LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1245, 29 September 1911, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

MR. ISITT AND INTEMPERANCE. Sir,—Last Friday afternoon I attended the House of Representatives, and had the misfortune to hear Mr. lsitt speak. Now, sir, I don't know the powers o>r tho limit of a chairman, but it seemed to me that to allow Mr. Isitt to : iise the string of, invectives which ho*did against the members of the Opposition was n disgrace to' any Parliament. How daro i'.e address a body of honourable, cap-iijlo mu'ii as objects of loathing. (Mr. lsivt s words wove: "If I hail not such a loathing," etc., etc.) The fact is that Mr. isitt has so long been accustomed to preach from his . temperance platform, whero the more violent the invectives the lr.ore he was applauded, that ho is not able to take a reasonable attitude _iu any debate. ■Ho has a fino and extensive ocabulary of abusive epithets —epithets which, however palatable to a temperance audience, surely ought not to bo mado use of and allowed in Parliament. Tho few speeches already delivered by Mr. Isiil show an absJluvo lack ot any kntwletbc of politics, and his Liost ardent adijiirers don't expect a statesmanlike dignity and reticence, but ho might Ih> taught that the cheap trash that ho has been thundering forth for tho last 30 years is not stuff tlint should be tolerated 111 auv assembly of earnest thinking men who, "whatever"their politics, have been pent to Parliament to calmly debato legislation affecting the weal or woe of the people of the Bominion. I should recommend Mr. Isitt to be TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS.

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. Sir, —I have read a great many letters in vour widely-read paper, but none that to 'me goes to the root of tho matter ro railway management. A large # number of the letters condemn the. Minister for Hallways. Others, again, go for the omcers, but if tho truth was told the person largely responsible, or, rather, I should say, persons, as although tho General .Manager is nominally the manager of tho railways, his chief clerk has a large share in the management. I put _in a good number of years on the railways, and know what 'I am writing about. I am sure the men who are now in the service would find very little difference in their conditions if they changed the Minister to-morrow. I am suro that the New Zealand railways must be a great monevnuiking business to pay as they do with the mis-management that goes on. Ask anv of the officers who have left the service what they think of the railway bookkeeping. Also ask any manager of a big business what is the best way to keep things running smoothly, and he- will tell you that tho great thing is to keep his staff contented. Now, with the cost of living as high as it is, money is one item, and when tho drivers and firemen see what men in tho same class as themselves are getting in New South Wales and South Australia can you wonder at their discontent with the wages they get? But w'ages are'not everything. There have been largo numbers of other items that have been asked for and been received by the General Manager with "I regret." The dissatisfaction and discontent that is permeating the service must run the railways into many thousands of pounds. When men are dissatisfied and discontented, as they are in the railway service, they do not givo their host, to their work. The severity of the punishments. dealt out to tho staff would bo scarcely credited. Tho men arc. very loyal, 'or I am sure the service would have gone to pieces long ago. The remedy, you ask. Well, hero it is. I should superannuate the General. Manager. Ho is entitled now to a pension of'about seven hundred pounds per annum. I would get a good man from tho United States, who would really control tho railways. Even if the Government paid ioOOO a year to such a man he 'would be worth it. Some may cry about New Zealand for New Zealanders, but tho most of the men in tho railways have got into a groove, and it will be absolutely necessary to bring someone here to shake them out of it.. Sir, it's the littlo things that tell. It does not take much of a hair inside your shirt to make you uncomfortable, and there are a great number of little things that tho present General Manager might have given a favourable answer to that would have cost but very little.. However, he preferred the other way, with the result that tho ruinous policy of making the men discontented has taken the place of tho policy of making everything go smooth. Thanking you in anticipation, and trusting that some abler pen than mine will take up this subject that is costing tho country thousands everv year. -I am, etc., ONE WHO KNOWS.

A REIGN OF TERROR. Sir,—A large number of your readers and other people throughput this Dominion will liave read with much amusement, the lame attempts of the Ministers and their blindest followers to contradict and discredit tlio statement that the public, employees are under a reign of terror. Yet the charge is absolutely justified by facts, and I shall give you my experience in this connection. Prior to a recent goneral election I was on the committee of an Opposition candidate; and in canvassing on his behalf I interviewed several Railway and Post Office employees. But in almost every case I was met by this answeT: "I should like to vote for Mr. , as ho is by far the best man,_ but I dare not risk my billet." My as-" surance that no one could find out how a vote had been cast, the ballot being secret, was met by the statement: "A' man in authority" had recently told them that the secrecy only referred to the outside public—"tiio Government could always find out." I could, if I choose, give names, but it suffices to say that "the ma.n in authority" was not a local resi-> dent, whose presumed political bias might have discounted his statement. At nayrate, an excusable fear of personal loss disfranchised a number of electors in that district, and their votes were not recorded for anyone. It is probable that tho Government candidate's intimates engineered tho above method of taking votes from his Opposition opponent, for although Ministers are not remarkable for fair iighling, I should think they are too cute to adopt such, tactics. I may add that I know of a very similar case happening iu another electorate.—l am, etc., BRUTUS. [Electors have no occasion to tear the secrecy of tho ballot.] LAND SETTLEMENT CONDITIONS. Sir,—Kindly allow me space to make a few observations in regard to the administration of the various land boards throughout the Dominion, and more particularly to the laxity of some Crown lauds rangers in compelling selectors to comply with the residential conditions under wliich sections are taken up. Anyone who travels to any extent through New Zealand, and keeps l.is eyes open, cannot help being struck with tile flagrant manner in which the residential conditions are flouted, and iu many cases waived |jy a weak, or too kindly disposed board, in favour of tho spectacular. Men in good remunerative businesses, who cannot afford to throw up the substance for tho shadow, and who are, in the majority of instances, quite unfitted for the arduous work on a back-blocks section, aro allowed to compete at tho ballot with the bona iidu selector, and when successful is often permitted to resort to all soris of dodges to evade the compulsory residence condition.

The speculative business man gets someone to go up and work the_ section, and when by reason of the unearned increment or'the advance of a railway line, the property goes up in value, men who have never been-within miles of their sections are allowed to transfer, almost without any investigation bcjng made into tho why or tho wherefor.

Sometimes it happens that the board makes some demur, and then the speculator has to cast round for some method to conceal the real state of affairs. The assistanco of a friendly doctor, or. aay be. several of them, is obtained, ami a "certificate obtained to the effect that the speculator's health will not permit of his niralising, and if it so happens that tho board is easily satisfied the transfer goes through, and the gentleman without any exertion adds considerably to an already ample bank balance. If'tho board were to investigate the matter, it would, in many such cases, find that Ihe health of the speculator at the time of the tranter is sought is precisely what it was wheu he drew the section, and tho truth o£ the statement about on a par

with any intention he ever had of complying with the conditions as regards residence. Not long ago one of our Judges made some pertinent remarks on the reliability of doctors' certificates as reasons for granting jurymen exemption from service on criminal cases. Tho Judge in question said he placed 110 reliance on a doctor's certificate, unless the doctor and the man to whom the certificate referred both presented themselves to tho Court for cross-examination. Meinliers of the various land boards in tho dominion would be grcall.v assisting the cause of closer settlement', and would make the path of the speculator far less easy, if they would adopt the opinion expressed by'the Judge in question. At present the'bona lide selector is at a serious disadvantage as compared with the speculator, and as it is not every day tliat tho true facts as regards the lastmentioned gentleman see the light of day, it is incumbent on tho members of tlie various land boards to make an example of every case that comes to light.—l am, etc., UNSUCCESSFUL IN EIGHT BALLOTS. Alarton, September, 1311. WOMEN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. ,

Sir,—Don't you think it is time that women were represented by some of their own ses in Parliament? Thero is no doubt, that there are many sensible and clever women who are quite as capable of filling the position as representatives of some of tho constituencies, as some, of the male members, who are ill tho House at present. The only clever man in the House is the Head of tho Government, who has run the whole show for his own agrandisement without reference to his meek followers. Ho wouldn't havo dared to act in the way he has and throw New Zealand's money away like dish-water to make himself prominent if he had had anyone to restrain him. It has been a one-man show all through. What is the good uf sending representatives to Parliament if one man is to tako the whole control and do las. he likes. The one man had the presumption to have an arch erected, said to Ik} for Now Zealand, to show her loyalty, but it was really to have himself placed on it along with Kovalty and other eminent men. Is it. for that, that New Zealand is so heavily taxed? Tho taxes were said to be levied to break up the big estates to give land to the people. The land tax presses more heavily on tho sniill landholders. The big estates can afford to pay heavy taxes out of their thousands, but the poor struggling working man, who has saved a little money to buy himself a bit of land, has to pay the tax, too, out of his small earnings, and it comes very hard 011 him. No! The taxes were raised to give Sir Joseph Ward mono) to carry out his own selfish ambitions. Ho has gained his end, and now what does his Government care for tho poor workingman? AVo want somo clever far-sighted women to represent us, and put a stop to the frivolous waste of time and useless expenditure. One thousand pounds goiie to glorify Sir Joseph Ward, for it had 110 other use. New Zealand was very well known before Sir Joseph Ward came into existence. 'Women were given the franchise to be made tools of for political purposes. Let them wake up and understand that they have an equal right with men, and an equal right to he represented by their own sex in Parliament. They haven't realised their own power yet. The time has arrived when women must show themselves a power in tho land. It is calmly discussed whether this or that man shall bo elected for Parliament. Why not a woman? Many of the women have borne tho burden and heat of the' day, and have taken more than their share of work to make New Zealand the country it is. let them rouso up and tako their share in the government and making of the laws, some of which press so heavily upon them, and which ought to be modified—notably, the compulsory clause of tho Education Act, after the fourth standard or after 12 years old for girls. Girls are compelled to go to school when they ought to be at homq to help their mothers or some other mothers. Tho health of many mothers is breaking down from overstrain. Many are widows with young children, and who nrc v left without a-ny means, but who have to go out to work to earn money to support themselves and children, and are not allowed to keep a girl of twelve at home to look after the younger children while the mother goes out to work. It is a monstrous, tyrannical law—a man's law! Let us havo some women to represent us. —I am, etc., AN INDIGNANT WOMAN.

THE RACING COMMISSION. Sir,—l s?o that tho commission are to be asked to reconsider their report, and if they are in favour of retaining the totalisator in New Zealand they will give tho matter serious thought. As far as the near-to-Wellington racing clubs are concerned, they could easily rearrange their programme to great advantage by leaving Horowhenua in, and taking two days off Otaki; taking one oft' Palmerston, and leaving in Ashluirst; two oft' Marton, and give these two days to Rangitikei; two from Woodville, and leave Pahiatua two days. This would mean four country clubs extra and 110 increase in tho days of racing. It would mean that racing permits were being distributed, instead of centralising and going in for big totalisator meetings. I have been on all tho racecourses mentioned, and can say that they are all good and' up-to-date.— I am, etc., - . FAIR DEAL. MATRICULATION EXAMINATIONS. Sir,—A common complaint seems to bo that the matriculation examination—the entrajico into the University—is too difficult. It seems out of all renson why tho University .Senate should increase the number of subjects in an examination such as. matriculation. It might be thought that by so doing it would bring the youth up to a higher standard of proficiency, but I venture' to express tho opinion of a good mamy that the notion is otherwise. Unless the number of subjects required to gaia a pass are lessened to the number they stood in previous years, or each subject made very much easier in tho examination papers than formerly, I feel sure that our universities will, in the noar future, have plenty of seating accommodation—that means less professors, too. It is not fair to the future goaeration, especially as regards tho health and happiness of our boys. It must not bo overlooked that our defenco laws demand a lot of time from our ijovs. It moans that something , has got lo bo neglected. Let us hope that the requirements in each subject in the coming matriculation examination, and in future, similar examinations will bo very much modified.

It is no use saying that you will raise the proficiency of our youth by giving him more study to follow, because 110 will not follow it. Consequently, upon completing his course at the primary school, ho looks up the requirements of universities, and iinds that the rango of knowledge is too extensive to pursue under our conditions of life, and therefore drops all future hope of education, often falling into a groove in which wo do not want our youth to get.

Let us hope thai Sir J. Ward will see what he can do for our boys bv way of modifying the requirements' of sity entrance examinations," especially because of the territorial training which has been enforced upon them. Thankin" yon, Mr. Editor, for valuable space,—! anj, etc., ' H. SMITH. Wanganui, September 9, 1911. MAIN ROAD, LOWER HUTT. SiT,—l would lilco to put in a few lines about the Main Ifoad, Lower iltitt. The road has been lately metalled, nii'd instead of being first stripped and then metalled, the metal was put on (op, and in consequence the carts cannot back info the curbing without tilting over. Tho 'buses anil the majority of the people hare io turn up the by streets to /ret into town, also several are using the bike track when riding. and in consequence the. bike track will not bp, fit for use. I overheard an expert ta'kimi about it and having a food laugh. Ail tho women are laughi.y; and savin!; that a cang of women could make a far better road. I have been in different parts of New Zealand, but have never seen a road made like the Main lioad, Lower Unit,— I am, etc., MERE WOMAN,