LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1530, 28 August 1912, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

4 ; THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Sir,—A misconception or two in your otherwise excellent article of to-day's date on tho reform of the Council brings me into print for a few lines, In tho first place I did not "bash" tho'Bill. I employed that treatment on an argument T which covers a jrreat deal more than tho Bill, and took care to say so. In the second place I did not take up the position that the Legislative Council governs this country. That is your position, dr, not mine. It is kind of you to offer it to me, but I should really be better without it. I explained during my speech, by way of illustration, that tho governor of a steam engine dees its work well enough, and does not require a senarato bciier and separate engine to help I it, adding that if the governor should be s so "reformed" it might be bad for both D machines. This may be wrong. But it is not an admission that tho Council gov- ; erns the people. The House of Eepresen- ( tatives does all the governing I think • there ought to be with the exception of J the function I h-ave alluded to above, i That seems to be the view of the Liberal t Government, which framed the Irish ] Ifomo Eule Constitution, in which the 1 Second Chamber is nominative—as I ex- 1 plained in ray speech. . Their democracy j suits me very w.cll, especially as they and some of their Radical and Labour supporters hold these views in the face of the , new constitutions adopted by Australia and South Africa. They even are reported : to have gone so far as to hold that the : nomination of the Second Chamber is a . shoot anchor of democracy. What sort of ; a brand of democracy is yours that wants ' to let tho Council "govern the people" ■ you will perhaps explain. "While you utb about it you may as well tell us whether this type of democracy extends to the election of judges, magistrates, and postmasters, and if not why not. Yen have with your usual good taste entered into tho personal equation, imputing motives. But into that I will not followyou. I will only say that you have neither tho monopoly of unbiased view nor the right to impute motives to any- man in discussing public affairs.—l am. etc.. E. A. LOUGH-SAN. August 2G. Much as wo should have liked to have spared. Mr. Longhnan's feelings by discussing the question of Legislative Council reform purely from tho point of view of principle, it was unfortunately necessary for the purpose of illustrating the danger of the nominative system, with a "spoils party" in power, to point to a certain class" of nominee the product-c.f the Continuous Ministry. Mr. Longman may ouibh'e as to tho extent to which the Upper House shares in the government of the counti-v, but he will hardly deny that ! it not only possesses the power to initial" legislation, but also to override the Hon-'e of Benresentativcs and, whenever it chooses, reject measures tho House has i passed.] ■ PROHIBITIONISTS AND POLITICS, Sir,— Surely there must he a mistake 1 somewhere concerning the attitude of tho '' Wellington City and Suburbs No-License ' League, for they are reported as having ' adopted the recommendations of the acw ] Zealand Alliance "not to support any can--1 didate who declines to pledge himself to ! abolish the three-fifths handicap." To ' imagine that a candidate or a handsome majority of successful candidates could 1 give effect to such a pledge in Parliament •is an error of judgment, and the recom- * mendation a subterfuge. Th° authors of ! it should face their resonsibility both L squarely and promptly, and not pursue a ' second wild chase so uncomp'ir'en- ; tan- to th»ir 'fo'.l"wers. New Zealand Par- , . lianvnts both past and present have defi to nick- this piece of licensing legislation a party question, and have j>x- " nlainod whv; consequently, if tho New Zealand Alliance are true to their tru«t, they will promptly discard their disguise and take the electors into their ennd-ence. s While I can claim to be a consistent sup- ' riorter of the top line, I decline to accept 9 this useless weapon.—l am. ph.. I DISABSIED., ; August 2G, 1912. ! t [ " RANG OFF IN THE DOCTOR'S EAR." a ' " 0 ■■ ® A .WESTLAND HOSPITAL MATTEE. J (Br Telegraph.—Srwlal Corrnsponitont.l h Hokitika, August 27. ;. The action of the chairman of - tho Westla'nd Hospitals and Chary itable Aid Board, in refusing adn mission to the hospital of. an indigent y woman suffering from consumption in its contagious form, was brought under the public notice to-day by_ Dr. R. B. P. Monson. In a letter in this morning's u Dr. Monson pointed out that ' ivhen he interviewed the chairman per * telephone at the secretary's request he was discourteously treated, and was asked |j whether he was providing the money for „ tho woman's accommodation. He said he " was not, and the chairman declined to 5' admit the woman and rang off in the doc- * tor's ear. Concluding the letter Dr. Mon- *, son wrote: "This is a matter in which jF the public welfare is at stake, and I ask , the public if they are going to stand '" tamely by and allow thechairman of the i board to override our public health laws, und d'svpeard' the public safety bv pere that the poor woman.is being kept oy the 'ic without clue precautions bein» taken 3 against the spread of this 'human scourge.' * A suitable place is absolutely necessary 'I for enses of this s-ort, or else skilled su- " pervision by a trained nurss. The fact ; 8 tha tho poor woman is being kept by the T charity of her neighbours does not do , a away 'with the fact that hospitals and f, hospital boards were primarily established for the benefit of the indigent poor." '" The Inspector-General of Hosnitals has e been coinmimicated with and ho is expected to move in the matter.