THE THROTTLING CRIP, ,

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2721, 16 March 1916, Page 7

THE THROTTLING CRIP, ,

Sir, —With your permission I reply to the letter of F. Moore in to-day's Dominion, upon the above subject. My contention is that if a monopoly did control the trade and traffic between two countries, it would have. a grip of the comnierco of thoso countries upon which their vitality deponds, and that I) 3' demanding extortionate fares it would bo choking that comnierco. Hence the term "throttling grip," as applied by me to the' fares between Australia and New Zealand. In his letter, F. Moore stresses the fact that the penny postage was introduced before the war, and.that we now have weightier matters to consider, but he apparently does not reflect that the fares were in force at that time, too, andare. not.the outcomo of the war. He is. surely in 'error in assuming that the advent of the war prohibits discussion of_ local matters; and, in advocating still higher passenger fares, he surely loqes sight of the fact that the'peoplo of the countries keep the enemy ships otit of tho way, and that it would not be reasonable for them to allow any private monopoly to penalise the people for having cleared the course for it. If a State were to raise fares that were not already extortionate, as an aid towards keeping the enemy ships away, it would be an entirely different matter. I had. in mind principally business' trippers, who should be encouraged to constantly travel between the two oountries, but 'my rem arks would 1 apply to pleasure and-sight-seeing trippers equally as well, but in a lesser degree. The Australian pleasure trippers, who do circulate their nioney, even in war time, greatly to, the benefit of others, might just as well be encouraged . to spend it in New Zealand as elsewhere. 'Australia being the largeT country. New Zealand, would stand to gam in the intercourse. —I am, etc., 1 REFORM. Wellington, March 15, 1916. THE TENTH CONTIHCE'NT.

_ Sir,—Re your local in to-day's papef hi whioh the Hon. J. Allen comments on the "silly rumours" regarding the 10th. The rumour most general is that the troops had 7 not left New Zealand— in faot,' were in Auckland. The Minister's reply does iiot refute any of theso rumours. We know many idle rumours Ret around, and several have been attached to the 10th. In some oases wo have found a certain amount of truth in silly rumours. 'Rio Minister might certainly have been a little more explicit. As far as heine a refutation of the genoral rumours, liis remarks are null and void. I quite recognise the lion, gentleman's position as Minister of Defence is Jiot a hed of down.—l am, etc., ■ FATHER. fit may ease our correspondent's mind to know that ''the Tenths" are not only "all well" according to latest advices, but well on their way to their destination.]