TELEPHONE CLERKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 568, 24 July 1909, Page 10

TELEPHONE CLERKS.

Sit, —In Saturday morning's issuo I no-I ticcd tho complaint of. "Wire In," against tho la-dies of . our .telephone vAuha-ngo. -Ii venturo to'state that what ho 'says' is utter nonsciise. In our offico'wo: can always get th'b Exchango" in a ; few moments,' Simply by turning tih'o handle once'; saying * 'VPloase," w-hen asking, for' a : number, a«d"'by v hot swearing ; into the. mouthpiece. ■ If • "Wire;' In" has a larrikin for an offioe-boy who' throws insults through• tho telephone* and' a staff besides who wire in at ■ ringing . and swearing—well, what can be expected of tho telej&ono clerks? They are quite' right l in until' "Wiro- In and Co.":havo finished ringing. because,! should thb'ladies at- ' tempt to obtain the number Vwhen' called; "Wire In," by his... impatience, may- give them a shock . by a vicious: ring or a- curse. Our exchango clerks- are too ladylike to stand being; at., :My advice isi Bo polite, and you'll get politeness and- expediency, iii return."—l airi, 'etc., ' CAPE GOOSEBERRY. ' ' July 19; 1909. ' RACING STATISTICS. _ - Sir, —Oould anything more' ridiculous be imaguicd'- ; than:: ;tbe,., table- in.-which; a com- 1 mittieo of -tho Racing''Conference has shown' that.tho number,- 7 of-racing days'a year, pea thousand- of the 'population has steadily decreased from .300 in 1898 to .255 in 1908 R In 1898 tho'raciftg.. days numbered 223, and •the population: 745,463.-.; In 1908 the racing days numbwed, 242 , and tho population 950,000.' "The inoroaso in the number, of' days' racing ; has not: been : commensurate with the increase of population," says tho; committee.; Of- course it hasn't., But tho; absurdity l of this..; sort ,of /Comparison will bo apparent in a moment ! whon .tho following' kne_in t3ie future table* is" considered (it is, cortain : that -the will : bo; -1,460,000 by'-1930, as it is over. 1,000,000 now, and 'is 'increasing by a larger inorck m'dht each year,,,the present; increment beting about 30,000); , . '; t:.'

■ ' Race.. , .>;Raco days-., ■Year. Days. Population. per thousand,

■' 1930. 335 'i 1,460,000 .250 - ■Tlio inde-x^' .200, will bo less ..than'it is now. (It is .255 now.) i But tliero will have beon races ovory .blessed day!. : Really, tho committee might 'as relevantly have given us a table to show the. humbor of raco days per 1000 top-hats -or : :;por ; ;millio&';- penny-buiis! Will tlio, committee give us a 'table showing the ;totalisatoa - : investments per head of tho population, for a terni of years? ' What is tlio .us© of.telling us. the number of horseshoes per thousand pink', parasols ? 1 What is; the .uso of; proving that the' number of hairs iir the. average • tail is decreasing in proportion, to,the; -What is tho use of Ecnsibjo men 1 tjnnpilihtt'i,tables that; erch Bi/oh an ass as jpe pml lie can poi - - oeivo to bo stupidly inapplicable? Givo usthose tote figtiTes per bloke.—'l. am, etc.,, STATISTICIAN. T • July 22. . '.■r < ; :.

REMARKS ON THE RUCBY .UNION. . | Sir, —I crave a little of your/ valuable space.for - a fow 'remarks 'ana questions relat-/ ing to the Wellington Rugby 'lW>ri', ./Why is not something dono in the way of drainage to - better the, stato of 'tlio Athletic Park pkiying fields? ' With such a good faU at two sides) ;this would be done at ia; small cost. Again, why was there 110 light in the dres-sing-sheds aij the Park on July 10?. After playing .on'-such , a .field- as there was that, day, i players should hot have < to' fin ish washing: and. dressing-by, tho i. light of matches struck by friends, as was the. case. At last Wednesday's/meeting bf tho',;. W.R;U., ;a Melrose player was disqualified for. three -months.' > Th'o referoe stated that, the player .was'-OTtlered off tho field ; for/striking TiJyardj| tho ' opposing ;half-back. 1"; -was standing within nf'o yards of :both men, ; aiid am certain that no blow took place, nor was there any attempt at ..a'- blow,Tilyard also denied that ho. was struck. It.secros that-Murphy: Was disqualified for accidentally ;liitting,'; tho reforee.in the f.-ice witb. a mu-ddy ball., In Iris j statement to the union, tho rofereo say si lie "gave Murphy the benefit of the doubt when jio'.deliberately, threw tho muddy ,ball; in my 1 , 1 face." "He admits that' thorp, was a 'doubt, , therefore liow can he at tlio'Eamovtiqe say' that th<j ball was deliberately"thrown at'him;. Ho is a young irefereo, without an ojd headon, his shoulder's'/.-;l:say that.jus'tiee was riot 'dono on this particular oceasionV imd that noplayer is safo if. ho.,can bo disqualified in yoft in' anticipation,—1 am, .etc.,' .- '; -. - •' : " '//', - PLAYER. ; July, 19. /, <-v., , 'WHO PAYS 7 : . . i Sir, —In passing tho Mouiit Gook Drill HaJl. the 'other afternoon, I'saw preparations go-, jiiigvon/for tho Garrison Officers' Ball,', and to iny surpriao tlhe work-was'being done'by the.'staff from tho- Defence Stores 1 arid Per-;, inanont Artillerymen, • wider the supervision of Captain O'Sullivan, of tho Defence Storcis; Tho garrison offioe-rs would got permission to uso the stored' that Wero . wanted for decorating,- but by whose authority are 'thcsso men employed at tho' cxpenso of tJio _ Stattj /—about' fifteen men "for -tw days? Did the j Dcfehce -Minister; givo his'' consent, or' tho.[ Defenco storekoope-r. givo the"' order? Surely :the dfficer's. : aro -able' to'-pay-to have' tho work" done -'at' tbo price they'are charging for tlio tickets, instead of "the country paying'.; for it•'when' ; men;belonging to all the volunteer. (M>rps; are looking -for - work?" Perhaps tho •'Minister l in' chargo l will ; stop..this sponging' ■business, as- it has'/been going on for soy-, oral-years.—-I' am,' etc., ■ ' • ' 1 PULL/THROUGH.