The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, February 10, 1912, NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1005, 10 February 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, February 10, 1912, NOTES AND COMMENTS.

East Tuesday we published a paragraph to the effect that the pilot launch was undertaking barsounding work without having aboard necessary essentials in case of accident or stoppage oi the engines, viz, oars and life belts. Our informant is an honourable man, and in bringing the matter under our notice was not actuated by malice, but a desire to safeguard the pilot and bis assistant’s life and the Harbour Board’s property against a possible accident, The publication of the paragraph aroused the ire of the pilot, who, however, after the publication of the paragraph had the oars placed in the launch. He then called on us and in an abusive aud bullying manner demanded to know who our informant was, aud by what authority we published the paragraph, which he said was a lie, aud childishly threatened violence. We informed him that, if necessary we are prepared to prove to the Harbour Board the correctness of the paragraph. We desire this irate individual to realise that he is not an autocrat, but a responsible public servant, and as such his official actions aud conduct are subject to public criticisms aud when his life or any other body’s lile or property is endangered by acts of carelessness, it is our bouudeu duty to direct attention to same despite bullying threats as a consequence. The late tragic occurrence at the Beach should be sufficient to last us for all time.

The credit system is stated to be one of the curses of New Zealand, but many commercial men argue that it would be impossible to conduct their business strictly on cash lines. This may be true in some avenues of trade. A certain local business man, however, has proved that he can run on cash lines and has done so successfully for some time. He will not give credit for one penn’orth, aud ii the purchaser hasn’t the exact amount required for his or her purchases the goods go back on the shell until the money is forthcoming. He goes further than this aud refuses to send goods out on approval, but returns the cash if persons are dissatisfied. In conversation with our representative, the tradesman said a number of people, of good standing, had been offended at the hard aud fast rule he had adopted, but they had subsequently discovered that it paid them to fall into line. He said he had no clerical expenses aud no bad debts, aud the public are therefore not asked to make up these deiiciences —hence he is able to sell at a minimum of profit. It would be a good thing if the cash system were adopted in other businesses, because if people know that they can get unlimited credit they are tempted to indulge in luxuries that they would übt think oi buying were they asked to pay spot cash.

Wk extract the following oratorical gems from a speech made by Mr Semple, a prominent member of the Labour Federation, during the recent tramway strike. While he was speaking a voice exclaimed “Rot!” and Mr Semple said, “You, there,crawl into that puddle of water, consider yourself a Seidlitz powder, and lizzie out ! (Laughter.) Such guttersnipes as you should be off the earth !” Later on he referred to the Dominion’s “ mental prostitutes who coutrol the paper.” He quoted from the Sydney Morning Herald, which, he said, had urged the Government of New South Wales to quell the strike at the point ot the bayonet and the muzzle of the revolver. That was what the capitalistic press would do —use arms against unarmed wage-slaves who were confronting capital only to keep hunger from their doors. That was what the Sydney Morning Herald had done, and that was what this monster would do here to-day if need be. If there was a profession for lying it was the one followed by “these journalistic fiends.” He had no quarrel with the reporters, they were wageslaves like themselves, but the men who used the blue pencil and sat in the editorial chair were the bloodhounds of capital. . . . The pimp was in his opinion the lowest creature which crawled on the face of the earth, and when he died he would need a ladder to climb into hell. He’d got a lot of time for the pimp, and for the capitalistic press.

A writer in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Mr E. Clifton, refers to the futility of the rabbit-trapping system tollowed in parts ot the South Island. It really results in the rabbit being preserved. Trappers, landowners, carriers, storekeepers, merchants, freezing works, and shipping companies are all interested in the rabbit industry, but Mr Clilton points out that the crucial point is —which is more remunerative to the whole community, crops and sheep and cattle, or rabbits for export ? He concludes that the rabbit thiives at the expense of the farmer, and quotes from a writer in the Otago Daily Times concerning a property of 4,000 acres where trapping is carried on. Five thousand rabbits a year are trapped and exported, and the rabbits on the property are as thick as ever. The 5,000 rabbits caught would, it is estimated, eat and destroy as much feed as 1,000 ewes. The rabbits bring sixpence each, while the 1,000 ewes, with the wool and lambs, would briug 15s each, the 5,000 rabbits netting and the 1,000 ewes Taking the value of the annual export ol skins as well as the carcases of the rabbits, as against the sheep the. rabbits displace, it is calculated that the country loses an income of close upon a million and a half sterling through preserving and trapping instead of altogether destroying the rabbits. To forbid trapping and resort to poisoning would throw a good many men out ol work, and interfere with those who make a business 0! rabbit expoit, but the loss in this direction would be more than balanced by the enormous increase of income by running sheep or growing crops on the laud now given up to the rabbits. It is strongly urged that all trapping should be stopped, and poisoning twice a year rigorously insisted upon.