Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 63, 16 December 1946, Page 4

Dear Sir,

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 abridge, amend or withhold any letter or letters.

THAT SIREN !

,Sir, —The Whakatane Volunteer Fire Brigade, wish to voice a strong protest against the person, who chooses to hide behind our worthy Press and who, in his ignorance chooses to insult, one of the finest Fire Boards that a Brigade has had the honour to serve, by speaking of their removal. That siren was expressly placed there, owing to the proximity of nine-tenths of the Brigade strength being in that area and for future expansion of the residential area.

■ Have the persons, responsible for the unnecessary outcry about the Kopeopeo siren, asked' themselves, “Why is it, that the people adjacent to Merritt Street have not clamoured for the removal of as powerful a siren and which goes, not once, but four times a da’y. The answer is, careful consideration of facts and the realisation, that, like the Volunteer Firemen, the fire siren is a vital and necessary factor in the protection of life and property.

There is an alternative, although it has defects, instal alarms in 21 firemens residences, which would

entail considerable expense. Perhaps the ratepayers would squeal louder than ever about the increased rate. Yours etc., J. H. STEWART,Superintendent.

A POLITICAL PESSIMIST

Sir, —I have always thought that a pessimist is one, who, of two evils chooses both, therefore I suppose one can make pessimists of people by forcing them to choose both evils, and that is probably why electors as a whole are pessimists. Someone must have thought out our little ballot system, butMhey did not think it out to help us. No one can tell me why I have to vote for someone, the thought of whom spoils my breakfast, but if. you point out a thing like that to a politician, what does he do? Either nothing at all or else side tracks the issue. So long as a thing is simple enough, no seasoned politician would see it, but how would he like it, next time he went to a restaurant if the waiter refused to take his order for sausages, unless he agreed to take tripe or poloney also'? No tripe, no poloney, no sausages! But if we accept the politicians tripe, we get bags-o-mystery, filled with whys and wherefores. And the man in the street is so> pessimistic that he does hot mind what politicians do or say to take away our self-government from us—he admires their astuteness. / This is the position we are in today! Party politics, has power over the people. When the people elect servants, and not masters, then honest administration will set the people free from the choice of two evils. ...Yours etc., . / W. BRADSHAW.