Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 93, 1 July 1946, Page 4

Dear Sir,

would also immediately solve the problem as far as the Maoris are concerned, if they were but men enough to stand by their obligations. Every bottle taken away from a hotel by a Maori is a public admission of the failure of the publican to meet his legal requirements, and therefore his unfitness for his position, and reveals his complete indifference to the law-making authorities, the law-en-forcing authorities, and the public who have voted continuance in the past. He shows he is unworthy and unscrupulous. Its up to them to prove jthemselves otherwise. Solution 3 brings us to our Police Force. They are under obligation to the State and to local residents to enforce the laws that our unworthy publicans choose to ignore. When the pakeha .police fail to enforce the law that the pakeha publican breaks, is it fair to blame the Maori for the results? It is in their hands to effect a complete clean-up if they so choose, and so make Whakatane a decent place, •in which any woman would feel safe to go anywhere, even on Saturday evenings. So what about it, Sergeant? In closing, let me remind )toose who feel concern over this question, that if you voted “continuance” previously, then this is “continuance” —the same old thing in the same old way—and is just what you voted for. By keeping it in you became a party to it and so share the ''■responsibility. Along with the broken bottles it seems there are also broken laws and broken obligations. It certainly is time something was done! Yours etc., INTEGRITY.

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only and where a nom-de-plume is used the name of the writer must be included for reference purposes. The Editor reserves the right to abridgCj amend or withhold any letter or letters.

ROAD COURTESY

Sir, —I take this opportunity to write to you about motorists at night. Every evening I have to bike five miles home along the main highway from work. It is always dark and motorists coming towards one never consider dipping their headlights for a mere cyclist. It would make things very much easier for myself and many others if they would do so. They have very much brighter lights than we and it is almost impossible to see when they do not dip them. I think they should have more consideration for us. -

Yours etc., “NIGHT RIDER.’*

THIS CROWNING CEREMONY

Sir, —I approach you asking for space to ventilate a grievance which I consider in the public interest to broadcast. I refer to the fact that after the intensive campaign whereby the Returned Services Association raised over £7OOO, from this district, the committee has decided to put on the Crowning Ceremony in the Winter Show Hall in the middle of a dance. That fact is alright in itself, but what I want to know is—what about the hundreds of people who assisted in the raising of funds who will be excluded from ever seeing it. I refer to the children (many of whom worked as hard as -the adults) and hundreds of aged folk, and mothers who will have no show of being present, quite apart from the extortionate charges which are being made. Why cannot our R.S.A. do the right thing by these folk and put on a public ceremony either in the open air or in a theatre. r Certainly it may not be so remunera-J tive, but after so successful a cam-! paign, that should be merely a secondary consideration. What can be done about it? Another thing I object strongly to is the fact that a substantial allocation was made to teach candidate for the purchase of suitable clothing for the nighL Now Sir, was not all the mdnagdß*a3ste& for a .specific a Mem%iql Fund for our district men to have the benefit of in later years? Who authorised the committee to reach into this money and spend it in unauthorised channels? I feel that it is a breach of faith to the contributing public, who certainly responded liberally to the appeal. These things are probably striking other readers and I would like to hear their opinions.

Yours etc.,

C. ZINSLI.

BROKEN BOTTLES, ETC.

Referring to your recent sub-lead-er on this subject, and your article entitled “Maori Loiterers.”

As you rightly emphasise, it is a most unfortunate state for any town to find itself in: but surely the town itself is responsible for the local conditions it allows to develop? Are not our local “city fathers” elected into office to over-see such matters, and to guide the development of the town along desirable lines? Where is our civic pride? Something must be done. Your suggestion of a Y.M.C.A. is good, but something can ' be done immediately. There are at least three other solutions that our city fathers can consider. They are: (1) The hotels to be brought into line regarding the five-day week, bars to be closed all day Saturday along with other retail businesses. When Mrs John Citizen cannot buy her necessary loaf of bread on Saturday, why should Mr John Citizen be able to buy his far less necessary pint-and-more of beer? And why . should the bar workers~be- deprived of their due leisure to enjoy witnN others? Housewives, you can makdM yourselves felt on this jmatter! This! would immediately. hands of those who the responsible authorities have licensed to retail liquor, our publicans. They are un- §| der strict (!) regulations, which-