LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1289, 18 November 1911, Page 14

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

LAND BALLOTS. . Sir.-"Will von allon- me a small spaco in your vuluablo paper io air a very Inrifo (fj-ioranco which concerns n grra't niiiny l!innli(. s . Uis Iho unfairness iiiul iiniiopulanf.v of land ballot;.-,. We hoar of it iiiimlicf of jipoplo who liavo i-cikmlpillv applio.l and balloted for land, ami hav« tern specu alors and liachelor-i skmh-c th.-ll; saiiio Jau.t. Surol.v thr.ro is land that could l,ii set aside for tho man who has, say, ji iamily of iivo uhildron and iipwirds? mul it is in the countrv diMriHs (hat one linds the Inrgesl families. Well surely those poople drsorvc (o bo holp,y|? Many a man capable and willinir would bo ,i well-to-do farmer to-day if only ho had had a chance, but no. If v<, tt haven t. some money you have no chance, and so must toil on to the end, and when wkj old to work have tho pension, insfcad of-ii comfortable farm that von had honestly worked for. They may *crv about tho decroasing birth-rale: lot tho legislators givo homes to the present g"n°Mf n T n i? d th ° wiil lo « k after itV l. v 0 a f nu "ly of six children Taihapo, 12. >A MOTIrEB"CIVILISATION ASTRAY." vi,;r An i Vo "u ,vJro n!x(h lho clumns nf }our valuable paper, or any important paper published at this timo can only soe. and sec, plainly, that the worhl is now almost in. tl, o valley of despair, ihat it has little choice left in th« manner of assistance. That it is also plunged into a vortex of complications which surround it to the neck. Tho present generation is without a doubt shackled up lo the eyeballs; mid only the mouth, and tliat alone, has a certain amount of liberty to ejaculale. And there are to-day voices in abundance. Liko a fair in ]rdlanil, each voicu has sometliing to proclaim bach has a panacea-a solution— a problem; and according to newspaper reports, tho entire- liftlo planet upon which we live (for it is not very considering Uio many worlds in tho universe) may bi; likened lo the dibordorod plaeo which the majorily of poople call hell. As it pro.CTes-.es, and osixtcully in recent years, Iho. planet on which' wo livo is becoming more and moro liko an insane, asylum. Over (he whole world, despite what wo may think lo Iho contrary, is presented to-day a sceno of co,ulusion never before cxpericncixl in human history-

The columns of Hie newspapers present only scenes of confusion, of anta"o<ii'--m of censure, of debate, of degradation, of ambition, of diplomaov and of commotion. Babol is th"o only word which at all can adequately describe the position of present affairs. If this is not true, let someone proTo it. A multitude of voices aro produced, and each one has a solution of its own which it offers tn this generation as a remedy: like a quack medicine which is supposed to regulate health and restoro it. That panacea is offered to tho world. . Governments have arisen which present tho principles of unionism as n reparation. They are called Labour Parliaments; portfolios of office aro put into their hands by the majorities who have placed tjieso combinations in power. Yet their arbitration courts have proved to be complete failures. Their decisions are rejected, unheeded, and despised. Tho striker still has tho delightful opportunity of throwing trade, commerce, and finance everywhere into confusion. These Governments, too, look like nnwieldy tools, autocratic, despotic, and tyrannical. The efforts at arbitration fail. The pills, sugar-coated by diplomacy, aro only swallowed by the angry masses'when the occasion suits itself. .Their pourparlers aro rejected. Thousands lay down their tools wlieu it suits themselves'to do so; and trade everywhere is paralysed. Labour Governments aro proving absolute and complete failures. Otherwise tho events which surround us, and which confront us, aro daily misrepresented. Then again the world's peace and universal prosperity, by another class aro supported and supposed to be kept in thenoriginal place by the multiplication of Dreadnoughts. By millions of men under training for soldiers; while peace, and such peace as we have, is subservient and dependent upon the ■ existence of battleships and armies. Thirty per cent, of tho wages of eome nations , is extracted from the .dolapidated pockets of their subjects tio support the war issue. Bad powder blows up between two and three millions sterling in an instant; as it did in Franco the other day in Toulon Harbour. The mania for Dreadnoughts and armies has reached the brain of political Europe. Safety, supremacy, and protection aro supposed to lie in the existence and efficacy of tho war vessel?. What, Mr. Editor, would Collingwood, Hardv,. or cvon Nelson think of tho Dreadnoughts of to-day. The safety of the planet is supposed to lie in tho Dreadnoughts, and not in God. Prosperity, too, is supposed to lio in amalgamation, in confederacy, in unionism, and not in God. A divine superintendence is to-day a secondary consideration; even if it is a consideration at all. Or, perhaps, tho world now worships Jupiter, as the ancients did, more than Christ. But, at all events, jt is a comnlex picture which is presented 'to-day, is it not? Millionaires axe monopolising trade. Equity in the art of legitimate competition is denied men. The idle rich, osrocially in America, are a spectacle to" tho world* to angels, and to God. Extravagant Injury which far surpasses any previous epoch, luxuriates in closo proximity to poverty, wretchedness, and abject despa.ir. Callous humanity in tho costly mansion'hides itself, and abandons irssl'f to tho most astonishing excesses in every avenue of extended pleasure, while the poor are starving and erring for bread; not only for the bread of life, but for the crusts of a daily existence. Then they blame tho poor unfortunate haggard creatures for getting wild. Favourite monkeys and dogs are fed upon rich viands from silver plates, while the poor and their cliildron starve. Starve amidst our boasted civilisation bo death. And Ms is called humanity. The song of the shirt has a far wider application to-day than London and tho world has ever in its most pathetic moments given it boore. Shrouds, not shirts, are called for )y tho millions, and Tom Hood lias turned over in his grave. Tot wo are a religious people, a generous people, a people who love their ncighjpurs as themselves; that is, if wo count the thousands of steeples in tho land, spire 3 which point to heaven. The planet is full of religion, from tho chief Caliph of Mohammedanism to the Bishops of London. Yet tho religion which we lavo presented has not mado us any betcl ]7° K° oivilised barbarians attcr all. We have tho civilisation, that 13 true; but the refined barbarism of onr century overshadows it. Gold, ambition popularity, and selfishness aro tho gods oJ the planet. The shrines of these ldoli aro erected everywhere. You will find tnem in tho most sacred places in tho world. Them, Mr. Editor, we havo placed before us tho dignity of war. The lust [ nations, lie land-grabbing policy of ■he great Powers. The delightful pic™Tm kij horr ? re committed upon the battlefields, where men are butchered women outraged, and children arc stuck ? n 'Jj o ,Pomt of tho spear; and all this is called civilisation, bravery, and humanity, iho elevated notions of war, of discipline, and of military efficiency of (he twentieth century are reflections which l>ortend to evil, yet the nations look ou \nthont even a shuddor. Tho ItalianTurkish crisis is not their concern. The Moroccan question, too, is finished. Diplomats go home to smoke their fragrant cisars. It is all oommo il faut." Then wine tho Italians aro slaughtering the Arabs, and the Arabs the Italians Chini is going for Peking. Revolution is rile Heathen China is in arms. The yellow race 13 crying for emancipation, <md the instrument with which to obtain it is the sword. And many a bloody sword this last week has stricken the head which once wore a pigtail. Thousands will plav with tho joss sticks no more. While the Arabs are food for vengeanco pnd vn j, fi 5, , tho Cliincso a.To painting China with blood. YAc aro certainly living on a sercno planet, aro wo not,' Mr. Editor? \\ hilo these scenes are being perpetrated in living characters, thousands of littlo children, adults, and responsible, parents jiro attending picture shows—Red Indians lovo tragedies, tiger fights, robberies under arms, lovo incidents, excitable, mil, detrimental—an edncation to lie avoided polluting the mind of youth, excHiu~ the. natural passions, showing crime upon tho canvas, presenting it as a hero, and in its heroic form, hikl'filling (ho minds of millions with a representation of tragedy in ito averj form and liuo-bringing it* for.

a. silver coin under th<> niilii-o nf Hi" youth of to-flay. Tim udiiuilion if. i.iv«.l from a. Dcsrlwood J)ii:lc is «;; iihlliliii' I" il. W.hnt does il nil mean, Mr. Hilil'.-ri' Education!- Jf hi, what liincl cil' In cation? One fur In-avon, or «m< for d<structionf Fur niuiulilv nr iniiiKHalih , ■' For tragedy or fur imiicji? I'm- n Miiiinl mind, a lovable disiidsiliuii, <»• a ii.i.-- i>uiato ono? While, picliim show.. haw tlooih-d the ciliivs. tragedies and wan nro flooding the iialimis. Tin. whole. <-;nlh i: 10-diiy a piottiro show -h uml him\ h ili.v Imbed onc\ a tyr.iiininil, an ."ui!!'' , '■ iw oni'. an unjust oni\ and an iinli<dy inu\ .Alan loves his neighbour lilt.. Iml.i. I'mmfoi'oradrs and naliuiis ilo l.ln< :,,hu<\ A|'-Krof.-ion is riiiuiniil. lli|il,.ni:i.v iiil.-s. and revenge cxnculiv;. Hut iiiiiid it nil we heal- the vm.o nf I In. J|,,ii vim ili.d upon Calvary mini; lo all in Ih,. |~.,| accent-; nf lovft ami nily: "If y« luvi. Me, keep my ciiiiiniaiidiiiciilis!" ' ,\W, Mr! Editor, J nsk (lie lin.-il mieslion: |),,, H tlio world l/i-day exhibit liv i|., ndiiuis its ©duration, and il« pnlii'y, llm 0h,,,, neter of tho Man who died upon Calvaiv'- , Diivn wo nuido it a hrawn, ,„• j* il L couung mom and morn a world of ■.Irife of hatred, and of animosity? Whirl! angel, wo ask, i.M presiding at llm world's (front picture (.how? Tho nicotic or llm sakunc? Which?—l am. «lc, ,|.|(.