GOVERNMENT SERVANTS AND RAILWAY FARES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 4

GOVERNMENT SERVANTS AND RAILWAY FARES.

Sir,—lt is* stated that the General Manager of Raihvays has : issued" a circular in regard to, the praetico of some Government servants in other Departments using official season tickets for travelling by rail between their places of residence and their offices, and. also for private travel for' recreation purposes, 'when as a matter of fact suoh tickets aro-ovailablo only when travelling on official duty. . Now, sir; the tinio is opportune for bringing under the notice of the general manager' tho important question of granting to nil Government servants thosamo concession in railway faros which is enjoyed by -officers • of

his own Department, namely, _ the privilege of travelling, whether on business or pleasure, or to and from their'homes, at onoquarter of the rate charged tho general pubic. For some years past the opinion has boon freely expressed, both inside and outside tho service, that all Government servants havo a,n equitable claim to participate in this ooncession, and that it is not fair that any particular branch of the Government service, like the railway Department, should ; bo granted such an important concession to the exclusion of all other branches of the service. If all Government servants :Wora allowed tho privilege of travelling at quarter ' rate, or even at half rate, to and from tho suburbs, it would'very soon have tho effect of minimising the congestion in Wellington, as tliero would no "doubt be a general, exodus of Government servants to ttic suburbs, with tho result that peoplo, residing in tlio city would benefit by the reduced-Tioum rents which should naturally folio*. Trusting, xk, that you will commend this matter to the favourable consideration of tho Minister lor Eailw.ys.-I am, etc., equity./ 5 Wellington, August 10.. CAPITAL AND WACES. Sir,—lt was only" yesterday .that, my attention was drawn to Mr. Longdills letter . in Tire Dominion •of tho 16th. Ho says that I am wrong :ii stating that "cither directly or indirectly the expenditure of all money must necessarily employ, labour." I maintain that my statement is_ correct, and ho does not appear to question, it except with regard to land; I maintain that laud • is no exception. Unless land is of purely , virgin, unimproved character, it must havo . had labour spent on it, but, whether or not that is tho caso, the money which is paid for it does not differ from money in tho purchase of any other article, and. unless it is hung up in a stocking, buried in the ground, or locked up in a safo, it must be expended or reinvested, and, m that ca*e; it will, directly or indirectly tinploy labour. • . . ;, ■; , . ' •The second statement which no denies is "tliat if you take.money out of tho .'pockets of any class. of. the community, the :. com- ■ munity as a whole will 1)0 tho poorer. It seems to rue self-evident that the. peoplo out of whose pockets it is taken must.have so much less to spend, and tho rest of tho oointounity must feel tho loss or that expen- ,-. dituro in trade and labour, therefore they will be so much the poorer. ■ That taxation, which is necessary for the duo maintenance of the ' functions •of : the ■ State,": is, • ■ of course, not denied by me, or; that, public works, well and economically carried out, dp not add to' tho prosperity, of tho community, and in so far recoup somo of the money extracted from their pockets. The point which I really wanted to lay-stress . upon was the idea prevalent in some quarters that taxation, whore laid upon the wealthier part of tho community, would only bo Jet by 'tho : few; iwherca-s i say; it must be felt bv tho community at large insomuch ns the rich will have tho. less to sepnd or reinvest, and tliat means less employment. - - -■■ . "When Socialism is fully , developed, •• I ■ presume there 'will bo no /private wealth to tax,' as tho State will own everything and .' employ ovcrybody. Economic questions will then- no longer bothor tho world.—l am, etc., ■ ~.■ ■/■::■ ■■■■ w. J. birch. Marten, August 18. . '■'■.'■'. WATERSIDE WORKERS' CONFERENCE. Sir,—lt is really amusing to read thedoings of the present Watcrsiders Conferenco and tho motions and 'amendments' they , are passing. Wo can only come to one conclusion, and that is they are tho only peoplo who know anything about tho matter, lne most of their business seems to bo connected with irritation all round ■to the Employers ■ of labour and owners of ships, and not exccpti])gthera'selves;as witness Mr. M'Vann s 'speech on preference and Mr. M'Laren s' regarding the men in tho hold. surthem to know that should the. Harbour oard take it into thejr heads in conjunction with other employers hero to put. on sutnciont permanent.men to carry on the wort /that it-would pay,thom>-ther,o isno question of doubtf) then the paid secretaries, and de!o> ; gates' r of their"union.'-'-would . dispensed . with, and also lherd : are hundreds of-their so-called unionists who would be only too - glad- of the' chance, as they of . tho twaddle 1 and the unions,. too, ;as they were compelled to join .against .their -wish, and would take the 'first chance of. Ketone out-of it.' Of course, this action woulo. tend to l<»?o sympathy for any! members, who may bo ■ fond, of.' playing' to : ( the "gallery.—l am, - tc,,, V- ;•• ■■•■.- ■•'.■ ■: UNIONIST. . August 20, 1909... .'. ' "■'■.■■ ' i;: -; "."..' ':■■,■■:■■ ■>:■,■? ,;, ;.-v: ;! >~, AN ADMIRER OF DR* FINDtAY./ ! Sir',—Will ymi kindly give me space tojcall attention to that great speech of- Dri Find- , lay's, delivered at Feildiug the'other even- . ing? I think it is a most remarkable-speech, , , .not only for- the ! ability it displays; 'but still more for the courage shown, in enunciating such radical opinions. What member of theGovernment over-had the'seiise to know, or ■■ tho courage to ; say, before that, "Tho most important test of progress wns not,money. ; ■but men—not the- total wealth and. annual > income, but the level of social life, ' tho standard of comfort, morality, ;and intelligence disclosed by tho peoplo'as a whole. Then, he went on to , say: >. The / social . problem was, 'How to inake , the largest number'of happy and healthy, self-support-, ing. human beings,' and tlio. pursuit ot this ' as tho paramount aim of the State; involved ■■■ many radical■ .'•changes ' in; the' old lndk..,', vidualistic policy."- .■ i • '. ,'V ••', 1 ■ Dri Findlay lias become imbued with tho-same, spirit of right and, justice, which has moved the English Government to 'formulate, and given 'them: tho courage ;to introduce,'and battle for, in the House of Commons, the far-reaching and revolutionery ; measures they are introducing to Parliament, and which measures art, rapidly becoming . law. 1' think it sjpeaks well for the future of Now Zealand that we have a . statesman ' such as-Dr. Fiiidlay in the • such high and noble aspirations for, tho welfare'and happiness of the.people—not some of the people, 'but ,a!l tho people. ' Ibis speech is the more noteworthy _oir' account of-tho great attention paid to it, and- the \ aptfrobation . expressed By- tho appreciative audience who listened to tho doctor's utter. ances.-4 am, etc., • . OF TEACHERS. : '•.Sir,—Tho'-report,-'of your 'representative's interview with Mr. D. M'Kcnzie, of Petone, makes sad reading.,, Mr. M'Kenzic's.method of determining a teacher's qualifications n> ■ fords quite a sufficient reason for what ho so much desires—the abolition of tho school committees. Each individual was called on : separately, and questioned "in a; way cdl6ulated te'test his capability for tho. position he sought to fill.. By this means wo ,wtro . ablo te gauge each man's merits, and sa uiako a satisfactory selection." '.", -.-. Yβ gods I,' One would think that', it'.was an expert body, instead of a lay-board without technical training. Bumbledom .againI ■ As it.has been well said, these layhonnls go on doing "their" best until they. .isistnko .' it for "tho best. Any individual 'who. sub- . initted to tlio test appoint*! by that schoei committee, indicated .nis utter unfitness to control tho mlucation 1 of children-.—in ~ ...th'« ■language of Dickcus, "a Being, erect npau : two legs, and bearing all the' ontward «<•«•- blanoo or a man." It is to bn hoptd that/ in the' near future, Mr. H'SLensio's . will bo adopted, in so far as they rofer u [ the taking of technical anpomt'mtntii out.oi the hands of ignorant lay-uodies.—l am, ete,, ;. •:.[■■" ,"'• Wellington,' August 20, 1009. ;,':. ■ ' s