LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1643, 9 January 1913, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

"REDEEMING THE- TIME." v Sir,—ln. visiting ,in the' outskirts of Wellington,. Hatnitai,"and other places, 'I riotioecT how tho postman had to climb up the hills and steps to; tho houses, very few "having boxes, and few tb nieet them at ,the pate, and. go save thom a 'lonj? climb.. In towns in England circulars aro. issued by tho postal authorities requesting, people to , have a box on . their gate or door, and so enabling a quicker dispatch of. letters; If people would get a box oil .tho outer gate,- or somewhere at tho bottom of their step's or long path, it would be 1 a great' saving of. time and labpostmen... It is certainly very heavy work delivering letters on the hills in. Wellington twice, or thrte times daily, and must tell much on a man after a few years. It would bo a great kindness to them, and good for the postal, authorities,/ if' boxes, were placed at' suitable places to'Savo tho climbing. Miles in: a ;day might, be saved to each' man delivering on tho hills; \lt Would.bb'.,a great boon and a. real.kindness,.and I am sure tho men would be'thankful.—l am, etc., i ' ONE WHO HAS DONE THIS WORK, . aro cheap, and most can do this ■ kindness. •'••' • . THE FIREMEN'S TROUBLE. Sir,—Re theffiremen of the s.s. Maori, the men of- tho Union 1 are; powerless,' when a.striko is decided upon by the, officials. Thrfe or four cunning '.men, .who have worked themsslves . to; • positions socalled ' influence, 1 lose tteii heads and' becOnie.tyrAnnical, but the rnfen individually cannot _.bo ..blamed—they ' are, 1 powerless. Thevuriion wants, sotne: legal power to. en*, able the men ;to bundle th'cir leaders off wh'en. they become: sp unreasonable, causing' loss bf.wagis.to'.tlife main-body of the working-.men. against'.their .will, and' a total "disregard of law and order. It is a pity that-sano.men should bo'in such' a position.. Hopintf some niearis will bo found to help the nremen.—l.am; <>tc.Y-. , •.. .. v .HOPEI'UL Palmerston.,North. ' . MEN OF THE MAORI. .'" V Sir,—l opepied my_ Domikion this morn-', ing. to ;fin<l. in pf,rtacular:.prolninencfl;'t)ie mlttplWOTi.wii'folfoiW'd H 'ilirife • length l to ..the bitter-end, and then menially ' ran a' red line ; through • tho' lot—five feet-lineal'.'of,•-spaed' that,'could ; have'.been better occupied!"-A'matter ofjopinion, .vou will - say. ' : ,Wcll, let the 'public judge. Your reports, arid.,arguments have been based entirely on the internolations of DUnedin and; Christchurch talkers and writers:,! Norie of' thesvliave sized up the' position corrcctly. Nothing said or done by the -Maorl's- men '.fits; in - with-or sunports the,arguments emanating from tho southern cities. .There are two distinct classes of firemen, arid the'revolt of the Maori's men. is against the lazy indiscrimination.' of .''the-■ "ptess"' between. the two classes. -All the first-class - boats of the Union • Company . attract, the better class of firemen—lienco the '.' trouble, as .onoosed to yoiir- account -of the cause. What these men ask.'is thpt the' firemen service shall bo judged bri merit, .and not. mi in standard 'bnsed/ ; on ' the nieasuro of , the worst. Previous to ,the assoniati&ii*s slin, this grievance never had.achance of bo'ng properly brbught out or dealt' witli: —I am, etc.i '■ • T '"v - 'v' HENRY BODLEV. January. 8,. 1913:» ; MAK UR i ' ANO. P.OST A L MATTERS. Sir,—Settlers :in: this district- will'' be pleased tb hear that Pongaroa, in addition to ; getting. a delayed mail daily from Pahiatua, via ( Makuri, are also gating a tri-weekly: mail/from Dannevirke. - This' ,service must connect with Eketaluui.v in the near.futute; and .I. am at a lnss-'to ' understand why; the Postmaster-General does not'.make - Eketahuna the l, starting point now; instead of letting a contract Makuri.-way for one year only. It is a. straight run- between >Eketahuna ' and Dannevirke, .with, less,mileage— and mails must necessarily be carried cheaper— being carried up to Pahiatua, and then' angled, off. to; Pongaroa, seems quite ridiculous, and a waste of public inoney.- Besides, there, .is the ridiculous- delay "of " twenty hours in Pahiatua. Instehd of mails and passengers, taking two days to reach Pongaroa they could' get- through -easily in one day. Small markpt townslike Pahiatua,"since" the inauguration of parcel .post, have lost a great part • of' their usefulness; -as • countrj-;' settlers can purchase direct with Auckland, ' undoubtedly- the cheapest market in the .Dominion. , Theri ; tho: Ngaturi, Maktiri;' and Coonoor riiaik are a .disgrace to the Postal Department. Instead of -public money being paid for a quick delivery of letters, it is .wasted in-a .slow passenger trafficj and our' boasted-post 'office' system has degenerated into a sort of "books agency business ;".that;ThomasCock and Son would be aghamed to own. .iVH'AVel-lington,-Napier, and Palmerston: letters and; passengers are • held ',up in. Pahiatua from 2 p.m. .until. 10 a.m. next morning, and instead of passengers from Wellington arriving in Makuri at.,5.30 p.m. the. same, day, ; t is one".o'clock"'the uext- day before ,-fcliey arrive. The Coonoor outward mail is'a lieauty; a gem of. intellectual purity, which no brain except thht of a- New Zealand postal official cculd ever dream of.' Instead of the Coonoor' outward mails leaving at 8 a.m. to catch the Makuri coach at 10 a.m-.; they am'ye in. Makuri at noon, and remain there 22 hours. Instead,of letters being delivered in Pahiatua at 2 p.m. Tuesday, it is Thursday : morning before they are delivered. ' Wednesday is a half-holiday delivery.;! Friday's' mail 'arrives ftatordaat 1 p.m.'in'Pahiatun. as half the business people are telosed, it is Monday before our letters nro,attended to, instend of Friday afternoon... Settlers'.cn the.. Makuri-Coonoor Road havo been granted, ■rural, delivery; but tho boxis oidered and paid for.a month, ago liavo not. "cwne to hand yet. We have waited five or six years for rural delivery, and T sincerely trust they will come to hand sano time beforo this, contract expires. Settlers between Pahiatua and Makuri are not' to b£ included in' tho rural delivery business. Tho Secretary, of the Post Office says "Ng," - and that is supposed to end the matter. , 'But as lie gets freo delivery in Wellington, nnd the PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, gets 'his letters free; and I get mine free,'l see rio just reason why that honest eld Scotchman John Dick. Esouiro, one of the pioneers -of the district, and vho is to be congratulated on celebrating his golden Wedding, should lie asked-io pav -C 2 per annum to get his letters delivered. I may say in conclusion it is not nly in.tention'to rest until all settlers in this ; district aet the some treatment rego'ding their letters'-as those who resido in our ; towns.—l am, etc., ' WM. M, MOORE. , Makuri, Januarj fl, 1913. ' •['