A QUESTION OF HEADINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 185, 23 December 1912, Page 6

A QUESTION OF HEADINGS.

To the Editor. Sir, —The portion of your paper devoted. to matters pertaining to labor, and under the heading, "Work and Wages," is interesting to all who desire right conditions and rewards for labor—and who does not? There is, however, it seems to me, need for another classification of news items. For instance, this morning (Friday), under the heading of "Work and Wages," you have the account of the trouble on board the Mapourika at Xelson. This was not "Work and Wages" at all; it was "Work and Drink." It was because a man rendered himself unfit for duty by reason of his drunkenness, and of course the other firemen declined to do liis work as well as their own, then came the trouble and the serious delay. We are told that if you leave drink alone it will not hurt you, and that a man's drinking is his own concern merely. This incident proves that a man's drinking is someone else's concern, too; and also that those who did not drink at all—and no doubt there were many of that class interested in the Mapourika's regularity—are in this case damaged by the drink they never use. May I suggest that you add another classification of the news in your columns, and let it be "Drink's Doings." Trusting you will excuse my interference; only I am sure you wish to make your paper a true arid handy record of current events.—l am, etc. P .