LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

: : -: ; ;vC-.;..;-:'.:; 'o.;i ''~..''■'»; . : '.'.,'. ' '.■■ " ' ;; : : . x '. THE;CAuSATION ; ANb:TREATMENT OF, ' ■:■;-:; v;.P A .NCER.:,:, r:: I-.'.'- v .\ ■ : v Sir,—\Vitli ; ail: duo'resp'ept'to' tho 'officiai \opmibn :of; Dr.? Lazarus Barlow, director ofijthe Cancer Laboratories in' connec-. ■:-tie^yitH^-.\!Th>.ilmporial'.\\Cancor\ l s?™3i'^'th^;tho':causo;,land thereforb■- tho ■ ; P ur e,',pf::,cancerVis!:unkiidwn J 'I;; prpforl';:to tbpposito opinion" of Hobwt lato/sonior physician to_ ; ;tha Glasgow; Hospital; for: Women, with vwhom. this .fell disease;:has been a life Etudy. and observation.' lOur'moral instincts'.rise up against-the;: conception -of a Supreme Kuler ; who Vifould -inflict so; soycro a scourgo and yet: cleave us utterly, perplexed and ignorant why, : and .;h6w,, also, it:could: be- ovoidedj just as :.they ; would against.a father who unmercifully, thrashed-his son.Mthbut telling, him for what and whoreforp heVso punished him; : I :olaim no mado no ex- .' tensive. acquaintahce'-iwithv:icancer , ' medical' :.:lifeTature,';but';;it.:hai..been;one of; my life ;'sorrows to have lost Beveral.licar/relatives ..from cancerjv.'to.,Hoye known bt-ber victims, ;,and to;.havb : had onbease-pf'oral cancer from : I tobacco: empking iiii my bwn■■■ dontal. practice uliEngland , ;:and.therefore; to.have- Seen-com-:.polled to think anxiously iupon its- causation -andfprevontibni amp dental condition of tho cotton Operatives' ifbut throughout Lancashire/;; compelled me ; to '^ u %.the. ; ' ; 'Pegenoracy - and Preservation of ■■ publish-m.1877 in a'small ; jplumefunder that as :tpxthe:caus9.;and.vbreventive':;treatment, of :dental disoaso.'^hat'was that : ::conclusio;iP • It-was precisely the samo. as ,"that: to'which ;. 1; nave, oepn, led an regard io cancer, and was ; e ?pressed!in- the. following .words:— ■■' ': : '' ' like them:they originate in • t! W L }7, Ahygiemb: ,surroundings and violations' ,of..iiaturariawirandVtheir arrest and.removal! ■cannot, be, acepmphshed to any,'adequate ox■,tent,v i by.v,.professiohal'.".and-direct-treatment : alone, : howover skilful and thoughtful,, but dei : mand . the;. obsorva'ncebf general sanitary laws] . the;study pf dietetic and medicalprinciples, the ;?3^ n ;'?{/ -PMyen^^ana>y anticipatory, treatment, .the; avoidance:of:confessedrV, bad habits.: and irrational ::bustpms^in^short, a /^"rf^.-that.cburso.of,lifb.'.which'best: corii : ?P™ e . a l o MM'physical ; and,mental powers.^ , . , 1" i.5 1 ?.-«°ft c Wßipii;:-in, almost;the ! ,very;.words f ■« e^- x Pressed.; it, ■ -you :,wiil - find .confirmed ;?"-'£ r -:-#?>ert' BoU:s, brochiirc,V "The Problem P f ,'panc 6 r: ihv ; .written"for<;the protession,: yet :unrierstandable ; ,of. the. people.: •lhe' casesa;have Teforred to,vlod.nie to be- ; "? v e, -tnatf heredity.: exerted- .some occult and . long-contmued' , influencb.'in Vthe.develdpment' ■ vßarlbw,ihoweveri. ;state3,.that,the..;records::of-.8000 cases: give 'S°ip Vl i ellc ? « f /heredity..:■;Let. us turh.to Dr.lielU ;brochure.;.,at .ppens:% .affiming /that- . tlie. ; nrst,step, towards,.deliverance'-from-:the :cancer/scourgo:is./to':lift:thb::prbfession. ; from ''■wS^?*' ; * -the- helief,- that /incurable; .vyliilst, -not; regardingit:: hereditary ,i as in;s»nity.',imbecility,..epilepsy,■ and some other diseases,-he believes.it is-subjectito certain .physiological ./'inherited H the mal-infiuence, and tendency, of inherited mo'r.|)id;;.cellular.' tissues, ;and//th'at'■whether'this ;ir.nuen.ee v is ,:.co } unteracted,:;,pr/,doyelops -in 1 ?™f/M^ nto ' • cincer,"" depends':: / upon : :;Character i of;:the;:rearing,.andnf, the- ■ : it ..'these; be. natural, ■ healthful,' it will .'.be; neutralised; -if /not;-: .but: the. very 'reverse .—thea,-.-.it>.is here, : ;and in: ; theih, in the cor,.ruption,.':not>,th9simplicity:pf tastes,/in;the ; perversion;/of jn-.S vicious? indulgences,' m "dietetic.; errors,'• hi overheating • and drinking,.' in :excessive/flesh-eating; alcoholic drraking,.and smoking—in ..these, and in-the .insanitary,,; coriditiotis andririerve-exhausting ■*l f^is ,!'flf''»^ert;>«ial.>'nd-.'comme'rcial- , lifei ,we: ;.hnd:/and-: learns the . exciting- ■caßses 'of cancer.;; And : the one great object. lesson ]&-± /the.'.wisdiom'.of-: williiigv.subjectibn'to: moral law.:; For,' do we not, at'the'samenioment ; learn.;:that,':;heredity,N'-.interise , anxiety and : worry/-grief ..that/will np{;-be/comforted, /the igraspingf,strain ■■ and stress '"of 'competition. ,residence:;^/nialarial■localiflel'?irritation of. ,any;:part of/the :bpdy^as : :thp 'lip ; ;by-constant pressuroof-.a'clap b'fth'e'eltin of the' . abdomen :as': in Kashmir, by "wearing a' charcoSlMpven' round "tho waist ■ and ou r><:prireiitioW/lifD^ transgressions/of tho Jaws of lifp and health;' and;may>all be classified,as causes of cancer. ■,^ o^: these,|l-.havo.been;impelled/:tb.believe' 'that' the' two ■■ most■"potent'are , the Wo ,least ,/suspected,j.,yiz:, j ,fiesh-eating' : .aiid vacoination; .-Has'.not;the.-prevalence : 'oi} tubercular■■: dis- ■ ease; in ..cattle/; and'tho 'difficulty ;pf: obtaining, ;a;|uaranteo'.-of; healthy; animals , an ?,:P?ri;ially paralysed the supply and/con- : sumption: of ■/animal; food ?-■ -And ■ although I.am;not:aware:thatDr:'.Rpbert' I Boll.' , refers f: tb .vacSmation,:yet;no ; unprejudiced investigator can doubt that/the infection//of ,the v ■blood- . stream;:Tvrth, the :from .abSoesses ;in/ the'abdomen, of /a ; ::yariolated oalf; /which cari.-'in/a"few;-hours lay a' strong man::low,- : prpstratbiand'/swollen; /which can cover ;a, healthy.- child /with .'eniptions -'and ■throw ; :intd a feyeri.ihd/can'cbnyey erysipelas , a M'BypnilK,/*'and/can' : seWously'v affect tHb' .whole dermal:'system/-arid /.its appendages',' \M^j.aled;beVa;'roißM'-of:-'J!ai|ceri-.and.'eve'n.6f i ■ teproeyl.-. : ;\Your;,sjpace;''d<ies'':riot-;'all6w'''more. ■..■';-,■ ' i ,'^:' / 'f-.w-

What sliall.we/dbtobesayedfro'm 'caricer? lnit-; i is;,the.quesWnV.;.';Turß : 'agßin";*t6'.--])f', Kpbert; ; Bell, and ,ask; ; YWhat,his ■; answer? : He;deprecates the:surgeon's 7 operating-knifo. He : deprecates presort.: to ; radium, :oxcepV; ih certain /superficial ;:rases, : /.and: i theii.<)nly/;iri the hands .of;an..exppnericed. "expert,.-but-he unpliesHthat.if,,as-ho/believes, he ■ eauses,of cancer, he/has therein ■ a fou 'nd-rte,cure •■his answer is.ineifectj,. 'Return to Ithe Nature' ciire, , - to the -simple ..life, , :/and -'thoreby/■'secure'tho "best :conditions_for/the of that .constitutional: vital .force/the; 'vis'medi-.catnt-naturae,'., given" in some/'measure' : to' eyery.;man, ;throwing i; off• disease, and the full and harmoniousi- functional aetivity,.of all thb'organs." : Tho'mod-' ern.sanatonum treatment of .consumption is based.uppn.and.followsthissano sumed;.that tho: same/■natural Jmethod ttiU' M/pursucd at/the; one'or more "cancer;de- : partments_'-.that may; be established'in nection mth .the. chief /hospitals of "this Do--■mimou. It would,,however, I submit,.'be a huge/blunder to/devote;tho £7000 or morb tn^may^bo,available ..from tne abolition' of tne:t>tate,yaccination' establishment,to/ "can--tho ;aolQ'editor:of :."Tho' -Zbc-phil- ■ ;.; of/: "the ; ReseS .^nd^uthonties)^^ffills/ s :by research", yiyiscction;/'and nothing-else and .OTthout, making and independent investigations as; to the cause and cure d evote weary years to torturmfi • numberless helriltssanimnlo , m vi, il.-i

■; wg ::uumoenesß neimess , animals, with tHis ;;.promgiotis:resuit, that they had 'proved the H disease: could be transferred from'one animal ;;■ tp .another h. Surely : the^strilring^success of ~ : the .Nature cure". • treatment -of cohsump- ■■■■; tjon. boars that, ."ib' is: in the order : ■:«;■ "odi ;is an assurance'■ that .similar' ; •.. Jinmanff: results will follow Svhen ■ applied td ■that:kindr.etr : but:/moro'direful-disease, can-' ■cei'l~l'am,etc;j'V ; '-' ■■■•..- ■. -.■■. ..... .-.' -.. .Hall.Street, Cambridge. , ■ '-- ~■ ■;..;' ■ ; ;^-:.May:6,igo9.v;:;: .^^.;!;;;;->:,y:\: i , • --\ "p;; TRAMWAY ANNOYANCES. ' ; o 1 ? ■ Superintoiideiit "jVoi'i 'the'■' New Etoutn 'Wales .tramways, Wlio , has .recently beenin AVellmgton,:said some nioo things of , our :eleotno: system, and no doubt N » 'great ■ deal.of;)vhat ho'said. is dossrved. 'Yet ■ our tramway systom.will stand criticism only un-':der.-:faTourab!e:circumstailces, ■ and if Mr; ■■, ( KneeshaW;Uiad?.dcsirod to catch'. the 1.20 ■ . Maiuwatu. tram .to-day-(Friday) ; ho would : havftseen how. tie groat.'syetem breaks.down provocation;- To go v into de,,tftils:,Soißotime: during ■■•thor forenoon a .7 trolly-head came off Oriental• ; Bay-fhoradon Quay; serrice—the hardest-' worked car? in- the service—and a gap was .■y caused m the running. TJivS«rtuhately this .'gap/.worked;.out: so'that, there was ';no' ; 1 .0 clock car to Thorndon and the: Manawatu 'railway.' Thorndonites /had to wait for fcho .:. 1.10, vand -this,.oar, terribly -packed : inside .'• (it was raining); arrived v a t the Thorndon station in barely sufficiont time to catch tho train. ■. Theastonishing. part has now to be t01d... The gap in the'.servico continued all ■• ?: tho afteriiopn—imagine it,: ; in our up-to-dafce city.,! At 5.10 a car is timed.to pass through ' thaoit«; bound for '. ;Thorndon. ; ■■•'. It -. never

At 5.17 a oar came, carrying tho one-'blue-light of tho Thorndon Quay cars and tho logend "Government.Station." Tho guard told .us they wore only going so far in order to pick up their, tinie-toblc. At Government station evoryorio' got out. Then an official consultotl with 'the. inotorman, who asserted stoutly that he had .to go to Thorndon as ho had passengers for the JohnsonviUe train. So the official.said, "All right," and we all, got in again and were rushed along onco more,'barely catching.the train. ' : : From . it /seems ;to mo that whohover a car:breaks down or a gap occurs, vfcho Thorndon. Quay section, suffers, and whatever, may be" said .as to tho npnpayirig. properties of this section, if it were not loaded up with empty Constable . Streot oars it would pay. These, cars run at certain hours-.ofvthe day to. the-Manawatu station, and aro' almost invariably empty, because they. .come. .by. tho desolate Jervois ! Quay route.; Every day ; it is amusing to see the Constable Street ear running empty, to tho. Manawatu station, while just behind, packed to the;trolly-pole, follows the Thorndon Quay .car, ■ which, being' a Lambton .Quay car, picks up. all the railway people; •■•■■■" Another bad;habit, indulged : in is 'that. : of the guards\running into the tramway offices tojpayjn and keeping the ear .waiting outside at ti;ain time. Then follows a wild rush over:curves'.and crossinga,: which must take six , weeks';, depreciation out. of the :car. .Surely:tho money could be paid in on the re'turn trip; .when the •car's 1 usually; wait"'two' .minutes at:the"Government Station. : '■■.."'.

'The remedies for these matters are .so simple that one' is forced ; reluctantly to the conclusion ;tnat" our tramway system runs it.self;: -Anything moro hopeless■'than ;: the -be.ivildermenji; of the-tram'.roon when anything unforeseen occurs cannot be imagined, There iscems to be-no head to;step_ .in and rearrange things so 'that such .important /cars as, lunch and train /cars are not out out of the ;' ti-me-tablo. ■'• ■ There • seems to ■:..•■ be any amount of red tape,. and never a sign of= brams._:: Possibly, the new Mayor: wilTdo something in: the direction of. placing "the time-table'in the hands of a traffio manager whoso sole aim will be to'cater for the wants of the public. .The tramways engineers are' admittedly gentlemen of high qualifications, but it Is recognised the whole , world.over that.an.engineer, thinks first of the machine, and afterwardsi .of the public convenience. : Why. should Thorndon Quay be .thus subjected :.to -tedious annoyances, while Brooklyn wallows m-a surfeit.of cars? ■ Not votes surely not .votes!—l am,'/etc., '■':'■•.■■. •>' '■ ';.&> j ; ■■'■ ■:-' h y\:\'S'^--' : - ; CONDENSER. ' ;, May 7.;.:--/;;:.;.:..;.;'.x .?,. \;;■/".••.■;■.•■.•■• ■■'■ }' THE PRIME MINISTER'S POLICY -SPEECH. ■.-,- .•■.-.. ■' - : •■iSirr-ThePrime. Minister, = in', his , ! "policy speech" :aVlnvercargill; told -his audience that the "financial .operations of the Railway .Department''for, this year• have been ;very satisfactory,".: and -ho '.said that they •shewed "an. inorease of £167,588;"- r ; -■;This- statement , may'bo true'-..as regards gross: increase'of-revenue, but '.Sir' Joseph :taile4. to state that : our ■ railway' working exponies o up to February 27 only'had increased ;±.135,894,;and.he also'failed to state that the gross.revenue; wsb largely.-. increased by the GovernmentHaking over the earnings. of the Welhnetpn-Manawatu Company. . This- would certainly be- not 'less than another £40,000 He-also.failed:-to say that the interest pay- , auto on /the •- capital cost' of '■ bur railways will bembrp than another. £80 000 ' So what becomes of: his "very satisfactory" ;,morease? -. Increase.of what—loss? ■.. ; ■'■ ..-:The ; sooner .our.citizens wako up arid look :mtp_our.;railw»y .•finances-the better. ;: It is ■my', honest conviction that they aro in' a : iworse.position than /thoseof any .other sys-tom'-in + the whole .English-speaking world:— , ;^; » :;; - ; Vv"H' : -"• V; <'•■-•■'■■'■- ■'-■ '■ SAMUEL VAILE. ■• ; ■ i Auckland,.' May 6, :1909. ..- '-<;... -w•■•-., ;;■ ;some kind friend in iWelhngton begood enough to.post to me a' copy of the , ■fo^report;. rf;,.tfce -WeUirigton-Jlanawatu-Katfway, Company Pr-S.V. : -,

AND MIS CAMPAICN/ to^tnrowl'cold^waterdn 1 W...E., I ;M;.N S b>. idea: thaf,;ho,shduld-stumo ; theccouutry.-and-preaclr-the goS of S pulsory,military; service,'-but^lTsk kbat .Bionately.vif there -is likely to" bo anv : sDecikl doubts., tho-good; intentions of Mr' M'Nab But 7i '?, *h^.■■■•:discredited prophet., ,Ho ..'.'nailed, his. colours, to the f^-^v' the;country on his new 1^^I *:.^' result'that -ho pulled doFn.theflag, nails and all; then ho stumped the iniguitous; dairy regulations, and his speeches; were not received with any conMf*; . R - : -M'Nab, who ; hid.been haloed as knew very' doubt fe^m US W e3B M' Thore is ■■liftfe preached-Ie is. clearly not the man ifofthd j0b....T0; advocate 'compulsorv. militarv sere ™ e musth a m mer a^^Chamber-

■ did ;wrth; the tiriff X .It &no use /taking dr^n JOC v- Up 'H- * andthen 'Slay. S YOl^G;. NEW' ZEALANDER.: - ; :■;■;" '■ ■ i/v I LIQHT •'WEICHJ. ' •■.'; '■ ; : .Sir,—Now that '.tiie. \ matter .of a Serious shortage in the weight of butter sold in New Zealand has/been mentioned again in your columns it .will, be interesting /to note'what steps; the'inspectors will /take. Personally i .don.t thinlcthey wilj movoin the matter H ll ? J information is laid against one or moro of the firms concerned. ;'.lf. it was a case against ii struggling miLk-seller or baker they would, take proceeding quick enouch. but large,vested.interests'! think will be too' Bacred a. subject for ./mere; inspectors to deal Jl' i w f atevor oxcuboV may be offered for tno defaulting milk-vendor,,who has to battle against-a, keen, oompatition: and cannot regulate^prices,.there.can.be none'for those in :tho butter.: rings, for they are in a position to make, their, own.' terms.. If. the Depart ment: or whoever is responsible will not compel; aU: butter.; manufacturers to give fair tho" Act dealing with weights and.measures might: as well be in the wastepaper basket, and tho whole army of highlypaid mspecto.s sent about their business — I am, etc., .' : '.;. : --,'; '.:/.: .*■-■;..•■- : -:'^ : "T:'':-' : i'' '■"■■:. ;■■ . ANTI-FRAUD. .May 8. '.; . •-•. ■/■..'■/::. ",- -.•".- .•'., .-.,' -.

TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH LIGHTHOUSES; iJ ir^ n yOnr " ms this da/s Sfn ;0 + rr. ( ? apcr, ' I: notio ° a Pafagraph stating that-"for r some- time past" conirnurucation. with' East Capo Lighthouse has been.intorrupted also that the cable-ropair-•SSp^"*l^l,ol??l.**!l b0 dispatched hence to. effect -repairs there next week. Your.contemporary, states.that the "fault" m. tho cable : between; the -.lighthouse and' mainland occurred?-"about, three weeks" ago. the, Jast. day upon : which .communication was between this lighthouse was March 18 last. nl< s.s rntanekai left this; port on March 21, pickod up. his Excellency the Governor at Napier toned the. Kast Coast, passing the isolated lighthouso on March 24, thence proceeding,,via Bay of Plenty, around t™e north coast, and -returned via west coast to Wellington, arriving h ere on 7th instant. One would,have thonght that in this intw-val-of seven weeks-tho Dopartmont would have been ablo to arrange for her immediate departure to. olfect the necessary repairs' But nol, On>that day she again loft port' bearing the rreinior. and party to Kai koura, to ,opon a wharf thero (tho local policeman might have been left to do that» lleturning, after a. very pleasant outing the steamer/is now. at. tlie- wharf, and we nre told will'be dispatched next week for tho ilast (Japa. ... '.; -' : ".'. : ■ . . / ,- May'.■l • point out that' the . only official signalling point between Capo Jlaria van Diemon and ''Wellington, via tho east const —a distance of 700 miles—ia this same Xinat Capo,-excepting, .of course, tho one at' Tiri Tiri, which is, an adjunct: to tbo port-.of Auckland niorely, and CO milea outado tho.

track of a vessel on tho direct course? Included . in the curriculum that candidates tor certificates as masters and mates aro now required to bo proficient iu is tho Morse <f do—for ni ght signalling at lighthouses, etc., hut of what uso will proficiency on tlieir part be unless tho Mariuo Department do their part also? During.the whole of .this period in which tho Tutanekai has been , otherwiso .employed, the Eastern Extension .telegraph Company's steamer Iris has lam at her moorings at Auckland, spoiling tor a job, and perhaps it is not inconsistent altogether for a rank outsider like myself to suggest_that if a.system.of reciprocity wero established between tfie Government and tho priyato company, whereby urgent work could bo done by either upon both cables, the Dominion at large.would benefit greatly.—l am, etc., May 11. ' : ' ■.■; WILLIAM COZENS. THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES; ■:'.Su-,^-1 -ain glad you wrote so plainly in youivleaderette of the 6th instant in respnet .of the above. It really seems as if the old councillors wanted ;to run tho wholo show, and practically they have appointed them! selves to ,tho committees thoy thought would suit .them best/ without giving the ' new members a chance of Baying aye or nay. Ihe old' councillors, who' have been chairmen or- the old committees.: are : intending to .usurp these positions again, in order to f«? °\ the: Finance Committee, dud liiuv f™f'.p carrying everything with a high hand, they can do so. It beWes the new members, many of whom are quito competent, as luen, to, be on tho-Finance Oommitteo, to take steps, to prevent tho arrogahon of such positions by tho old counci prs.. As a matter of fact, the old councillors nave no more right to assume' the ■positions, than the man in the street. The finance Committee should consist of the men; who: have had most to do: with finanwell as.business, matters, and who are .engaged in actual business, commercial or otherwise. On : looking through tho list of councillors, the following' should make a good, finance Committee: 'Messrs, Atkinson' «u'!l n ?«' - l i? etcher ; L "';e. Morrah; M'Laren', Shirtohffe,".Trovor,'and the Mayor. Pretty well all' trades and businesses are :'represented,, and therq are a fair proportion of new. councillors'.'(including the Mayor) : Iho of "Tho Outlying Districts Committee , ' /should/prove of great benefit to those.districts, as a councillor, fussing round now and. again will .quicken things un —I ani, etc.,' ; / ■' ■ ( . ... ...■

•'-••;. ■" : /v n ■'•'■• : soi-disant; -May 10. -; r .... /■ : :■■■:■ ,- - .-■■-. •.. -,- /NAVAL DEFENCE: AN INSIDER'S '::. ■'■■■.[ ■;'■-' •'-'■.■-.'-.V.1EW..''..1,;. ;:,] :,.,,.;.,.',-■ 'a f'^r 1 ?' reply t° "One from Homo" in Saturday s Dominion, permit mo, as pnobf , the;.,.Co/, of "Fisher and C 0.." to answer his questions'as follows:— ..: ■ ■■-.-. -(1) What'return would ."they" make for .the protection'afforded .to Australasia'in the past, the present, and the near future by the Home Government?—A fitting' return;, nothing. .- ■■• ■ ... ■■-.■• .. ■•. ■: " ;(2]l What will bo the use of Australia's' six'destroyers, pr,.;in fact, an Australasian navy, lor.many years to como unless backed HP b Imperial Navy?— Much moro ueo than the .present "Australasian squadron." . ; (d) Is Australia a part of the British Empire?—Yes;'not. Australia's fault,. ..; ■■■ ■■■ :| .■//' Or does, she wish to b.e"oii her own when .. :.. sho. talks about , 'having' : her: own /,../navy?—Looks like, it, doesn't, it? : ; ;(4) Is not tho Imperial, fleet her navy just as much as.it is any. other part of--'the •Empires.i(except.;Englaiid!s)?—Yes; just as much—how ."much is: that? :: ,- ■':.;. ':' .:';...And';if: the Imperial. Fleet is impreg- ,.•■!.;•-'. nablOj what more does Australia re- .: ■■;. quire ?—Question fails: said fleet not ~;,;. ..impregnable.' Ask. Germany/- '.'.'.:' / ' ( 5 ) Hojv long would, an Australasian fleet exist if the Imperial Navy were everoome P— On ;, a rough:calculaticn, five-''times'"as - long as. the "Australasian squadron." '•■■■■■ '■' '■■ . . (6) Would it'not bo better for the six boats.(now building) to beoffercd: to' the .Home.'Government' with a stipulation that they^should remain in' Australian • .Aluch better for "Home" (wherever that may; be) , and for "One; from Homo," whoever: ne,may.;be..:.- / i. , .: :■- ■. -:..,. ..-. •.. . _ (7V Why should tho :Hbmo Government spend; money, in- defence of' Australia -if Australia intends to ttirow'hcr over as soon as'/she feels'.sho can 1 comfortably do 8o?— Tho. boot is on the other leg. The question :at present is why: Australia (and especially New Zealand) should buy Dreadnoughts' to protect;"Home"?—l am, etc.. '. ■ ■ . : ./ .:■ THEr MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER. • ~-May/9. ; -...-, ■-■■ . ■■■ '■- . ■.' '.;■ .' ./■■ :'■

i : ;£;■. MR. WALTER BENTLEY. '. Sir,—lii your'personal notes of May 10 appears a note re tho, above.. It may not be generally knovn that some years.ago Mr. Bentley was ordained to : the ministry, in tlie' iipisoopal. Church/of America. He was , one of .tho selected speakers at the Pan-Anglican Congress held last year. Ho is also secretary of tie Actors'-, .Ohurcli Union,:- New York.- He stated that he supposed he was Wβ only clergyman .on earth who ran a i theatre, regularly. You slate', that ho is • to appear m his old role of. "Tragedian'" This' was .his favourite for o number of years, but, some years ago, his health broke'down and he then Btarted "drama," though ho may have recovered his .health again to* tako : up his ( former favourites. I have seen him in bota in-his naijive ' country. It need hardly be wondered at that ho has taken up Church work, as I- think he was intended for■: it, .though I am not sure,, at any rate, his father was. the parish minister : of : 'New Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland.—l am etc., ,' : ■ ./.. ' ■•• ;.'• ;■ .'■■.". . ■■; . , _.:,,, ~-THOS. M. MILLIGAN. ',■ Taitville, May 11. ■ .-.- : . V i BANKING REFORMS, : ; , answer tto: your correspondent •Ji.l., who states he has "carefully searched the statutes," and fails to find where any legislation*has been passed pre- , venting the opening of new: banks ■ in the Dominion.' Iforeign- or local, I presume my reply is briefly this: the financial and- politi'cal gang' responsible for our' awful banking laws were too cunning to give the'show away.;/Wlulo carefully leaving out the'word 'preventing," they also omitted any clause permitting the formation of new banks' or foreign ones coming hero. Sir Joseph Ward oonfirms thisby his speech l at Invcrcargill, The country is underbanked. and ho promises legislation to remedy. the present position I am not a lawyer, but I.am a banker, and ■E.P." oan-take it from me that Now Zealand has the worst banking laws in the world. The sooner the public recognise the imury /they suffer from as a consequence of these laws; the sooner will a change bo demanded; the sooner, too, shall wo have more banks, and "the results will lift this grand country out of artificial poverty into genuine prosperity.—l am,'etc., ■ ' .' TOir » f ' ln J. B.'EOBART. Wellington, May 10. ■ ■ . : : A CRITICISM. "' „ Sir,-7-After reading Mr. Gardner's dissertation on "Land Valuing," I asked the .shades of. " Ballanoc," " M'Kenzie," and "John M'Gow.m":if it were possible that Robert , Gardner.. was obfuscated, and the answer camo sorrowfully from them all •■ "Yea, verily. Ho was an infidel in the service of,tho King for 13 years, and it is oven .so.'-,; . ... . . . ;■ Now;- it : .would/bo'-:; easy to doal lightly with his want of grip and illumination. Hut tho. subject.is..-too, important to be dealt with other 'than seriously. ; In fact, this question of.land- vnlning, when examined and understood, will bo scon to form tho keystone in the arch of social progress,.and that Without a good kcyatono tho superstructure, of economic adjustment could nover bo erected. ; Thcroforo tho greatest caro m this connection its a prime necessity. But Mr. Gardner tells us, among many other, things, that in nssessing tho valuo of rural land a valuer should take ns n stniulard: "Will it pay?—not, Will it soil?" Now why take this consideration as n basis, for computation? Are prices for produce so constant that theso enn bo relied upon ? Think o'r this: Wool this season .'began nt fivcponce and loss, and in a few weeks rose about-a hundred per. cont. Butter began at elevenpence,-.utid is now uineponco. And all kinds of stock arc oonvparfltivcly Jowi but J»*xviun had : does aot follow' theio fluotu*

tions. Moroovor, a review of the history of our land values will show that in reality thoy never wero affected by tho ups and downs of markot prices for produce. For instance, 40 years ago wool was 2s, Cd., oats 7s. 6d., wheat Bs.,' ond tho land values of that time woro not moro than 30 per cent, of present values. Why so? Surely, if this now stand-, ard of "Will it pay?" could be of any use, it would bo seen that there was' a correspondence between tho vnluo of land and tho prico of produce. And seeing there is no such correspondence, what is the inference? Docs not this circumstance show clearly that this idoi "Will it pay?" is the merest illusion? . : ■ . Again, why should a "valuer" hothcr himsolf with such hypothetical matter as tho following dictum contains:" At the time of inspection the first question should bo: Will it by good management in its present condition pay expenses and current interest, also, has it a prospective value?" Now, mark this, good management, like good.government, .is beyond tho power of men to apprehend. Then, as to the query about "prospective value," who is there that does not know that .-.11 our so-called "barren mountain peaks and headlands" possess a prospective value? This, in fact, is the constant factor of our social conditions: Add'to tho population and land values increase. So it should .always be.taken .for granted by " valuers " that every succeeding year wiil provide its quota-of unearned increment upon tho land. Hence tho necessity for frequent valuation ,. Doth in town and country. And hence tho necessity for every valuer studying this_ phaso of his subject. But don't worry him with considerations about a farmer's working " expenses " and tho current rate of interest. These. are. perplexing matters. And it should bo enough for a valuer to make a plain record of the land values and of the improvements thereon. I am, ete., V ' ■.--"' ALEX. REESE. Pahiatua, May 10, 1909.;