CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1920, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

EDUCATION AND RELIGION. To tlio Editor. Sir,—Permit me to draw your attention to a most misleading statement which appears in to-day's Issue of the Daily News, under the hciadlng of "Education and Religion." Because a purely local and personal disagreement has arisen between the staff of a certain college and the Board of Governors, surely that Is not to say, as the article in miestien commences, that "the course of the Frqsbyterian Church's educational policy is not running smoothly." Had this entirely gratuitous and even nonsensical suggestion not appeared, no fault could he found with the article as printed, but as it. stands it is calculated to give the impression that the friction reported in connection with Queen Margaret's College in Wellington is Indicative of a general condition of things permeating tho Presbyterian Church's whole policy of education in this Dominion.—l am, etc., OSCAR BLUNDELL. [The article referred to above was taken from the N,Z. Times. If the opening sentence la read with the context 1 It is evident that It referred to the case in point only, and not to the church's general policy-, which is beyond question.—Ed.]

STRATFORD-OKAHTnanU RAILWAY. To the Editor. Sir,—Through a typographic eirror In your leader on the Stratford-Okahukura railway, it would nppaar that the vote for this year is £200,000, whereas the actual vote Is only £20,000 for the Stratford end, while £30,000 was voted for the other end. Just how much of this will be expended it Is difficult to say; In all probability the whole of tho vote will rot he .spent. There can be no question that the voto of £20,000 for this end of the lino Is totally Inadequate. In the last survey made of seven miles beyond Tahora there are six or seven tunnels with a like number of bridges, and it will most likely be' necessary to put in a service road alongside this stretch of line for tho transport of material. One of the tunnels will be same fifty-four chains In length and the total cost of tunnels and bridges together with putting down the line will amount to a large sum, while the time for completion must be considerate, and unless the work is prosecuted with unergy, this end of the line will be hung up for years to come. This lino cannot earn full profits until the through connection Ls made, and for this reason it Is hard to understand why nuw lines have been authorise;', throughout the Dominion, while such an innortanf and potential profit earning railway as the Strat-ford-'Okahukura connection remains uncomplete!, It Is to be earnestly hoped that the new Minister of Public Works will Infuse energy and progressive ideas into the department and insist that tho most Important railway lines are completed before expenditure of large sums is made on other lines. The tlmo has arrived when tho whole of Taranakl should demand {hat tho Tarannki-Maln Trunk connection should be completed within a reasonable 3pace of time.—l am, etc., W. KIRKROOD, Chairman Stratford Railway League Stratford, 2Clh February, 1920.