on tho above subjGsfc, -and 1 trust that since you liavo given such prommeneo to the'etmsorvative side of tho subject you will admit to your columns a statement of tho less conservative views—inadequate though the statement bo. On tho second and third points raised by Mr. Von Haast, and mentioned in your article, there can be 110 two opinions; there is no doubt that tho .matriculation standard is ridiculously low;' whilst the junior scholar should certainly be allowed some credit for having passed an examination in which tho papers are, with the exception of those in mathematics and tho sciences, at. least' equal to tho B.A. pass standard. With regard to the v system of having degree examinations conducted by examiners in the United Kingdom, .thero arc, howovei - , two opinions. Tho agitation against this system, which has, as you state, been going 011 for many years, has been more than intermittent; it has been continuous. Yon stale . that no reason lias been put forward in favour of the change sounder than the argument that tho present system is a reflection 01, New Zealand graduates. All those who' have, been in touch with University affairs for tho past few years, and, indeed, those who know only so much of them as can he gathered from reports of University Senate

meetings, will recollcct that there have been some arguments advanced in favour of the reform 1 which are sounder than that quoted above. In support of tho present system, you arguo that the employment of English examiners adds to the respect held for the. degreo.; This must bo most emphatically denied. The public—or tho majority of them —know nothing as to the personnel of the degree examiners. How,'indeed, could tlioy learn it? > They could not do so from the diplomas given, nor from the University statutes.. And if they could, few of'them would bo any wiser. 'Take your own example, Dr. ltouth. lam sure that, even amongst students thomsclvcs, there are at least soventy in ovcry hundred who have never heard of Dr. Ilouth. Also the degrees granted after examination by local examiners are hold in just as high esteem as those examined for at Homo. Tho LL.B. degree is not despised, 1 bccauso tho majority of the examinations for it are conducted in New Zealand; nor isithe local degrco of Bachelor of Medicine considered as of less value than ail M.B. gained at llomo. Again, -tho alleged safeguard against variations and innovations, and against fads, is equally valueless.- Anybody who will take tho. trouble to read a few examination papp.rs for succceding years cannot fail to notice the variations as well as innovations. As for fads, any student who has sat for degree examinations can testify to-the value of "cramming" the particular fads and faucios of the examiners for tho year.

The chief requirements for an examination body are: —(1)' A sufficiently high standard of knowledge; and (2) impartiality. The existence of the first in New Zealand may bo inferred from your own article; whilst the second i is not non-existent here, and would not bc ; undiscovcrable oven if the present system i of candidates writing under codo names .were not in vogue. Further, tho teaching of a subject is far greater than tho examining; and if there are resident in this country men who are, and whom the publio know to bo capablo of teaching University subjects,, men to whose teaching students owe a large measure of any success they may gain in examinations, tliero arc assuredly men who are capablo of undertaking tho less important task of examining.—l am, etc., TJNDEIIGIIAD. Wellington, December 9, 1907. (Several of tho points referred to in "Undergrad's" letter are mentioned in our footnote to Mr. Hunter's letter. We do not go. tho lengthi of saying that a New Zealand JjL.B. dogreo is despised—far from it; but wo cannot, on tho other hand, go tho length of 'our correspondent in admitting that tho New Zealand degree of Jf.li., or that of LL.J3., is copsidored of equal value with tho same degree' obtained at Home.)