LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 261, 28 July 1908, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

GOVERNMENT VALUATIONS. A CHALLENGE TO THE PREMIER. Sir, —In a Wellington 'paper of July 25, Sir Joseph Ward is reported as having said, in his speech on the Financial Statement in tho House:—"Was there a man who would sell his property at tho valuation?" I beg to state that I, for one, am prepared to sell my freehold st the Government valuation—a sum between £500 and £600. Will the Government purchaso at their own price? I shall considor it a good sale. Trusting that business may result.—l am, etc., FREEHOLDER. July 27. P.S.—My name and address are enclosed. MAORIS AS DOMESTIC SERVANTS. Sir,—ln these clays of " interested " journalism it is more than refreshing to find a noblo paper like The Dominion, which has tho courage of its convictions, and is capable of originality, even to its unique ancl appropriate title! I am glad to sco that you oppose the proposition of Lady Stout and others to train Maori girls as domestic servants. These ladies, though animated by a worthy purpose, have not looked any further .than the present, and the far-reaching offccts of such a course have been.ably'touched upon by Mr. Ngata, M.P. If the Maori race is to be saved from extinction, intermarriage with tho whites must bo prevented, and I trust the Maori members will realiso the seriousness of this question, and introduce legislation to prevent tho clergy from uniting tho Maoris in matrimony with any but their own race. The fate of tho unfortunate half-castes is. well-known —that sooner or later they fall victims to tho-white man's plague—consumption. The'introduction of Maori .girls into European families as domestics would undoubtedly alienate them from' their ,own people, and enormously increase intermarriage with the whites. Every such marriage means one more Maori family has died out.—l am, etc., ■ SAVE THE MAORI. Auckland, July 19. AN ASYLUM COMPLAINT ANSWERED. Sir,—l notice in your paper to-day that some kind person, signing himsolf "Sympathiser," is complaining about tho patients at tho asylum • not sufficient lires this cold weather.. Now,' it is .very kind of any person to interest himself on behalf of those m our Mental Hospitals, or any of our public institutions; but this good person does not know what fires thero are going for tho comfort of the patients: if ho did, ho most certainly would hot have writton to the paper complaining that there aro not enough fires. I have been visiting Mount View and Porirua continually for years, and ladies'and''gentlemen who, go with mo can bear out tho statement that there are always plenty of fires during tho cold weathor. They aro not lit because those in chargo know I am coming, for no oho ever knows that: in fact, I do not lnlow oftimcs'when I am going myself, until a few minutes before I start. Now, there aro a great many people who visit thoir friends; at our asylums, and this is the first complaint that has over been, made regarding fires. In Porirua, there aro about GOO patients, and in Mount Viow nearly 300, and amongst tho many thero are some who do i|ot caro .to take advantage of tho fires.—l am, etc., .. E. ARNOLD, - > July 24. . Official Visitor. THE CENTRAL MISSION—ITS Y/ORK. : Sir; —W|ith your permission I should bo glad to call attention to an advertisement appearingin your columns regarding tho Central Mission. Somewhere about three years' ago tho Wellington Central Mission' in its anxiety to do something for disoharged prisoners established a homo for samo at Malcara, and after a continuance of somo months, through, lack of'public support, had to ceaso'operations. ; Liabilities incurred in connection therewith to tho amount of £250 made it necessary for'us to tako out a second mortgago for that, amount on our property in' Herbert Street, and in stating theso facts our collector, Mr. J. M'Quade, is quite right. I should be glad also with your permission to place a few facts concerning our mission work beforo tho public. Wo have not a magnificent- edifice, but wo have a homely hall and cheerful lot of workers. Somo time ago. now thero canio into our midst a stranger' from over the sea; by namo Mrs. Wertheim, and tho result of her mission in our midst has been wondorful, our Mission to-day being more prosperous and fully given up to the work of rescuing the poor and. fallen than ever beforo.

Soma of the critics of your paper are sadly at sea concerning there being no poverty in Wellington, Let any citizen coino into our hall on any Sabbath evening to our strangers' tea and their ■ minds will bo cured of that fallacy for ever. - To quote one case only Us recently_ as Sunday week last a lady and her little child attracted by advertisement to our strangers' tea confessed that she had not tasted food since the previous Tuesday till that Sabbath evening. This is by 110 mfeans ~an isolated case,and whilst wo aro asked 'sometimes whatis the good of rclioving a few when so many aro wanting wo can only reply wo' have dono what wo could. ■ If wo cannot reach all; we can at least do what wo,can. We know full well that undeserving cases wo will get, but wo do our best to prevent "sponging." . The work dono. by the Mission Baud is well-known to alj,- and needs little comment. On. Sunday with Government subsidy iddotl the sum 1 of £9 12s. was raised for tho Hospital by a performance thcro for tho'bonefit of the patients, and as tho band plays there as nearly as possible once every four weeks you can'easily understand a year's collections must .help .that'institution considerably. _ In', conclusion, I should like to say that in connection with our tea for tho poor and friendless on Sundays,. grocers, butchers,' bakers, etc., have come to our help magnificently, and in God's name and for His sake wo- thank them all. In these days iv,hen bo much discussion is taking placo ctmcerning. Socialism, etc., I.havo to admit that I cannot understand a Christianity .which will enable;men and companies to pay lind receive such: munificent salaries as, say, £1000' or £1500. with any degree of satisfaction, when the fact is so apparent that in all such firms and - companies aro mon not receiving a living, wage, and these with those who aro-not working at all aro daily growing more discouraged in their 'effort to fight life's'battle fairly and squarely. To all I should, recommend tho caroful, study oif tho I Saviour's -words 'to tho rich young man: "Sell all thou hast and givo to tlio poor," and tho promises following such a messago or direction.Tlie remedy is drastic, but tho needs much, more so. —1 am, etc., F. W. DREDGE, Secretary Central Mission. . July 27.