LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1067, 4 March 1911, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

CURIOUS TACTICS. Sir, —Some time ago great surprise was expressed in Petono when it became known that tho Wellington Education. Board had quietly passed Jlr. Jl'Eiven out, as one of their representatives oil tile Petono Technical School Board. The excuse given was that Jlr. JrEwcn "was too busy to attend the meetings," and .this bit of news was made known to the board by Jlr. Lee, the chairman. Then comes Mr. M'Ewen's point-blank denial of having ever said such a tiling, and naturally we are all wondering whero Jlr. Lee got his news from. According to your last report of the Education Board's meeting, when this matter was brought up, Mr. Leo admitted that it was lie who had nominated tho two gentlemen who had been elected, andthat he had no doubt .in his own mind that his action was in the best interests of the board. That was .all ho had to say about it. Quite right. Jlr. Leo was wise not to say too '.'much about it, or lie might have, put his foot in it.

But perhaps a little" light can be shod on this matter* At the time Mr. Jl'Kenzie was appointed as the-Educa-tion Board's representative, vice. Mr. Jl'Ewen,. ho already held the position of representative of the subscribers to the Seddon Memorial Fund at tho Petone Railway. Shops, so you see ho was having greatness thrust upon him-with a vengeance. But Mr. M'Kenzie, in his modesty, did not care.to represent these two bodies, so he called a meeting of/the subscribers to tho . Seddon Memorial Fund, and explained t6:.thcm that as ho had been asked .last June if ho would, acccpt nomination as the Education Board's representative; ho decided to do . so. Mr. M'Kenzio is also said .to have informed thenv-that if ho chose to do so'ho was quite within his rights ill representing ' tho two bodies. What modesty! But " how coines it, sir, that'Mr,. M'Kenzio was asked a, .month, previously i£ he would accept nomination, and who asked liim? Surely not Mr-. Lee? The chaii'.man had met with some littlo opposition from Mr.-.M'Ewen sit the Petono Technical School Board,' and ]wssibly they may have influenced things. Sir. Leo must surely have meant that his action- was in tho best , interests' of someone' Other than tho board, or. how comes., it that such' regret was .'expressed, when Mr. Lee made it , known that Mr.-, M'Ewcn would, not be ablo ,to. stand; again;, and such complimentary remarks wero mado with rcgardito past services,;

Now, sir, it anpears to mo that there is a fly in the butter somewhere, ami I think it is up to both Mr. Lee and Mr. M'Kenzio to. let the public'know a little of what was said at-the "confklrntial chat," when Mr. M'Kcnzie was 'asked'would he acccrrt nomination. With regard to Mr. M'lvonzic.l am told ••by the railway shops employees, that lie would - havo held a much-stronger and satisfactory position. in their "opinion if ho had first- consulted', thorn, as to whether he. should "accept .'nomination by tlie Education Board, instead of rcsigtiitii; as an act of courtesy the position his fellow employees' had'placed him. jn.—I am, .etc., , MAGNA EST VERITAS, ET J?RAEYALERIT. , .' : .-

OUR DUAL REPRESENTATION

Sir,—M.v curiosity has been considerably exorcised since reading 1 'the speeches delivered at the banquet given to Sir Joseph Ward and- tho Hon;' DR Findlay in the on 'Wednesday 'evening. Tlio Premier is reported to have said that "Dr. Fiiidlay's ability would bo of considerable assistance to him 'at the conference,, and, it ,'wo'iildj also be. of value to New Zealand." So much for that. Later in tho evening, Dr. Findlay announced that he was "proud of the mission before him," and that "it might not bo unpleasing to his fellow countrymen that he was New Zealand born, and that now the great .good fortune of being the first native-born Minister of "the Crown' to visit (whilo in office, and officially) the Motherland." How excruciatingly funny all- this is! It is news to your correspondent,, at least, to.learn that Dr. Findlay can bo of any assistance 'at all to.Sir Joseph Ward at tho conference,, for .the very good reason .that he will have 110 locus standi. 'Is New. Zealand's dorial double to re-enact the screaming farce whjch occurred in London at a late conference, \vhen the Seddon of Australia, Sir William Lyne, sat behind Sir Alfred Deakin, isolated and ignored, for many days, until.nt last, by sheer physical force, lie pushed his way to the- table between two accredited representatives, and be it remembered that Lyne was Minister for Marine', and had gone Home to represent the Commonwealth officially at the Navigation. Conference? Ho was.not a mere. At-torney-Genera],' and, further;;. he 'was an elected'representative of tlio, people. ' My reading of tlio debates in' Parlia- 1 mcnt last year led mo to the - bolicf that tho only excuse for. sending Dr. Findlay- Home was the.-fact 1 that .-'the' Goveruyneiit '.require , him to appear- 011 its behalf in two cases' before tho Privy Council—one being the Webster case, and tho other an action concerning tribal succession to a largo block 0? Native land. ■ : , ■ "

In what manner does a professional trip of this kind confer New Zealand's official recognition oil tho : AttorneyGeneral as one of its representatives? I should imagine that when tho "bill of costs (ioilies before the House nextsession, some outspoken criticism'will be hoard.—l am, etc., ECONOMY.

, "THE. OLD QUESTION." ' ! Sir,—Under tho above caption, one Tlios. 31. Milligaii, ill your issue of. February 25, in reply to "Non-Factionist," on the question of Homo ltule for 'Ireland, writes most incoherently on a subject ou which ho presumes to be an authority-, and, in support' of his contentions, lio quotes Tliomns. D'Arcy M'Gee, whoso history is, according to the best Irish writers; more-fanciful than real. Now, this question of Jionio Rule-, is -not, as Mr. Milligan-would' lead your,•;readers to "infer, "the old question,"-as .lie sarcastically styles it. It is rather-the : old question- rehabilitated. And . from .- my reading of Irish history, I Mjiink • "NonFadtionist" • has tho best of tho • argument, or is tho more accurate, in detail. For instance, in regard to the .'indebtedness of Ireland prior to the Union,-I.find that Ireland's debt was, according ■to an announcement made by-Grattan in the Irish House of Commons in the year 1781, when, oil the -motion of Mr. Yclverton! an address of loyalty to the King, and the demanded supplies,--after the surrender of Lord Cornwall's Army to the French - in America, were acceded to, was in round numbers .£2,(iG7,G00. See llaverty's "History of Ireland," edition 1S8!), "nage 057, the most authentic and up-to-date historv extant. Whether the indebtedness increased in thq. ratio presented by Mr. M'Gee, and quoted by Jlr. Miliigan iii substantiation of his statements, is correct or not, is beside the question at issue. The increased indebtedness was due more to the circumstances of the times prior ,to the Union—tho "accursed Union"—than-to the alleged, or supposed corruption of ?|:c Irish Government! Then it should not lie forgotten that England was involved in a groat war with America, and that expenses of that war had to be bonto in great measure bv revenue raised in Ireland, which must havo considerably raised tho national debt of Ireland, not to speak of the amount spent, in public and other remunerative works for the amelioration of the condition of tho people of IrelandCatholics and Protestants alike.

It is idle to talk of Ijie amount of money spent in "Ireland by tho British Government in the last quarter of a century. It is mv doubt a liberal act on tho part of tho Government of tlio day, but then it is only, a small part, an infi.

nitcsimally small part of the money of which Ireland h?.s been robbed during the last live or six centuries of misrule. And is not the indebtedness of Ireland since the Union at least ten times what it was before the Union. And has not Ireland had to pay more than her fair share of the indebtedness of tho Kuglish nation?— an indebtedness in which she had no hand in creating. It is a eatc similar to that of (he Catholics, of New Zealand having to pay double rates for tho education of their children.

So that the increase in die debt of Ireland in the twenty years prior to Union is no argument against Home liiile. In fact, is an argument in favour of Home Rule. For it would be found that if the people of Ireland had tho management of their own affairs, instead of being annually multiplying, would soon be wiped out. Would llr. Jlilli gaii or any sensible man attribute the growth of tho national debt of New Zealand to the misgoveriuneiit of the country? Or will the growth of the enormous national debt of Kngland bo attributed to the misgovernment of (lie people of'Kngland? Is it not attributable more to the carrying out of the business of the country and (he maintenance intact of the country's stability, as against the foreign aggressor? I think llr. Milligan's imagination or his anti-national proclivities must have carried him beyond the reasonable bounds of discretion when penning those lines in reply to' "Non-Fuctfonist." Had he read the history of Ireland more closely, and reasoned more rationally, his efTus'ion, I have 110 doubt, would never have seen the light.—l am, etc.,

Wellington, February 25,- 1911. THE FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE.

Sir—As New Zealand is about to send Home a representative to compete in the iestival of.Umpire sports, might I suggest to. the New Zealand Amateur Ythletic Union, that they bring together tho following runners:—Hector Burke, of Duncdin, who is back to his very best form; Guy Hoskins,. Christchurch; Wilson, Wellington, who has won the mile some two weeks ago, off 15yds., in 4min. 31see.; and Harding, of Napier; and arrant ■ trial. races, say, at the Athletic Park (I am sure (ho Rugby Union would grant them the_ use of it free) of 410 yds., BSoyds., and mile, and charge the usual admission. I feci confident they would get a big gate, aiul whoevn- proves himself the best mail over' tho above djsI'incos should be sent Home to represent us. —I am, etc., SPORT. ITALIAN POLITICS.

Sir,—With regard to the Italian Senate rejecting the elective principle of reform ill substitution of the nomination for life, .f I .T. ea 4 T'i f: Dominion of Saturday last -tlie astounding, statement that this rejection will no doubt lead to a crisis or a series of crises after the British example". ' I may assure you thai nothing of tlio kind will occur in Italy, for the simple reason tlmt the Italian Senate is not the House of Lords, as true that, the Italian nation is not the British nation. The hereditary principle in Italy went down with (he -Roman Senate, to which the House of Lords, ami not the Italian Senate, _ resemble?. Modern Italy could not revive that old Institution, and this explains why. the Senators are now •nominated'by the Crown, among the most .outstanding men in science, letters, diplomacy, army, navy, and Judges of the Supreme Court. Verdi was a Senator, and so is Fogazzaro, a well known writer of contemporary Italy. Two acquaintance's of mine are Senators; one is Professor of Mcdicino and the other is Professor . of;. Surgery at the University I come from. As you see the aristocracy of brain has replaced the aristocracy of blood'in Italy: 'An Upper House made of such elements cannot be a hindrance to the progress of the nation as the House of Lords is in _ England. In fact, an Education Bill is before the Senato just now implying an extra' burden to the nation, equal to «£3,00p,000 a year. Do you .-think .the Senators .will reject,'it jas, ■t_ the JTouse of Lords wnuld<do?' Not in the least.- It is. likely that the Italian Senate will , rather improve that Bill, thus giving the other House a lesson of' liberalism. There is no demand of rc'forrinng the Upper House in Italy. There is a great need of reforming the Lower House in its stead, and the new Education Bill and the new Suffrage B ; U are meant to nave the way to it. With respect, and thanking you for kindness. —I am, etc., E. BORGHETTI. : THE NEW PRISONS' BOARD. Sir,—lt seems rather strange to me. that the women of the Dominion have "made no claim for representation on the new- -Prisons' Board. No exception can be.taken to the men on it, but I think' ■where women prisoners aro concerned or under observation' a couple of levelheaded' women would be extremely useful as members -of the board. There aro quite-capable women to chocso from who have had some littlo experience in prison reform.-rl am, etc., J.M.W.

. THAT RAILWAY APPOINTMENT. . Sir,—ln connection ,witli the appointment of the son of tho Hon. J. A. miliar, Minister for Railways, to an "expert" position in the Kailway Service, I would 'venture.,l;o .put a,question o: two to the Hon. Mr. Millar, seeing he lias, so ably defended his . son's appointment. (l)' Has any Other employee ever been granted over two years' leave without pay tp enable him to bettor himself in the •Service, arid dirt ,Mr. Millar, as Minister for Railways, 'approve ' this exceptional poriod of leave? also,.is it not true tlutt many genuine applications i'or even six months'- -leave, especially from Division II men, liavo been declined, and the applicants liave had no alternative but to resign ?

~(2) Seeing yqurig Millar resumed duty about,, May last, why did not his title, "Assistant. Electrician 'and Draftsman," appear in'any of tho "Department's printed lists till" well after the end of the session?

Fancy ' Sir Joseph Ward trying to defend this appointment. His rambling statements'savoured-much of the nature of the General Manager's replies we so often see in the "Kailway lieview" and the, ."Advpcato" to the various requests from tho railway societies.

- While, on' .Sir Joseph Ward, I might mention that although his family is .'kept clear, of the Public Service , (and, he doesn't forget to mention it.as often as he can), his genial private secretary is itlll on the Railway I) 3 and superannuation. He'lias been religiously bumped hp year after year, and is now ahead of officers, (and not- all of "ordinary ability" either,', as .the -Premier, puts it) uuder whom lie, was trained as a cadet. Tile pointis;- when ■ Sir Joseph. Ward eces out of office his private secretary will no doubt fall-into a position in the Railway, similar, to .that'!'secured'by the Hon. HallJoiies's late, private secretary, which appointment was brought under notice by your paper at- the time. Also, the advent of the Premier's motor-car dispensed with the coachman, Who is now, I understand, a full developed _ postal lettercarrier, qualifying for his stripes. Of course,-. I. do not suggest that ho was appointed over the heads .of other applicants. the vacancy no doubt occurred at the right time, as in the case of young Millar—l am, etc., SEARCHLIGHT 11. .

There is a boom in the English cotton trade, and a shortage of labour is being felt. During the depression scores of textile hands emigrated to America, and it is hoped that, sinco trade there Is far from bright, lliey will now return. Labour cxchangw 'are "ondea.-ouring to atiract workpeople to Lancashire from all parts of the c-ountrv. Orders have been received which are'likely to keep the mills going at full speed lor a considerable time. An annexe is to be built ouTsido the west door of Westminster Abbey for the Coronation. A Words Committeo has been appointed by the Aeronautical .Society to draft a list ol' technical terms relating to aeronautics and to define their meaning. They have issued a preliminary report, which defines aerostation as that part of aerial navigation dealing with lighter-than-air machines, such as balloons; and aviation as that part dealing with dynamicallyraised or hcavier-than-air machines, like neropliiiies. ' The use of tho term "shea" is recommended instead of "hangar."-