LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 128, 24 February 1919, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE UNIVERSITY MODERN OR PRESENT-DAY ENGLISH IN A DEGREE COURSE, Sir,—Your correspondenit "W.E.L," must surely be unaware of the fact that Mr. von tlaaf-t's proposal regarding a "modern English" period in our degree "cyclo" or courses would simply mean that a New Zealand student lould acquire his degree in the department of EIHWI every sixth year on his knowledge of the English literature "produced"'since the year 1840, exclusively! ■U present there is a cyclo of five periods. These five periods are taken in rotation. They may be represented as(1) The Age of Spenser and Shakespeare. ('2l The Age of Milton and Dryden. (3) The As ß of 1 >0 P° al, d Addison. (4) The Age of 'Johnson, Goldsmith, Burns, etc. (5) The Age of Wordsworth, Now, Messrs. von Haast and "W.E.L." would have a sixth age introduced— presumably that of "Chesterton and Bernard shaw." , . Those of your readers interested m tho controversy will find an interesting i deliverance by ex-Professor Saintsbury on the impropriety, if not absurdity, ot dealing with recent or. present-day authors in a university degree course 111 tho last October number of "The Bookman." _ ~„ . "W.E.L.V fling at "Beowulf is simply ludicrous; it is much the same as though a modern Greek journalist were to represent "Homer" as rubbish. Beowulf is part of the English honours course in almost every great university in the British Empire and in America, and its admirers among the great scholars, men of letters, and critics of the dav are .innumerable. What is wanted is '(and I believe the professors of English in the Dominion have already suggested it) that one or two of the* great men of letters (now departed) of the second half of the nineteenth century (sav, writers such as Browning, Tennyson. Swinburne, Arnold, etc.) should be prescribed for special study in each of our' present five periods. With regard to "English as it is wrote" by New Zealand University graduates, and the Minister of Education's fling at it, be it remembered that English is not a compulsory subject in New Zealand in a degree course in law, science, medicine, or oven arts! In these ciircumstances, the university colleges cannot be held responsible for the bad English of the Dominion? As for the teaching of English composition, surely that is the function of our secondary schools, not of our universities — I nm, etc.,

Sir,—We know the pedant by his platitudes. The plea that the syllabus of our universities should be altered to include such nescient nonentities as Potapenko and Brieux, that our students should endeavour to find some pleasure in tho revolting works of Chekov and some sense i'.i tho moonshine of Maeterlinck, this plea, whether made by your correspondent "W.E.1." or by a less known individual, yclept Mr. von Haast, should meet with tho short shrift it deserves. Who is Potapenko, anyway? As for Brieux, tho "doctor in spite of himself," tho opinion of the Government was very strongly shown soma little time ago when the sale of the play "Damaged Goods" was stopped. Your correspondent may consider that our university students are losing their individuality through being forced' to study Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon. I can answer him with the incontrovertible fact

that most of our students never had any individuality to lose. Most of them are moro steeped in prejudice than a Scottish Covenanter. And the few who do matter usually possess sufficient strength of will to make their escape. Wo must face the fact that to our average student; who differs only from t.lie man in the street in tho smallest of ways, all literature is equally revolting. I grant "W.E.L." that the number of people who dawdle their lives away over modern novels is simply appalling; but then we must remember that before anything different can be expected those people must I.»g able to think for themselves. The weak spot in our modern culture is not our indifferent education, but our indifferent intellects.—l am, etc., C.R.P. February 22.

Sir,—Early on Saturday morning I heard the scream of an outraged soul in pain. The sound came lo me as I read "W.E.L.'s" long letter of congratulation to Mr. von Hanst, under tho heading of "A Plea for Modern Literatim*" I have read the letter again and again, and must confess to being rather in the dark as to what exactly "W.E.L." is driving at. This may be due to some dulness on my part, but it is also possible that there i 3 something wrong with tho writer's style, his method of expression, his literary technique, ot something of'the kind. At all events, his logic is weak, and his scream or squeal (call it what you will) is no more useful than the' gesture he deplores "where reason is. lacking." Here is a daw iu his argument. He objects to Beowulf being taken to bed for study, and yet he apparently wants to force Wilde upon the youth of this country. 1 presume he refers to the notorious Oscar, just as I concluded that in mentioning Pater, ho refers to Walter of that ilk; Another weakness in his case, is tho dragging in of Flaubert in his plea for something more modem, seeing that Flaubert himself turned to ancient times, in the hope of resurrecting beauty ivlien he had failed, to see it round about him. Flaubert, no doubt, had a great opinion of himself and his work. He even went so far as to consider that, had France read "Education Sentimentalo" the horrors of the Debacle would have been spared her. There are, however, two sides to every question, and consequently it is not by any means extraordinary to find that Rossetti, after reading "Madame Bovary" during the Franco-Prussian War, declared that . a nation which could produce a work so horrible "was bound to end in these disasters."

There are two sides to the University question also.. The A T ew Zealand University does not, I am sure, hope to put young New Zealanders through tho whole of English literature. If the course is au aid to tlie formation of literary taste, and develops a method of tackling a good book, that is something. The field of literature, in all its length and breadth, is still open to the student, who will require a lifetime to survey it. It cannot be said that the university has placed that field, or any part of it, out of bounds. Nor am I wishing to place it out of bounds to "W.E.L." Yet I cannot believe that his letter will accomplish much even,from the point of view of style. But let him not be discouraged, for, as Mr. Lucas says: "Tho crusade's the thing; not the result of it."—l am, etc., VAL. ONCYONNE. INCREASE THE POPULATION

Sir,—T note you have two correspondents criticising my letter of February (i. I will take them in the order in which they tome. "Joshua Johnson" says: "I do not think that the majority of the population live 100 fast. Only a small fraction are able to enjoy motors and aeroplanes." That is quite right; but there is just where tho whole trouble lies. It is the tense mental strain on the majority who arc striving all they know day and night to attain the unattainable which is killing us body and soul and destroying our babies. We all know that mental .strain is much more deadly than physical. Tho ancients knew the effect of mental strain much bettor than wo do. Read the' account of how Jacob obtained the "spotted and speckle!" sheep. Re twing nil vim do not marry after twenty-five years of ago. T quite ngreo with your correspondent's remarks. I left all that, lie says, to bo understood and. a great deal more. Well, knowing, Sir, that you believe brevity is the soul of wit 1 try to bo ns brief as ]>ossible. If a fellow writes 100 loni- a. letter to an editor lie either omits to publish or cuts it; down, ami in dning so often cuts out the nice little tit-bits one would like published, and, vou Sir. are not free from those editorial sins' But perhaps it is often good for the "other fellow"; it tends lo l<cep him in his place. . , \fter this little diversion let us return to" tho subject in hand. Those suffering from hereditary diseases should not ho ■allowed to marry at all, or if allowed todo so ono or both' should bo sterilised. There has never been a finer race of men and womou on the earth than the old Greoks of 2500 years ago. That great

law-giver Lycurgus instituted judges to examine all children as soon as born, and if any were not up to standard they were 'killed. I fancy T. can hear many of your readers exclaim "Oh, horror! hut what is the difference between killing a baby before it is bom and just after P 1 would not do cither of those things, but I would sterilise all the unfit, hi a few generations there would bo but a few to sterilise. At the present tune the number would be greati the recruiting returns prove that if we do not adopt • some means of preventing the unfit iroin propagating their species we shall perish. In the, good old days "plague, pestilence, and famine" carried th<yn oft, but now wo are doing all we can to save them, consequently our mental and physical standard is falling. We are not fit to walk in the same street mentally or physically with those "old Greeks. I can go "one batter, fair, than Mr. 1:\ M. 11. Fisher, if my information he correct, proving that it is rot only the British who have a "good oldfashioned way." Some time ago I -read of a case in America of one family that had been allowed to breed criminals end I lunatics for 150 years. The founder ot this precious family was a lunatic. During that time they had cost the Mate X-2«U,000, and at the time the account, which was official, was published, sometwo or tlwee vears ago, one hundred aud fifty of the descendants occupied places in gaols and asylums. It is siniply criminality on the part of the Stale to allow such an awful state of things to go on. Now, Sir, for "Junin, 1019." lam quite in svnipathy with all 'Minnas troubles. I know woman's life is not a happy one, when she cannot get help; but, Sir, where does the trouble lie? Why at woman'!? door. She is .'ailing to bring help into the world. 1 do not wish to place all the blame on womans shoulders. I think men are equally lo blame in many cases. The work of the world is increasing every day, and if the population is decreasing someone must go short of help, and it will be those who can offer the least attractions who will suffer most. The only remedy, to mv mind, is early marriage and'a fairsized family. The family should bo well grown up by the time the parents attain middle age. Then they have got help in their old age. Not only so, but the children of young parents are much more healthy and strong and better looking than those born of old parents. Re free education: At the present time it, costs parents who are living in the country • who wish to givo their children a decent education, something like JllOft.per annum per child. There is not much free education about that. Towns, people may get it a bit cheaper. I am speaking of intellectual people who wish to give an intellectual and cultured education to their children. If we want an intellectual and 'cultured—not the German brand—nation, we should all strive for that. We must givo those people every encouragement to bring into the world and rear families. At present those are the people who are neglecting their duty in thatjrespect, either became they are'too selfish or cannot bear the expense. ".Tunia, 1019," calls me a "mere man," which I lake to be an honour, but it should have been a big' M, as a Man is Hie highest thing in creation

or evolution—next- to a Woman. But a "Mere Man" is better than what Car-] lyle calls " a biped in breeches," and Herbert Spencer says we are "a heterogeneous carbon compound of very complex chemical composition. Madam Junia may now put on her thinking cap and puzzle out what the latter is, (hen she will 'probably not call me a "mere man" again. Christ was a mere Man, and set tho highest example of what a man should be that has ever been given to us in the world. 1 am afraid, Sir, I have trespassed too far now, so I must close. 1 take my hat oft'' to and givo "Madame Junia" my best bow.—l am, JUNIUS, 1919. P.S.—The Greeks gave relief from taxation to a family of three, so they evidently had a population problem to solve.

APHI'S POSTAL SERVICE Sir,-In TitE Dominion of yesterday's dato (February 21) there appeared a letter complaining of the present mail service to Apiti, following which was nn "official" explanation of the matter. Although not a resident of Apiti, I have much sympathy with the people of that isolated township, and would like to make one or two comments on the statements made by tho Postal official interviewed by your reporter. He says they are "provided at present with a really admirable service." Now under the old mail service a person in Apiti could post a letter to a friend or business person in Kimbolton early in the morning and get. a reply soon after 2 p.m. the same day. Under the'present system, even if he posted it at daylight he could not get a reply until the following day, unless he happened to be a box-holder. Then, s - *?pose a letter at the present time left Wellington by tho Main Trunk train on Monday morning, ~it would reach Feilding after the Apiti mail motor had left, and would, therefore, wait in Feilding till Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock, reaching Apiti about 5.30 p.m., but not delivered (except to box-holders) until 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning. Now under the old system _ the. same letter would have come to Kimbolton on Tuesday morning by the early mail, and been transferred to the Apiti Jius, reaching the latter township about 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Thus under the old system the letter would be received 19 hours before it is at present! This refers to all letters, etc., arriving in, or posted in, Feilding after 3 p.m. on any day. And this is "ft really admirable service." Surely like wine "JS T o one having , tasted old wine straightway desireth new, for he saith the old is better" Then, with regard to opening the office for a "counter" delivery at 5.30 p.m. According to the statement in your paper tho official interviewed said, "In no town outside tho four centres are deliveries made after 5 p.m." I cannot believe that he said such a thing, but if so ho must lmvo erred in ignorance. I have rosided in Kimbolton for over 13 years, and during the whole of that period, until tho last two months, the post office has opened every day except Sundays and special holidays for a "counter" delivery after 5 p.m. For many years when there was a horse mail-coach 'the office opened for about half an hour between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. During the last few years the motor-bus arrived earlier, and the office opened between 5.30 and G p.m., and it is only since the • New Year that the mail arrives in time to be sorted and delivered before 5.p.m. And this is not the only post office in tho neighbourhood where for years past n "counter" delivery after 5 p.m. has been made! In tho faco of this it seems most unreasonable and inexplicable that Apiti, our next township, should be treated in such an inconsiderate way. Apiti is organising for what Kimbolton has had for many, many years. Why should it be treated differently? Apologising for taking up so much of your valuable space.—l am, etc.. ■ J. MATO. ,• Kimbolton, February 22.