SHORTHAND EXAMINATION.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2481, 7 June 1915, Page 8

SHORTHAND EXAMINATION.

Sir, —May, I be permitted, through ,j the columns of your paper, to protest against tho manner in which tho roador j 1 froai tho Public Service Commissioner's jj omco conducted the reading at tho ; shorthand examination last Saturday? -• It is generally expressed that at times her voice was almost inaudihle, that, several of the candidates were unablo i. to hear distinctly, therefore they could not complete tho sentences. Consequently many failures will result. I maintain that no ordinary person is ® competent to dictate to candidates sitr ting for examination, and in futuro I would suggest selecting a reader from 11 ono of the Wellington shorthand classes.—l am, etc., j SCRIBE, o • [This letter was submitted to the g Commissioner's office for an explaua--0 tion. Tho reply was that the superl- visor took precautions to make sura t that the dictator's voice carried dis- * tinctly to the farthest end-of the room. •! As proof that this was so it waspoint--0 ed out that one of tho candidates who ,■ had sat at tho farthest end of th® ■j room had passed. The results wero !. not complete, and it was impossible to I. sav whether there would be many ' failures or not, but in these shorthajid '. examinations held at intervals there s were invariably many failures. —Ed. t Dominion.] THE MAORI PROTECTED. 1 : — 2 Sir, —It is about time the Maori was ; put on a different foovng. I'liev aro , protected by a special law, but are at 3 liberty to take advantage of our ordin- ■ ary law. For instance, a Maori corns into a store and orders goods on credit. It is known he has land and receives , rent. He runs up a number of ac--1 counts, and finally files his schedule. A meeting is called and adjourned to oni able the Assigneo to iin e r -tigate! In ' the case now referred to, "some months 1 have passed, and ono of the creditors i wrote to tho Assigneo, and the reply is . as follows "Re , bank nipt: The only assets ' in this estate were a brake and a ■ bicycle. The bicycle realised £1, and the brake was not worth bringing in, being in the last stages of collapse. Of course you a.re aware that I cannot touch the bankrupt's Native rents, and unless ho chooses to pay part of the sale (if it takes place) mcney over he cannot be forced to do so. —Yours, etc." This, sir, is the case: "unless ho chooses," "he cannot be forced." Are these fair terms? Why should he be exonerated from liability any mora than a white man P Tradesmen are constantly being "let in" by theso people making fair representations to them, then ovading payment by ' Maori" astuteness. The Maori referred to has plenty of money available to pay twenty shillings in the £, but does not "choose" to do so.—l an), otc., M.M. Note. —I enclose the Official Assignee's letter to show the genuineness of the case. Will ask you to return same after perusal, for which I enclose a stamped envelope.—M.M.