LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1417, 18 April 1912, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

A SUBURBAN RAILWAY GRIEV.

ANCE,

Sir,—May I venture, through the courtesy of your columns, to draw attention to another instance of the condition of our Wellington suburban railway travel. Leaving Lambton yesterday by 'tho 4.10 p.m. train, it reached Ngahauranga two minutes in advance of the time-table, hut, alas! we were there detained for H minutes, and alongside of several trucks of sheep and a yard full of pigs. Leaving these stenches at LIB and jolting along, with-some further delay at Petono, we reached the Hutt twenty minutes late, having accomplished this eight-mile journey, by n passenger train timed to run in 25 minutes, in threc-quarfifrs of an hour. Now, this section of a railway has been duplicated at an enormous epst to give a service worthy of the l'etoue and Hutt communities, but as yet no equivalent improvement of fhe time-table has been attempted, and the indilferenco lo punctuality is perhaps worse. Public remonstrance and deputations to previous Ministers have had no effect, unless a suspicion created that the staff had got out of control may be counted; but be that as it may, the condition of the administration of this section of railway is a scandal, condemning the whale management and robbing those responsible of any claim to efficiency.—l am, etc., NAINAI. April 17, 1912.

DEMAGOGUES, DEFENCE, AND GEN ERAL GODLEY.

Sir, —I beg to thank you for your leader in your issue.of April 16, which is exceedingly temperato considering the plaguo New Zealand has been suffering of late from the pest of those pufi'ed-iip creatures who can deceive none but the

unwary. It was high time to notice that which, if entirely unheeded, may become a very real 'danger, and retard the progress of this fine voung country. "Defence Camps'' are dealt 'with by "Young Now Zealandcr" in a tone which is very unpatriotic, (and disclosed his ignorance. l'irst he writes "Major" Godley. instead of "Major-General" Godley, against which I strongly protest. Tlie territorials and tlio general public have long sinco found in General Godley a man in overy respect worthy of his highly responsible position; a.man who has, in a high degree, that charm of personal brightness, cheerfulness, silong with, tlio stamp of a truo soldier, as well as a gentleman.; and as ho has gladly admitted ho has found excellent "material" to work 'with, I doubt not that tho New Zealand forces will bo "up to date" within reasonable limits of time, and officers and men, on parado and olf parade, will show they have been under trainin- at a "high school," and will probablv be less pugnacious than untrained men,'for- it is a- soldierly quality to spurn anvthing in tlio nature of "squabbling," anil ever to play the "mail." ' I think young New ZenInnders and old New Zealanders have a right to be proud of their distinguished General commanding the force.?. He assisted General Baden-Powell in tho magnificent defence of Mafoking, which stands out in the history of the Boer War as a feat worthy of British Army history.- I do not wish here to underrate the-services of other gallant officers and men of course, but our people should be mindful ot and emulate in some measure in their own way and in their own held of usefulness in tlie world, tlioso who are honoured by their country and Sovereign for distinguished .service.—l nin, ole inm:i;\r.\x.

, P.S.—those who object lo preparation for delcnce id country would do well lo nsk themselves what would have been the lata of Japan had sho not trained nnd trained her men for twenty years,- anil they had none too many, though the'v jin<| enough lo bent Russia, with her '"re'it military history and almost unlimited resources of men. Olio miifht it is ■training rather than numbers that lolls in military warfare, with Hie irue patriotic spirit on fire all the lime. Jet us try lo attain this spirit, iu our Dominion and silence growlers.