CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 288, 29 April 1911, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

THE BIBLE CENTENARY. ' To the Editor. Sir The Rev. Spencer, in the course of his address delivered last night at a meeting held in Whiteley Halt, is reported to have said that "England, dark in superstition and ignorance, rejected the scriptures." He evidently considers that the period preceding the great religious upheaval of the sixteenth century was an age of stagnation, discontent and darkness. If he calmly studies that period in the light of recent historical research, his opinions will be considerably modified, and he will be convinced that it was an era remarkably progressive in every direction. I will here only cite one witness in proof of the statement just advanced. Let Martin Luther step forward and give us his views about that much-misunderstood and misrepresented period in history. His testimony must be regarded as above suspicion. In his work, opera Omnia (ed. Frankford), torn. X. p. 50, he writes: "Any one reading the Chronicles will find that since the birth of Christ there is nothing that can compare with what lias happened in our world during the last hundred years. Never in any country have people seen so much building and so much cultivation of the soil. Never has such good drink, such abundant and delicate food been within the reach of so many. Dress has become so rich that it cannot in this respect be improved. Who has ever heard of commerce such as we see it to-day ? It circles the globe; it embraces the whole world! Painting, engraving—all the arts—have progressed, and are still improving. More than all, we have men so capable, and so learned, that their wit penetrates everything in such a way that nowadays a youth of twenty knows more than twenty doctors did in days gone by." In this passage we have the testimony of the German reformer himself that the eve of the Reformation was in no sense a period of stagnation, but. quite the contrary. The progress of commerce' and the prosperity of peoples owed nothing to the religious revolt of the sixteenth century. There it evidence to prove that Luther's picture is as correct at that period for England as for Germany. In learning, in art, and architecture, during the second half of the fifteenth century and t*e beginning of the sixteenth, there was manifested an activity in England which is without a parallel.—l am, etc., HISTORIAN.

HARBOR EXPANSION. To the Editor. , Sir,—l offer my congratulations to the members elected to serve the public on the Harbor Board,.and tender my sympathy to the unsuccessful candidates, and I trust that as the Board as .now constituted is unanimous on a progressive policy, that they do not rest until they have not only carried out tile scheme now decided on, but will embark on that wider and wiser policy' of the outer scheme of linking Mikotahi to Moturoa, and thus make New Plymouth harbor second to none in the Dominion. This may appear a tall order to some, but a moment's reflection 'ftnd acquaintance with facts generally, •jKill prove that the New Plymouth hartfor will rival Auckland and Wellington in importance yet. In support of my contention we will take the oil industry alone, and when this is developed we will have a fleet of oil steamers that will require special berthage space. Then, again, the sand industry- producing pig iron unsurpassed in the world will employ the ocean carriers to such an extent thnt these two industries will require the use of the present harbor accommodation. ' Then, again/ the export l of butter, cheese; woo|> "hides';: tallow and all the staple products of the back country traversed by the StratfordOngaruc line, which you have so often pointed out to your readers, must come to New Plymouth for direct export. Then, again, the greater the population naturally means greater imports all round, necessitating duplication of harbor accommodation, that it behoves the newly-elected members to carefully pre-1 pare for the rapid development now taking place. Within seven years from now the railway itself from the wharf will: need duplication to cope with the trade, which, in all human probability, will be developed, and he would be a bold man indeed who would define the limits of the usefulness of our harbor in the future.—l am, etc., PERCY VERANCE.

THE HON. THOMAS MACKENZIE. To the Editor. Sir, —A northern friend posted me a copy of your issue containing a subleader regarding the' probability of annexing the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie as a representative. of a Taranaki seat. Down South we are awaiting the decision of the Boundary Commissioners' with anxiety, for we do not wish to loie the Minister of Agriculture. I was more, than pleased to see, however, that his worth is being recognised by the farming people of the North Island. It has long been recognised down here, and I believe that if Mr. Mackenzie's seat is wiped out he could, were he so inclined, pick any country seat in Otago, and land an easy winner. Tuapeka would be a gift to him, but so far he he has not given any indication that if Taieri disappears he will contest any adjoining seat, and there is a feeling that he will, as he himself put it, "go where the seats go." You have in your article neatly ' expressed the secret of Mr. Mackenzie's success. He is a man of action, and he is one who always puts the welfare of the conntrv far before the interests of party. Whilst party politicians are wandering round the Dominion finding matter for criticism in the ups and downs of consols and other such matters, Mr. Mackenzie vigorously applies his energies to devising better methods of handling and dealing with our produce, in studying the latest agricultural and pastoral developments, and in aiding the fanner and advancing settlement and production, and thus making the Dominion prosperous. He is the ideal of a good all round patriotic legislator, one who does not cry down the land, but who strives to build up a solid foundation of prosperity, and it was because Mr. Mackenzie recognised that by joining the party who have done so much to advance the prosperity of this Dominion he could better carry out the public work to which he has devoted himself, that he is found in their ranks. He is, however, a man essentially above! and beyond party, albeit a loyal and, able party man, and while I hope that the southern part of New Zealand will be able to retain his services, I join with you in saying that his services are such as to make it a very high honor to hail him as a representative.—l am, etc., TAIERI ELECTOR. Ontram,. April 24.