LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2121, 13 April 1914, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

———A- , -, i A WORKER'S VIEW OF THE SITUATION. Sir, —Being comparatively a stranger ; in this fair city of Wellington, though I landed here in the year Iti7o, 1 am intcrested in tho political situation, and anxious to embrace tho opportunity afforded in tho cities to hoar the best speakers. Hence I wont last Friday night to hear Mr. Fisher for tho first time, and last night ,1 listened to Sir J. Ward, whom J had hoard on one other occasion. Looking at the question so far, from a Christian'standpoint, if tho choico lay- between these two speakers I a,m bound to go for Mr. Fisher, though I have not heard his side oi tb© question, for the simple reason that ho was denied the right of speech, and this circumstance prompts rao to a great oxtent to decide in his favour. It is truo that Sir Joseph Ward delivered ft strong speech, and I agree with much of it so far as I understand, but it is not safe to bo carried away by fluent speakers on one side of so great a question. I.hare an idea- that Sir Joseph Ward could havo made just as strong a case for tie opposite side if he had been so inclined. On the occasion referred to, when Mr. Fisher attempted to address the great crowd in the Town Hal}, the sight and mnuiers of a number of people present recalls another large assembly, when a groat reformer tried in vain to reason with an infuriated mob, who shouted a sentence of a- silly assertion for tho space of about two hours; "Great is Diana of tho Eph&sians!" Tho Apostle, referring to this event afterwards, said: "Humanly speaking, if I fought with wild beasts at Epbesas." And it seems to mo that there is a striking resemblance between tho noise of wild beasts and tho idiotic interruptions and hooting persisted in at Mr. Fisher's meeting, and even last night when Mr. Hcrdinan's narwv was mentioned. It is a disgrace, and highly un-worthy-of an assembly of intelligent human boings. It 'cannot b© said that all parties a-ro alike Last night's meeting is'a proof oil this'point. Mr. Fisher's supporters behaved like ladies and gentlemen in giving " Sir Joseph AVard a patient hearing, though they had been, so shamefully treated by his supporters on tho previous occasion. It was all very well for tho chairman to say at the close of last night's meeting that "ho did not need the assistance of tho police, but could manage tho audience himself." To stem tho tido is not the same as drifting with the stream'. Sir Joseph was very guarded when dealing with the strike, and I hold with much of what ho said in self-defence, but cannot agreo with his theory. He said that men have as much right to.strike as a servant girl has to leave her situation in order to better her condition. I submit that this not a .parallel case s and so his reasoning is unfair. There is a vast dift'erenco between a single individual and a combination 6f workers, say, 1000 men. "When a servant leaves bo generally goes to another situation, or something better, and bis master obtains another servant, and sio injury is dono; whereas tho strikers Hot-only stop working,' to thoir own injury, but generally want to deny others tho right to work, and resort to all sorts of lawlessness. (In Sweden a few years ago, during a big strike the Government bad to employ tho army against the strikers, in order to preserve peace and industry.) 1 see in to-day's paper, re the striKo in London: "Thousands facing starvation." In the case of an industry liko the wharf labour, a strike is of greater consequenco than many other departments, as the whole community is dependent on tho export and import of a country. But apart from' that, even to get a parallel case, we Must imagine all tho (employers in a eommun* i.tv combining and dismissing all tho workmen, depriving them of their livelihood, and if they went elsewhere si-ek-ing work, to follow them up and prevent all tho employers letting any work to be done. That would be a parallel case. "Would it be right from any moral standpoint?

Sir Joseph Ward said that the strike did not injure tho largo landholders, :is it was not tho season for shipping the wool, etc.; and yet he said "they mustbe on tho Citizens' Defence Committee, and noftho small farmer and working men." This is too transparent for anybody, and it would have been mare honourable to Sir Joseph Ward had lie expressed his gratitude to those citizens for so nobly and disinterestedly coming to the rescue of the country. What was tho chief business of this committee P Obviously, to raise fuuds te cope with tho great demand and extra expenso caused by the strike. What good would a poor man be on such a function? I noticed tho Red Feds did not applaud so much when Sir Joseph Ward traversed this ground. Perhaps they felt ashamed. Ho made it- very clear that the conditions of the working man were better hero than anywhere, So much tho worse for tha strike. I heard one of tho best clergymen in Wellingtons say the other day that the Ecd Federation is'evil in its very essence, and if that is so, the strike must be evil indeed. Finally, I cannot agree- with Sir •Joseph Ward taking all the credit of all tho benefits conceded to tho working class. I remember a few years ago. when his party was in power, that I. was working on a station held by the Government. We (ploughmen and ull) were paid 15s. per week and found. Wβ were asked to sign 'a declaration that wo had received 255. The manager had a contract, I believe, of supplying us with food, and if tho cook did it too well he would sack biifi. Two men would be stowed into a room absolutely t°° sma " to healthy, and the work was just as hard as it is hero Mi the wharf. If the element disregarding law and order in Wellington should succeed in preventing tho other side from speaking, it behoves us to mako even more use of the Press, and to stand together solid for righteousness, and wft must win. Much more could be said if space did permit. —I am, etc., FAIR-MINDED WORKER, "REPRESENTATION AT WESTMINSTER." Sir,—ln y<sur issue of Friday last Mr. Georgo Henry. Davis writes, giving what purports to bo .information under theabove heading, tho gist of his contention being that Ireland is oy<?),->repre-sonted in tho Houso of Oammous, in fact, he states that sho is "more than over-represented," whatever that may mean. Unfortunately, your correspondent has not stated thp whoisi of the facts, indeed, tho most conspicuous feature of his communication is its iaaccuracy.

It is quito true, talcing the population of the "United Kingdom into consideration as a fact by itself, that Ireland is over-represented. Mr. Davies overlooks ' tho fact, however., that no political question t can well bo discussed without reference to its history, and the particular Subject on which he lias seen fit to address you is pre-eminently ono that should be considered in its historical aspect. By the Act of Union, Ireland is given her existing representation. To re'dnco her representation, therefore, is to tamper with the Union, and the Union has heretofore been regarded by the: Tory party as a kind of Ark of the Covenant. Certain it is, at any rate, that the Irish Unionists havo never been friendly to tho suggestion to reduce tho Irish representation in the House of Commons, and any attempt to do so womu divide them keenly. Tho major difficulty, howeror, from tlio Tory standpoint is that, while England would certainly gain increased representation by a scheme of redistribution, tho result would bo disastrous to the party, for the gain iii representation would go mainly to. the borounh constituencies. The bulwark of the

Tory party is the rural constituencies of England, 'and thero is such an incrcasinn demand for redistribution; that tho question muss soon.'lie faced.* >. If Mr, Dav-ies'wiH look at tho ekctoraj returns of 1910, lor example, he will find that Mr. J. Hamsay Macdouald, whojsits for Leicester, represents. 14.337 ■' voters, while there are rural constituencies retnruing members on less than onefoiirth of that number of voters. True, Leicester is a two-member district, but, even allowing for. tliat fact, there is still an enormous disparity' iii tho figures as between rural and .borough constituencies. As a matter of fact, the Tory party has never been, and is not now, keenly in '"favour of electoral redistribution, because tlwy know well that the. rcthietiou of the Irisli representation'voiild be more than ■ counterbalanced by the Radical gain in England itself. " ■■■■. ■-. "- .'■ ■~ Finally, it must be borne ■_ in mind that when the Act of Union was passed, and the representation of Ireland apportioned, there was. no inequality in tho numerical representation as between tha two countries, Inequality has been produced since by the terrible decimation of the population of Ireland, and that calamity has been caused by niisgovernment alone. Tliero is something curious in the mental make-up of men who profess concern at the *v«r-repre-Fentation of Ireland in the Housfc of Commons, while they havo not a word ■■to say regarding the disgraceful facts which account for tho loss of Ireland's population.—l am, etc., <■ ■ ■ P.' J. O'KEGAN. April 4.. SIR J. WARD AND HIS TAU TALK,

Sir, —Being ono of those present jttSir Joseph Ward's Oarluke meeting, and not having a chanco to ask any questions, I would like to say a few words through your valuable paper. In the first place. Sir Joseph Ward rated tho Prime Minister for stumping ttao country in election j»jar, and impressed this upon the- audience several times during his speech. Hβ .had no need to do this, as we all know it ia only the fact of its being election year that brings Sir Joseph Ward to Carluko. Ho goes on to. state Mr. Massey has put. the rate of interest up in tliie country 2 per cent. Now, as we all know, money w.ns extremely tight when Mr. Jjassoy took office (owing to the Balkan war and other causes), and the rate of interest went up all over tho world. Was that Mr, Jaassey's fault also? He went on ta stato how ftasy it was tn renew loans, and told tho audience that the eight million lo«in from the Post Office could be renewed 111 half n second, without any charges for underwriting. In fact, tie said ho could stand on his head and do it. I would like to see Sir Joseph Word standing on'his head in London until h& renewed Mr. Mackenzie's four million loan without paying anything to the underwriters. Then lie boasts about what he lent from the Advances to Settlers' Office. There are two monuments to Sir Joseph Ward's land settlement sch<tnes in tho Rai Valley. Ona is Borks's section, which was described •to selesters as Irst-class land., whileeveryone knows half of it is third-olass, and tho othor half second-class, all in bush, and the price worked cut at something like 56155. por acre. Tho other is the section I drew myself, which was weighted with £87.3 for milling .timber; terms £175 cash down, the balance in promissory notes of '£175 each, bearing interest at th& rate of 4 per cent, on the first, "5 per cent, on the second, 6 per cent, on tho third, and 7 per cent, in, tite last one, all payable in four year?: 'I had not seen , the section Until after I drew it, and wheii T saw it, and was advised by export bushtnen ,that tho timber wae fiat there, I refused to pay the tithes. (Of course, the Liberal rate of interest brought a, sttoiiß smell of Gorman Jew into the business, and made me a tit shy.) -- Iμ any case, wh&ii I refused to pay, I woa forced to forfeit, despite my "protests for a revaluation. When Mr. Massey camo itsto power, it was revalued, and put to the ballot, reduced by sgfiOO, and my half-year's rent returned, after two .years' battling, minus their own rate of interest, namely. 7 per cent. I want to know what is tho use of cheap money through the Advances to Settlers' Office when Sir Joseph Ward, as Minister of Lands, wanted thfeo times the value of tha land-when it was put to the ballot P . 1 might also • mention Borks'B section was surveyed two years before being baflotedfor at all. Hβ went raving tm about the land and paval defence, when it was hrmsslf who introduced the land defence "scheme. He ridiculed tho Massey Government for building a cruiser of the Bristol type (whicli is, at leasts seaworthy and up to daie)s_ He say's we may as well liave nothing at all. What protection did we ever have in his time as Minister of Defence? Ships sacli as the Pyrarous, Pioneer, Aniok.urn, and Torch, none of which om:l«i even stand a hard southerly in Goak Stfit.it, How ridkralous tho H.M.S. Torch would bo alongside a Uristol cruiser. He alludes to a deal nmdo iii 1909, in whifth tlia Borne Government agreed to send a certain number of ships to New Zealand, but he forgot to explain why the ariangeffifliit was not.carried out before lie left office three years later. Ono would think, to hear him, tho moment Australia and New SSeaknd eommenoo to build siiips of their own, Britain touM U> thoii* enemy. Sir Joseph Ward quoted from the newspapers several times during his speech, and in tho end would tr,V . to make everyone believe they- , all print eontemptiblfi lies, and are run by eapi- ! talists. He docs not mention the "Northern Advocate," of Wliangarei. or the lawsuit Cox versus Heyes And M'Clußgage." Those who Tiavo not.noticed this qase should get tho paper and Kid it, as was Comnrissibner of Taxes unrbr Sir Joseph Ward's MinI istry. Sir Joseph Ward is a capitalist 1 himself, and a.man wlso will hand down j a title to a son who lias dono nothing : whatever to cam the distinction. I osicc wciit to Kngland, working as a coal trimmer, and from what I could gather tliore, I can safely say a capitalist with a title is not regarded as the friend of ! tho working man hi the British Isles. In conclusion, .1 may say I am not a whiner, kit prefer psinh Mr. Massey to Baronot Ward, of Awarua.-"-t am, etc., JAMES A. M'CTJLLOWJH. Carinkc, April 5, 1014.

"THE STAR OF THE EAST." Sir,—ln yesterday's issue I read an article hcftded '.'Tho. Star of tho East." In this article. Miss Christie is quoted as saying (referring ti> tho expected advent of some divine teaehcr), "it is a significant all tho different sects have arrived at the same conclusion as to tile- time of His coming, and are- looking for His appearance between the years 1925 and 1930." How ie tho wofd "sect" to b<* understood? I fancy it generally refers to different religious deuoininatlons; but it can scarcely t!o so in this instance. It may, however, from a theosophical point of view, mean tho different religions of the world, counting Christianity as one. In cither case it seems a very extraordinary statement for any public teacher to make, "Wiiatever may bo the expectations of individuals, either in Christendom or tho world, it is most certainly not true that the great body of Christians, .composed of a!' denominations, or the mass of themembers of- any given Christian body, tinve come.to any such conclusion as that quoted above, Tho article in question states that Hiss Christie, in ex-r plaining the objects of the order cf the • Star of tho last,' "«'its tho Matter fairly lucidly.- / am afraid tho point I mentimi is not stilted with sufficient, deafness for my dull intellect. Perhaps Jliss Christie can give n little more light on this subject.—l am,, etc., . '. SCOT. ,

THE WAYS OF THE PUBLICAN. ; Sir,—l, with many oilier fellow tourists and travellers, note with i\ good : tloal of disgust the intention ot the : Wellington publicans to put uj> .vet higher thoir already exorbitant tariff from Bs. to 10s,, from i'is, (id. to 14s. per day, because of some award, lniide on behalf of hotel employees, and havo come to the conclusion that this is the ljtefc straw which breaks tho camels back. When tho iirst-elass hotel raised its tariff from Bs. to 10s. we grumbled; but wheu tho next rise from 10s. to 12s; Otl. was raado we said things which, il pttt into any prayer book, might ho calculated to damage its salo considerably. Now tho Us. lias really roadtetl tho limit,ai«l when enforced the publican will, 1 fancy, beoomo the heaviest loser. When it'is widely known what enormous profits tho publio*ui'Bialies on tho salo ot liquors alono,-it really does seem to me a "hot" thing to do over their new tariff. Tho glass of beef for which wo pay sixpence to the- publican over tho bar does not cost him a halfpenny, A bottlo of whisky, which costs tar.leas than 35., gives him, under a breakingdown process, best knowji to Idmsej', over 4s. profit. Tho food for which, he charges his long-suffering boarder or visitor from 2s. 6d. to 3s. per meal, doss not cost- him ffi-oro than 'Id. In short, any publican, who "knows liis business and manages well, in Wellington, rarely misses making a competency inside sotren years. But another., ward on the hotel boarders. Wo will say that & permanent boarder pays £ 3 10s. per ~ weuk for board and lodging; or, in ether words, 10s. per day. If, perchance, that "boarder, by reason of his calling in tho country, happens to bo absent from his hotel half the week, the publican coolly charges him tho same scale as if lie uatt been there all tho week, via., £3 10s., instead of what it should be. vjz,, £1 155,. or at the outside, say, £2, to allow for tbo bed which, although unoccupied by liim for half tho period, yet was retained by him for the whole week, I am not a Prohibitionist, nor have I any sympathy with the wowser, for if I require a whisky no law in the world will ever bo made to stop mo bavies what I choose to have. Neither do I ever dispute any hotel, bill (although I was strongly tempted so to do in Christ* chtireh recently oit fte occasion, of a publican charging me the enormous figure of 10s. for one bed and two meals). And whilst- on that subject I feel inclined to publish that, grabbing publican's name and address', yet I do think aad say things on occasions when I am being charged for supplies I ilover had, for I feel at such' times that if tho butcher, or tho baker, or the grocer endeavoured to charge- ieo for steak, or bread, . or tea whidi was Mrer supplied 1 certainly- would not pa?;, Why, there* fore, do I pay the publican for luncheons and dinners I never tadi .

Of course everyone must jive, lbut when, the well-preserved publican and hie prottv wife drive . about in Ms expeiisive Panharri or Ford, goes best tWsed to sll'the races and places »f amusement, occupying all the best places there; takes periodical trips to tho old'countries in the best of styles, and with pockets ,so wail lined as'to cause no tmcasiness as to cost; Whan you see publicans educating their sting i'or lawyers, doctors, and. other proud professions; vvhett you see jnibficaus marrying, on account of their great wealfck alone, their daughters almost iato the nobility, whilst gentlemen are compelled to lvftik afoot and grind on ia perhaps irksome uncongenial occupations, it does seom as if the liquor trade were a good traffic-, and tho only way k> aiftain easy competencies in. life. Bilk to return to our muttons. • 1 should strongly advise the publican, if he valaes hits very eststcneo, not to jump, up yet higher iiis tariff, a.s if ho does s& 1 for oiie, ntid I knew many otliett twirists and travellers, aay go and vote right out for National l'roiiilritum. Jfo-r the'very worm will turn if you him. fiow inueli ieerej tlicaj, a livuig baing, Jifc-loving, healthy touristDon't lot tho puWioan aisguide himself, wild happeps to read this, by pefcliaps shrugging his shoulders and rauttering: "Bah, tho raviiigs of some crank, or wowser, m -tf-aster, who very likely didn't pay his board.'"' Tho writer is uothintr of the kind. On tho other hand, 'It©ls one wlio gives fair pwy « afl, and daes jwt yet think the general shutting up of the publieJiouso would bo an unmixed blessing.' Yet he is alstf going to have fair' play from the publican, and so signs himself _~„,,„ CAVEA.I. ■Wellington, April'll, 1814. [No doubt there a» puWieans wlio have made substantial profits, out of the hotel busineßs, but the position 'of tins hotelkeeper to-day is aot the rosy thuig it used to ha. The brewing monopoly in tho majority of eases reaps the torvest, while the hotelkeeper cawioe th© burden.]

• THAT MOTION* gi r> —Kimlb , allow me to disabuse the. minds ©t' those who believe .that I am ■ the "Walton" who moved tuat motion from the body of the hall after that , groat bombastic speech by the Leader of tho Opposition Party. No, Sir, 1 am a Masseyite, and my principles are most decidedly opposed to Wardigm. Hints have been thrown out osi several occasions tbes the BefpfSi Party were asked to support the Red Feds at the second ballot at last election. I don't think this is correct—tljo likvt, I fancy, refers to tho election of Robertson—no 1 advice was needed on that occasion, as our choice lay with Robertson in , preference to field, aa it will again be on this occasion if there arc only the two ftinditlatos. But I fancy Byron Brown is going to TUn ( and I would stake a farthing cake that be will be tfro winning horse. However, qur hopes hang that way. Trusting that I have cleared myself from in any way being connected with that meeting my friends can take my word.—l itffl, etc., BENEY WALTON, Waikanae, April 10. . RED FEDS, AMO LIBERALS, Sir,—That there h an a.liiaticc betjvecu tht\ Red Feds and Liberals to engineer the downfall of tho Mnssoy Government has, by rcSettt incidents, been proved beyond doubt,, disjnto assurances to tho contrary. Further evidence of this alliance is forthcoming from the Mastcrton electorate, A raoeting fof tho purpose 'of forming a .branch of the Liboral League has been' called for Eketahuiia, the 'prime movers feeing those most strenuously opposed to the sending of specials' to Wellington in order to assist in tho shipping of far-

Uit'.rs' produce during the strike at thelatter end of last year, and those holding tiio most pronounced pro-strike-. views. Those who fully realised what it meant to have their produce shipped, and they ate an overwhelming majority, treat tho attempt to fofm a Literal, League. imdev,6ueh iHispices, ns a hage joke. Sir Joseph Ward would lie well advised, aJid it would show that lie meant what Ite sit.id, if lie sent along tho hint to these pre-strikons to keep well in the back-ground.—l am. etc.. "A GOOD LIBERAL. : Eketaltmia, April 4.