LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1707, 26 March 1913, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SENIOR CADET COMPETITIONS. Sir,—l feel that I am voicing the opinion of the various squads of senior cadets, wlio took part in tlio route competition last Saturday, when I say that tlioy objected most strongly to the action of , the Wellington College Cadets, who took no part whatever in the display givin by the other competing squads, previous to the route march. All the squads, with the exception of tlio college, met at the Newtown School, and alter putting in the best part of an hour doing physical and squad drill in the school ground, were then marched to Newtown Park, and for an hour had to stand in the hot sun and go through the tiring work of tphysical drill again, to entertain the public. Meanwhile the Wellington College Cadets (who, by the way, were about twico the size of the other boys).were quietly resting on the gentle slope on the western sido of the park, from the burning rays of the hot sun. The boys were then sent off on the route march, among them tho Wellington College, and, needless to say, they won. Then, again, I understood the cup given by llrs. Rhodes was for the team gaining tho greatest aggregate number of points in route-marching, rifle exercises, physical and squad drills. >A\ lien I come to total up the points gained by the various teams, I find that Y.M.G.A. gained 375 points, College 305,-and Technical School 4 350, thus giving Y.M.C.A.' a clear lead of ten points. I fail to see how the tie for the cup is arrived at. .. In fairness to the Y.M.C.A. team, I may state that I have no connection with them, —1 am, ctc., FAIR PLAY.

CIVIL SERVANTS' TRAVELLING EXPENSES. Sir,—Now thalt the Civil Service Commissioners are on the eve of taking up the work for which they were appointed, I would, through your columns, desire to draw their attention to the necessity for dealing with the ■ travelling allowances en-anted to Civil Servants. In the past it has very frequently been the. custom of some travelling to leave home on a Saturday, and'as the full travelling allowance is claimed by the some deferred to for tho Saturday and the Sunday, which are generally spent with friends or relations, they draw the allowance for those days, which an honourable man would feel lie was not entitled to. Frequently, too, when away, days are spent at the houses of friends and relations, which does liiot seem to be quite-the tiling. The most economical way, perhaps, for the Commissioners to deal with this question would "be to decide that only actual expenses should be paid for. In conclusion, let me say that there are maliy honourable exceptions to what has been hero stated. If the Commissioners were to examine some of the vtouahei'S 'for travelling allow* aiice they would no doubt be astonished at the large amounts drawn by some of Wio individuals referred to. Perhaps, ton, they might find- that a surcharge would make some of them wish that they had b?en a little economical with regard to the expenditure of rmblic moneys.—l am, i etc., ' ONE WHO KNOWS. Wellington, March 22, 1913.

THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION. Sir—l have been very much interested with all the letters that have been written about the above examination. A boy of mine has been attending a seoondary school during the last five years. In 1910 he passed in all subjects except one; 1911. h® failed in one subject, ivhich he had passed in the year previous; in 1912 lie again failed in one subject—that subject he passed in 1910. There must be soriiething radically wrong somewhere when such a thing occurs.—l am; etc., PARENT. March 21, 1913.