CORRESPONDENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2281, 28 August 1908, Page 1

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Corrospondonco on public mnttors \b wolcomod at all times, but it must bo distinctly understood that this journal is in no way associated with tho opinions of its correspondents.J

CHATTERING COUNCILLORS,

[To the Editor.]

Sir,—Allow mo to mnko a correction of your report ro tho \\ uiluinao osplamulb. What I said ill respect to tho committee’s suggestion—that a temporary fenco of planks should he erected and sand scooped up behind them as a tomporary expedient—was “that tho residents were not likely to acquiesce in such a proposal, and they will now probably, individually, take such stops to protect their property ns may seem to them best. 1 can quito excuse your reporter tailing to catch -all the speakers say correctly at times, owing to tho very bad sounding property of the room; but, perhaps, moro owing to the excessive indulgence of his AVorship in allowing ono vory verbose member to incessantly interrupt and, when not doing that, to keep up an incessant ohnttor with his nearest neighbors on oaoh side, whilst otlior members aro endeavoring to obtain a hearing. I trust in the interest of important mattors to bo considered his AVorship will curtail this excessive liberty complained of.—l am, etc., J. AV. AVHINRAY.

HOOKEY GIRLS ON TOUR

[To tiie Editor.]

Sir, —Don’t you think we are having a. little too much of these hockey tours by young girls? It isn’t the game I object to, or even an occasional tour, but when von see a dozen or so Gisborne girls only just in their teens bawling at the top of their voices as a farewell to a crowd of Napier schoolboys as tho Monowai leaves the wharf such interesting ditties as “AVc Parted on the Shore,” “AA'orv’t you come out to-night,” and other vaudeville favorites, it is surely time to cry a halt. I know there were many passengers on the Monowai who, like myself, were disgusted with conduct almost approaching rowdyism on tlio part of tlieso young girls.—l am, etc., “SPORT.” OUR PASSENGER SERVICE. [To TrtE Editor.] Sir, —Travelling from Napier to Gisborne on AVednqsday I was hustled out of my berth at six o’clock to get ready for tho launch that was coining from the wharf to take myself and fellow passengers ashore. The launch reached the Monowai at 6.20, and we naturally expected to be landed promptly so that we could get to our homes and get some breakfast. Instead of that we had to stand shivering in the cold while a cargo of chaff was transferred from tho Monowai to the Tuntea before we or our luggage could bo'taken on to the launch. To mo' it seemed that tho lighters could have been used for such a- task. Anyway, with our harbor facilities so bad, one would think tho shipping companies would strain every nerve to make tho best of a bad situation instead of making the Tuatea serve the purpose of a lighter and a passenger launch at the same trip.—l am, etc., “TRAVELLER.”

“LAMBING DOWN” CASE. [To the Editor.] Sir ; —l see in your issue of ’this morning an account of a supposed case of “lambing down,” which in my opinion should have been handed to tho police for them to deal with in the ordinary manner, instead of its be : ng published merely as an item of news without any verification. I am a Britisher to the backbone, and I like to see fair play, and no hitting below tile belt. Supposing the statement to be true, which may or may not be the ease, wliat is the position? AVc have eight publicans in Gisborne, all of whom are under suspicion of being guilty of an offence which lacks both substantiation and corroboration Now, sir, who is the guilty party, and why should seven innocent men lie under suspicion because one of Their number is an offender? Most pub’.cans understand the legal posit' in pretty well, and they would know that such an action as you describe would, if brought beforo a Magistrate, cause them to have to disgorge the whole of their ill-gotten gains, loss the actual cost of the. man’s board, and the victim of this case, if victim ho be, can, by legal action, recover the bulk of his cheque. The publicans know this, licnco my doubts as to tlie truth of tlie story.

Wo are approaching an election, and it is usual at such times to find malicious statements damaging to the liquor party freely circulated by those who, having no sense of fair play, would uso any stick to beat an opposition dog with. Whilst we admit that the t'alo as it goes may have been told to your informant exactly as you give it, still it is an ex parte statement, and as such deserves that very little attention should be paid to it. Further, we all know that when a man makes a fool of himself, ho will not hesitate at a lying or libellous statement in order to shift the blame on to somebody else. In the interests of fair play, this matter should not be allowed to rest where it is, but should be probed to the bottom.—l am, etc., “BRITISHER,” August 27.

[Should any person or persons interested desire to “probe this matter to the bottom,’,’ as our correspondent suggests, we have been authorised to divulge the name of the station-owner who supplied us with the information.—Ed.]

[To the Editor.] Sir, —In your yesterday’s issue you give the case of a man who was "lambed down” for £44 10s, and landed back, after about a week in town, with an empty pocket and no doubt a sore head. Sir, this case reminds mo of another which occurred soon alter I came to reside here. The head shepherd at one of our largo stations lofton a visit to his family and to see the Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition. This man started away from the station with about £75 in his pocket; he never even reached Gisborne, but changed his cheque on the way down. He landed back at the station in a few days, without even a full suit of clothes. Poor Mitchell was so heart-broken over the matter •that he went to an outhouse and hanged himself. Sir, how long are we going to suffer a traffic which degrades, disgraces, and demoralises its victims, and then robs them of life itself? The life-blood of scores of the victims of this accursed traffic cries to God for vengeance. Every year has its toll of victims passing from Time to Eternity, every year our boys and young men step in in increasing numbers to fill the gaps made by the

deaths caused by drink. Sir, it w high time the futhors and mothers of this country rose up and with one act banish for over the traffic which stands for nil that is bad and nothing that is good.—l am, etc,, . b FRANCIS STAFFORD. NO-LICENiSE. [To tiie Editor.] Sir, —I suppose tho storm has blown over, and “after a storm comes a calm.” I was just going to hum to myself: “Poace, perfect poaco in—whoa flashed across my mind tlie words of tho grandest man that ever crossed tlio great sea: “For when they shall say, Fenco a lid safety; then sudden destruction comctli upon them.” There is not much peace and safety while Bung and Co. have things thetr own way. There is also always danger of our becoming so used’ l 0 a tiling tint, however injurious its effects may be, wo accept it as a matter of course when it need not ho so accepted at all. Could wo be transferred for a while to one of those glorious heavenly bodies, photographs of which Dr Kennedy showed us tlio olhcti e\ ."ding in' His Majesty’s,hand then brought hack to our own drunken world, wo-would be lost in amazement; wo would bq shocked at ourselves for ever tolerating for a second tho liquor traffic. People argued and argued till they wqro blue •ui tho face to convince the silly portion of mankind that the slave traffic was a divinely-ordained institution, and to freo a whito mail’s slave was to interfere with his personal liberty! Substitute liquor traffic” for “slave traffic” and “publicans” for “white man’s” you have tlio liquor advocates’ argument. Tlio prophet’s grand paradoxes most fittingly apply to their case: “Eyes have they, they see not; oars havo they, they hoar not;” and I may add some of my own: “Noses havo they, they smell not; heads havo they, they think not.” My namesake “Quid Nuuc lias promised to bo at peace for a while, and I hbpo ho won’t immediately resurrect with a new name'. Before he retired to bed, however, ho unmercifully fired off a parting shot, not at mo, but at a fallen brother, who, according to him, still drags out his miserable existence in our midst. I decline to believe his story, beeauso at last election Mr David AVliyto, besides ono or two of the lecturers, was tho only paid agent tho No-License League had, and I knew ho could not have meant Mr AA’hyto. Supposo “Quid Nunc’e” story were true, wliat consolation coukl his soul derive from it? AVna it No-License or License that ruined tho man s life? And if a victim of Licenso agitated with his enfeebled strength for No-Licensc, was it to be wondered at, and why should ho bo called by “Quid Nunc” a reptile of a hypocrite? The most wriggling hypocrite is the man who professes to support License on moral grounds when all tlio time it is self-interest that actuates him, or the man who points tlio finger of scorn at a fallen brother writer. Granted oven a staunch prohibitionist had fallen through drink, would at not bear out the truth of my contention that so long as the liquor traffic exists so long will society bo menaced by it? Allow mo. also, in conclusion, Mr. Editor, to tender yon my own thanks for your courtesy, fairness, patienco and generosity, and to “Quid Nunc” my apology for anything I might have said that hurt liis feelings, but my pen refuses to stop without giving my worthy opponent a piece of wholesome advice. It is this: “Don’t pay too much attention to tlie girls—they -are all right, their mamas will look after them —but let him come with me in our endeavor to save the boys by “striking out tlio top line.” —I am, etc. “AVHATNOAV.”