CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1917, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE SCHOOL SYLLABUS. To the Editor. Sir,—The headings of the article in your paper this morning on the school syllabus would lead one to expect some very great advance in "more attention to wtll-bcing" than has hitherto been given. There is, however, no indication that the children are to be taught anything at all about the danger there is in Using intoxicating drinks. It would seem that the literary genius who compiled that article for the Press Association thought there need be no referenco to that subject, as such reference might objectionable to certain members of the Government and their supporters who are in the drink trade, I lay the blame for the omission on the compiler of the telegrams, because, in the face of the assurances we have received from tho Minister of Education, I can scarcely think this important item of progress in our school syllabus would be overlooked. In spite of what we know to be the effects on "physical well being" of the drink habits of society, «it is absurd to call this "re-modejling of syllabus" a 6 any kind of advance. We know that alcoholic drink is the cause of a large proportion of the disease and sickness and premature death in our midst, and yet the children are, so far as the teaching given in our schools with departmental authority, lef,t in complete ignorance. They are taught to' clean their teeth, to breathe through their nostrils, and to thoroughly chew their food—all very good—but they are not taught the truth about alcohol and its mixtures as being poisonous (intoxicating), and never in any way nourishing as a food, nor that it is the commoner source of a very large proportion of the ills that afflict humanity. May I just quote, ot illustration, a short summary of what tho New York Academy of medicine 'found out as the result of an enquiry as to the effects of tho drinking habits of parents on their offspring? Fifty-live thousand school children were examined, and the children of drinking parents showed 63 per cent, of dullards, while the children of abstaining parents showed only 10 per cent, deficients. It is lamentable, Sir, that while there are so many men, and some women, who are taking the enemy into their mouths that steals away their brains., and their morals and their money, too, the children are not taught the truth about this drink; and, further this silence is maintained along with, shall I say a pretence, a profession to give more attention to physical well-being. Should further information on the Ministers' intentions show that he means the teaching about alcohol to have as important a place in education as, say, geography, then I most sincerely apologise to Mr. Hanan; but leave all the blame with the man (not a woman) who prepared the precis for the telegram.—l am, etc, GEO. H. MAUNDEK. . New Plymouth, 20/3/17. 7 " " "

BUTTER FAT LEVY, To the Editor. Sir, —So the meeting called ; to discuss the butter fat levy began and terminated in the discussion of the relative prices of Jiutter and cheese. One speaker said tliJ cheese was manufactured not from a commercial but a patriotic point of view. Now it is patent to the most casual observer that before either the butter fat levy was imposed or the cheese commandeered that the various factories had decided apd made' arrangements accordingly for the manufacture of lratter or cheese. Can't they understand the butterfat levy is an established fact proved in the Courts to be just and legal? Whether, however, the commandeering of cheese for export at about £SO per ton less than is ruling on the London market as stated in the English Parliament by a labor member recently is another question. Tho butter fat levy operates on a sliding scale. Why not the, price at which the cheese is purchased? A par appearing in a recent issue'of the News referred to the money to be made out of dairying giving the returns of a herd owned by Mr. Burgess. Well,-ns a supplier of the Oaonui factory I would like to know how to get the money after it is made, for milk supplied from December 1, 1010, to date there has been one pay out at lOd per lb for butter fat. Whether it is the fault of the Government or that the chairman and directors are imbued with, the same patriotic spirit as the Haweva speaker and wish to let the State have a further use of the money is also an open question, I am, etc., RENOWN. Opunake, March 30. AGAIN THAT- MEETING. . To' the Editor.

Sir,—That I should have the temerity to suggest that farmers had a duty to perform has evidently aroused in Mr. Bake-well a feeling of resentment. Unfortunately I am perfectly aware that many people considered they had fully discharged their duty to King and country when they joined in the popular and fashionable task of preaching homilies of loyalty and patriotism to the boys. Throughout the Dominion the boys accepted the 'burden unhesitatingly, they arc fighting for us, and dying for us, and have set up such an ideal of sacrifice and devotion to which wc older ones can scarcely hope to attain. When the call came the boys passed no resolutions of protest, and I believe that Mr. Bakewell would never have called that Inglewood meeting if he had foreseen the result. It is certainly to his credit that he stood alone and opposed the one hundred and twenty farmers who passed a resolution protesting against the income tax. Mr. Bakewell, however, is horrified at 'my suggestion to gazette the assessments. What a scandalous assault on the sacred rights of "pioputty" it is, to be sure. But did Mr. Bakewell ever object to gazetting the names of the boys who are drawn in the ballot? If it is 4 fair thing to 'gazette the call for personal service, it is surely a minor affair altogether to gazette the much less serious call for financial service. In any case ic is probable that publicity would in time have the effect of rectifying to some extent the inequalities which now exist, and the financial "shirker" would be exposed to public obloquy. I am, etc., JAS. HINE, Jr.

WEALTH OF TAIUNAKI. To the Editor. Sir,—ln my last letter under the above heading, I notice that a typographical error occurred in connection with the name of Henry George's book which I drew attention to. The proper name of the.book is "Progress and Poverty," not "Progress and Prosperity," as appeared iii type. Kindly let me add that, all wlio wish to understand "the cause \hick produces poverty in the midst of

i advancing wealth" and who desire "to remove want and the fear of want, to give all classes leisure, comfort, and independence," should study this great book. The principles advocated have met with the hearty approval of the foremost men of to-day, including Mr. Lloyd George, and the latter is showing by his actions in regard to the solutions necessary for problems arising out of the present war, that, after many years' struggle to get the ears of the thinking public, Henry George's > doctrine stands alone as the only solution of the basic causes of the misery, etc., under which the population of the cities have" to exist. It stands alone as the only remedy where the man on the land can get justice; it shows the only means wliorehy the producer ?an cast off the host of parasites that he has allowed to hamper his well-being and consequently the progress of his country; it shows also that by its universal adoption war would be obliterated and being "an inquiry into the cause of industrial depressions and the increase of want with increase of wealth," I make bold to assert that the careful study by all who deem themselves patriotic," by all those who recognise their duty to their children,'and by those who" look upon life other than through the spectacles of self, will be time, well spent. When all are wondering what has become of our civilisation, what has become of Christianity, as is daily evidenced by the war news, and when thousands are wondering if we are to always meet with such disasters as war brings, I say again it is well worth devoting time to the study of the book mentioned.—l am, etc., JOE. B. SIMPSON. Durham Road.