LETTERS TO EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 13

LETTERS TO EDITOR.

PAID CRICKETERS. Sir,—l read a letter in your columns this morning from MfT(J. Q'TMahony, in which; this gentleman disowns tho authorship of a letter you published yesterday signed "Globo." I may now confess that I am the author of tho "eJjejieV letter, and my reason for writing it was to draw Mr. Mahony into the discussion, if possible. Now that I havo succeeded, I will ask- Mr. 'Mahony what, ho thinks of-a man who claims payment from the. association for ''lost time" on account of Boxing Day when the firm that employs thisTnan would not havo paid wages for Boring ~Day ordinary course of events, .or, as an alternative, if tho employing firm'ddes-pay'forVßoxing.Day, then, whether tho'.efnployco happcned..tg,~„bo: in Civristchurch he would still, be paid, so whore doos tho "lost timo" "for, this particular day como in? I trust'that Mr. Mahony will not,be;too..inodest'td;comc forward with an;',answcr,:;to:: I .tho';abovo"'in view of tho fact ithat '■her states--he is not afraid to append his-name to any he holds on this interesting subjcct.-rl' am; I*°"'. ■■•■■.'. ,'L:;.,:;.'.-.-.:':;-..i i ,.:eeogh^i^ ' January 21. ■-''■*■•<'■ -■.'■■> -i.i.ui.'j ,;;.■•>.:;. .; THE TIMBER TRADE/'; Sir,—The' leading article in the-" Lyttoltort Tfmes ■"■ stating that tho .whole timber trade, from sawmilling tb-.tb ( e.,.wprk. flf..the architect, is manipulated pn .trust, lines /is;' as faras the sawmillers,,'are'concerned,', absolutely true. There is not'-ii'Country settler''in"the". Dominion who ■ \ithat "nearly every sawmill in-thus ;country,;isf<:ontrolled by a ring, trust; of .'combine.'. .'.'Tnere : is "no I secreey observed about.:it"j. the. name,' ofVthe trust is,the Sawmillers' Association;, If, that is not a ring, I should, very much- like to know what constitutes one. • If .you. have any doubt about it,.just. send. one.of- your .staff up the line..,tfl l ,Na.piej,'.,,^)l l him l _to : note the huge stacks wißg rotting at the different sidings.along 'the. 1in0,., askhim to interview' the sawmill "owners',, and endeavour to buy any or all of. that tirnber at; one. penny below the association, rates, and see what he 'will be told. Let him go to Mangatera Railway Station; there ho will, see thousands of..feet".of .good. timber,;,lying idle .right; in the middle, .pf, tho,; government lands for settlement. ~Th_cre aro-;scores' of settlers who tray.' that'-'tinffaerH'd.'build' houses for themselves,' if •,they'i'.,'c'6,'uld;.get it at a ,' reasonable p,r,iQe,;.,withjn., l .their means, but they cannot : afford ttho-ekcossiveVprieo which the.sawmillef'.is compellc'd'.'by th'e.asso-. ciation to' charge .1 reckon, sir','that timber is like any other necessary; article ,of trade, and is govornod '. by' the same laws.-'-.; There must come a point whe.-i ft becomes. unsaleableVJnot. because there is no demand,',.h)it;bec,ause.'the price is,beyond the,purchasing,power'of the consumer. I sawmiller-'myself,' and know what it costs';to cut timber.. ;Frpm' what I can gather, .the: wages. now are no higher than- when.-I;-was in the trade.'.The lowest I paid was 9s. a.day,:my head benchniari'got ilss., andiso" on in!,proportion, and I used. to think .I:.was..doing,: very well if I got Bs, per 100 ft. for. my timber. "• I .'admit,' sir, that every, sawmill'er. :has'. a "'right.'.to. charge what ho like.s.,f.or;his,pwn>.goods,,.but; when v he trios to.,compel mo to-jbuy: from him-by stopping anyone else'..'from* supplying me with a cheaper", articlo,.,tlieV.l, .think,';;;!, have a right : to speak;;out... ,1- will, now con-, cludo by asking again if tho Sawmillers',Association is not a ring,. trust, 'or.'combine in the .fullest..■'ao'ceptatio^/.pf:.^nsr i ;^6rds,V- , .<heii -what constitutes one?,'; Perhaps, sir,-you 'or some of yoiir: ; rodders will kind]jr *= enltgh'tenme.—l am, etbi, : r '. TE AC H E RS' S.UPE RAt|NUAJION f UND. ;; , Sir,—Teachers whoVaio -member's iof-'-the'.-Teachers' Superannuation. l f uud,.rin : a'ccord-' : ancowith tho provisions of ..tho;Superannuation Apt of 1905, have, to deqido -in; a-short; under-.the, fund of 1905 ith'e'Jnew; fund, in. pro visions .-"of the: rublio Service'; Classification and Super-"; .ariuuation Amendment;Act) -passedlast.year.ter to,determine what to doj-asiii both'funds'' there- aro several important regulations-which call for further explanation and clearer defi-' nition.. Several .-teachers,-,tp;,-my 3 knowledgehave already partmeut to get .its; interpretation !of some of these debatable ;pojntSj- but .havo; received no further than thecusual. reply that, theso matters .*r6, ; -undef. consideration;' 1 Though more thai! tliree 'month's have passed • since the passing. : -.0f..-,.t1t6, noft';: 'Aot; nothing, has been done'either by'tho-Superannuation -Board or tho'Teachefs'.;- Institute"to throw ■ ■light on those ■difficulfciee.-.v; Many I'teaohers. I know feci that' l tlie.. : institute' has certainly, been exceedinglyn-omiss in this matter... The. following aro a .ifftv,; of ■ tho questions that, I.think should; b& anfewofed:— . •■. ! : .(I)'.According-toj-fieotion 8 of Clause 12 of tho scheme of ISOS-.an -original member's: period' of ; ■ servioe' -.will ■'also'.- include all the'' years of his service„pi , ior : Jto.tho..commenceT; ment of the.Act^r-vyhat,l;:6hould,like-Jo;, know is whether- his -sorvice- (if cany) ; - as.- a' pupil teacher counts as-i-ar-parti-of ihisi'ser-; vice ' under.':the old -scheme? '■£<•?"'''{'. ''.'■?■ '■'. (2) .If an: original • memberi'sofr-V the-loid' scheme; comes; under.itho .now,.:sohe'me,'.will, his service as a .pupiil.-.teacher.ipmor 't'o-Tthb', commencement of the: Act.ofjl9.os-.ba','taken, as forming a part. ; .qf-his -back; -service uuder. the Act of la'styearP"-';-: —-■'■■ .- v \ [■'"'. '' : (3) If an original contvibutor..,to: the oldfund joins the'neyj will'any;.ofl.his 'service.' prior to .tho beghjnuigvof; 1878: bo: .reokojuja; as a -part of. his-,;bapk< serviee-?,"-":: ■;'•;• { .' ;I. trust that' tho .'.teachers' -ropre'sentaiiives on' thcSuporannuatiQii: Board .will,recognise: that it is a p'art..o{;;their:duty..,.to .see'th'at : the comparative advantages-of <both : tlio old and new funds are-made clear-to, teachers; in" order that, they;may.be.',able - :.t0.-,decido 'whicK' scheme to amy etc.*, ':.-:.';;' ;i *'-"?' '.'.< ': 'bfiiOTAij^iEiißßß;;:'

; ; paid cricketers; ,-.:;':. X: ' Sir,-fAiter all -the talk; ; gossip, and ' report-upon the question,of salary, wages/ pay or recompense to-;, our "flannelled> fools",—in'-the"! course of which somo-of your r eorrespOii'deiits> have condemned, -.blamed, ■■ reproveoV-"disap--proved, and CMMufed the professional element' on 'the one hand, 'whilst'otliersliave! oured to justify, excuse,' -.exonerate,; and : fend the practice existing oiitho other I would like to gently call your ottdntidn ~ta> ' the fact that the original' suojeet'l'mtfodiTced' --the Plunket been 1 " carefully 1 overlooked.'/ Absolutely, no' good -can;, possible como.of!throwing:.mud^at'the pro-amateur.'- . The/subject has been: opened,- and public at-tention"-has been drawn; to it,-so it is' fairly" safe to assume thattherewill'be no further payments made by; our- cricket' association -to these playors,- especially, as ono of'your correspondents v-mites''....that : the .players.,; fare iiot on_ the make:" '-The-Cricket'Association., met this week, and'the members'said: "How do you do" toeach other. No business was done, and, after a "smoke ho," the members having wished one another "Good-night," went home. Now, I think impossible that an' injustice has been done. to ; this, well-meaning, > generous, semi-bankrupt body. Perhaps.the association is unawar6 : .of tho existence of tho Plunket Shield I This being possible, could yon not arrange for a deputation to wait upon it at an early date to-point out. that tho crioketers of Auckland, whioh is situated on Waitemota Harbour, -hold a'- shield which. Lord Plunket presented for competition. Tho deputation could, explain the .terms upon; which the shield is held,;and.it is:possible tho members of our association would be just as interested to hoar .'alKAbbut, this shield as boys aro when they, start-reading fairy tales. —I am, etc, '..-■,. ;.. ,: ..-! - : J ' ■ BOODLE.' THE RULE OF THE ROAD. S'- Sir,—l was greatly interestetl By your articlo on the "ltulo'.of'the.'Rpdd" in. your . issue of Saturdays, January. 18; but I, think that the London "Field"; might have given a clearer, and 'shorter explanation' of ■ the subject. If A is going in one direction, and ' 13 in the opposite, each on hisown, or left : side of tho roady.thonjf G'is following.A, '• .and wishes to pass.him, ,pf coursp :he,.niust : sworvo out from his; left "sid'o of J the road, to ,i do,so; but in 60 db'iiig'_';h'(i lia's'"no jightto -i iuterfero with otliekfsjwli6'aro' I c6toing in 'the s oppositedireotion^and,who are on;their own ( sido of the road.. .It'is,''therefore; * clearly. ' C's duty to watcH''Ms''6ppQrtunity I >and not' 1

attempt : \to, overtake-' A" unless the road is clear for him to do so.-: '••Biit.it is chiefly' to' another point that .■'•-'- I wish to draw attention. Some drivers of vehicles seem to be under the impression that ■■'■'. a pedestrian has no right on the roadway,.; ; bnt.';'sho'uldr.clear. ,'put of - tkoYway of any "V vehicle approaching him. This is especially the case with drivers of motor-cars. They give a hoot, as much as to say "Scoot!" And : we geno'raily;.do"Eoqot; hnt if wo did not they ',' have no right to run over us. The pedestrian -._..' has just as much' right on the roadway as a man on horseback, or in a vehicle; or ruthor" ; more, • as'.-he 1 has a right to oross from one side of the road to the other, through tho : traffio, which a vehicle has no, right to do, unless' wheii_ turning off the road, into a gateway, etc/' Besides, 'supposing'the pedes-'.-;"': trian is' deaf," or' lame, or stumbles in his fright, the-motor-oar must take care not to injure him;,-,-;'- Strange to say, I have just come aoross an extract from a,late number - of "The -.World's News," as follows: —" A dog ,: has as miioh right in'the road-as a human ' being,"-.declared the ClerkenweU County :. '- Court Judge recently, "and'drivers of ve- .' hides must.uso as much, care to avoid run-; .riing them down. A, driver has no right, after seeing a dog, to drive on, thinking it. will - : clear him." In a case in which a dog had; : . been injured by a cart the Judge awarded £10,10s'. damages'. "•.:.'.'-•■ , In.;this connection I might mention that if the rule-of the footpath were made the sains'as tho rule of tho road; that is, "keep .to the left," it would greatly lessen; the. number of accidents in the road, and there would-be less confusion on the footpaths. But : • this subject requires a letter to itself, which \ I will forward, later on.—l am, etc., • January' 18. s\[\.. \ THE' SAFE SIDE. ''~

'' THE HEMP INDUSTRY. '■ Sir,—There would hardly appear; to bo any industry throughout ;the Dominion" ( about which people kuow less and wrjte more than the above, and a letter like the one which appears in your issue of January.2l, under the pen-name' "Flaxmillor," shows a lament; 'able'ignorance of the correct state of affairs at present existing in the trade,-,or a deliberate desiro'to place the organised labour employed therein in as unfavourable a light as possible before tho public, I trust that your well-known sense of fair : play-will allow us to voice pur side of the; question, sup.ported as we are by the recent' emphatic public'- utterances" of two"of the; leading mill-, era, : in ■ the 'Msnawativ;. ■; . - ;' : ' Your- correspondent complains of the industry', being strangled by the' award. If. this ftrc'o'rrect; how. is:it that- wo nave all tho mills' nihning';in ."tho Manawatu, whilst many in the Waikato, Southland, and Otago . are closed down ? He then, proceeds -to'-state, with;a recklessness .which;.almost:commands, one's' admiration; that .men who\,are, : "totally •■unfit- f foriphysieal-'hard work" a're'paid Bsi a, ■ dayv--when;l.'say hiori,-' they" -are'bnly:lads, : and';the wages riin to. 12s. a day." .:; This misstatement is so glaring as to hardly re-' quire correction.- '"Flaxmillor's" contempt for the award must be so great'as .to.-make; Kim leave it unread, or he:would have seen that,he could, according to.Clause 5, employ "more lads", at, the -following 1 scale;—lh_ ; to 17-years, 16s. per week; 17 to 18' years, 205.; 18:; to 19 years', 255. ;,19 tb:2o years, 305, : ; 20 to. 21;: years," :85s. ;; Ho can also', obtain the "to_t'ally-unfit";'a't; a wage commensurate with their abilities, "such a..contingency.-being fully' provided;for in Clause 9, with- is, sub'clauses .A: tb;'E,; If your correspondent;has mislaid; his-copy, of .the award L' shall; be, ; pleased.to post one'tohim upon, application.' ■If, upon the other hand,; he has one by .him,' it\is small ;matter for' surprise. ; that a,man; who is- either;too indifferentor. to'o,;c'areless to : •keep himself' au fait with existing conditions of. things"''should;bo .clamouring la's';'he ;doea for "the .State to'aniiex..;his,mill,;,an.d'presum-' ; .'ablyrrun-it,upon more'.'business-like-;^lines -than ho. is -able .t0... .; ,- i; -;;"",,;. : -";;;;;

"But .the views- of your correspondent re.garding.the industry; are not those held by .-tho;;most successful'millers.: .'Writing to the "AucUahd-,"Weokly:.'Ne\vs'4','on Noyember. 26, ,1908, Mr. Alfred.SeifertiiWhoni we, may fairly ;claimias the most up-to-date and progressive ■ miller in tho .Dominion, said: "The' men very ;rightly: claim .that the cost of- living .great that; they.:can hardly live'.'":"As regards. •;wage3,".:it'-. is 'not; 'Bb.'muoh; a' question of ;how: : muoh a man'gets; per; week,-as of the. necessities and comforts that he'ean'get for >his.':money.-": ;In i; a:-eonversation : with a: representative of : the "Mahawatu;Times" : last week, he amplified .tho foregoing as follows: :"Alarge%umber of.millers lilame the award for. a; lot of their difficulties,' but ho thought: 'they;were' wrong in this,-beoause there was no award.in Auckland, Otago, or Southland. And tho award would make very little differ-'' onco here, as theinenhad to pay highly for house rent and,other necessaries, and-must '■'therefore-' command '.a . wage ' commensurate: '.with\tHoir;;oxpen'se's,;and could not'be'. ,expected"to •.wo.rfcfor Joss.".-... Thero .you have' the vjew?l'of. avrtiller who;has literally "been ;thrpugh'.the; nrjll'Vfrpm one end-totho other,: and'who;at' the sanio time cannot of.ncces-' -sity bo in too much "sympathy with the workers.;' Sandwiohod in "between these two oriiticisms.of labour.cohditiohs we have a speech made '< by Mr;- J. : R. Stansell at-.'Lovin, one ;of our-veteran,'millers, wherein; he laid his fingerwitli.startling-directness.upon the-real oauso-of'the-existing position—the : ridicul-. -ou'slyhigliproyaltyVcbarged by owners of green ■ leaf:.. Ho claimed that tlio sad death of one, rriiller. was' directly duo to this,' :oharaoterised, ;the ruling: rates. as -"robbory,'.' ;,and' wound 'up by the statement that there was no. hope fpr the.trade until drastio-.mpasures;. were; .taken: and-in the- fact .'of; publicly, expressed; faots::uike these,' -' "Flaxmillcr". whines", of;. ■; strangulation-<b"y -the- Qtoyernniont 1 •-,-';;

- V I leave t-bo -first -part of his'letter to .be dealt with by Mr. Fulton, to whom it refers, ! and who .has: more details at his disposal to ■ -scarify the inaccuracies jvith which the letter .is bristling. .. If ypujLcorrespondent'has tlis' ~ .'courage of his opinions, let i him lay aside his , Jnqrn ,do .plumo,' m ■ that,, the general public gauge . tha . comparative- value or his ' ideas- as against those . of the two genuine ,flaxmiUers whom I have quoted—l am, cte., _ ; , PERCY T. ROBINSON, gecrQtary. ;Mabawatu VlTlaxmills Employees' tJnion.' '" \ ■ \ — .. 7 EASTBOURNE SAND DRIFT. ■ Sir,-—l'.se'e that "Sandy" is asking what the" Eastbourne Borough Council is - going to; ' do tt>. stopping the sand drift at. !' Muritai;;.. Surely suoh a question is unneceß- ■ manner, 'inwhi6li - such inatters' ai street lighting, ; ! ftaterT Md/.other.' public. utilities are ' handled hj this., most progressive and well advertised body.—l ajji, otc., i . MAC.