Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1923. HARBOUR BOARD OFFICE AND MUNICIPAL CHAMBERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2537, 1 February 1923, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1923. HARBOUR BOARD OFFICE AND MUNICIPAL CHAMBERS.

THE Mayor (Mr Chrysfall) speaking at the Harbour Board meeting on Tuesday urged that the Board’s office should be situated in the Town Hall and gave as his reasons more accommodation and the assistance thus afforded to tlie borough from a. revenue point of view. Perhaps the Mayor had a more suitable and sanitary room in view than the one previously occupied by the Board in the Town Hall. However, the Board seemed quite content to remain in the present building. This reminds us that the Mayor does not evince the. same concern in connection with borough council office and its appointments. How long the Council is to continue in occupation of the present tin shed, goodness only knows. But the present structure is a standing disgrace and a had advertisement for the town. If he would display the same interest in the erection or provision of suitable municipal chambers—for the construction of which the Council has money in hand —his criticism of the Harbour Board office would not appear so inconsistent. CLASS HATRED. THE Auckland Star takes the Rev. J. K. Archer severely to task for a recent remark that “if he had his way he would order the sterilisation of all the millionaires of the community.” The observation was called forth as the outcome of a report submitted to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, which included as one of its topics that most difficult and complicated of all social problems, “the sterilisation of the unfit.” What strikes our contemporary most forcibly about Mr Archer’s contribution to the discussion was his anxiety to make use of such an opportunity as this to advertise his gospel of class hatred and to hurl some sort of missile,

however inappropriate to the occasion, at the detested millionaire. It. would he difficult in the Star’s opinion, to find a better illustration of the utterly demoralising effect produced by that most hateful of all doctrines, the theory of the “class war” in the form in which it is expounded by most Marxians to-day. There are some Marxians who profess to regard the class war simply as a social phenomenon and they claim that they are not influenced by any personal feeling of hatred for the rich. Russia to-day is a good illustration of the value of (his plea, but the Star points out that in Mr Archer’s ease the matter under discussion was the sterilisation of the unfit; and though this clergyman declined to endorse the proposal for such drastic measures in the case of lunatics or sexual criminals, he went out of his way lo suggest that, in his opinion, such a course might well be taken with “all the millionaires of the community.” The Auckland journal concludes: Comment on this monstrous and outrageous utterance may seem almost superfluous, hut it is just as well, in the public interest, to emphasise the thoroughly degraded and detestable view of human life and human nature induced in certain types of mind by constant insistence on the dogma of the class war and its in- ■ evitable and logical corollary, the class hatred. Mr Archer is a minister of the Christian Church. If this is the effect, of Marxism on Christianity, how can we wonder at its demoralising results in Russia? How can it be denied that Marxism, with its gospel of class hate, is the greatest danger that human civilisation has now to face?

COMBINED PLAYING AREA—AND PUBLIC BATHS.

'THE local tennis, bowling and croquet clubs are considering a proposal to centre their activities in one playing area. The tennis club owns the freehold of its property in Ravensworth Place, but the area is not large enough to accommodate all who would like to participate in the game. Instead of one court four are required to meet the demands of players and enable members to indulge in necessary practice to fit them to successfully compete in in-ter-club tournaments. The croquet lawns on the bowling club’s green impose a similar handicap on members and restrict others from joining. The bowlers are well provided for but as true sportsmen are sympathetic with the object of a combined playing area. The site suggested adjoins the bowling green and embraces an area of over an acre on which a cottage is erected, 'flic points to be considered are the purchase price at a. reasonable figure, capital expenditure and dual control. The latter is of vital importance in order tc2__a\ J oid future misunderstandings. So far as the howling green is concerned, that is held under lease from the Council and it would be difficult and a questionable transaction to disturb the tenure but that fact would is no way militate against the bowlingclub’s joint action in the question of upkeep of grounds and co-operation in other directions. An appeal to the public, by way of special effort, to find the money for such a deserving object would meet with a liberal response. We hope the negotiations will result, in success.

WHAT better locality for a public swimming baths could be selected than the present tennis ground. Now that water is available the baths should follow as a natural consequence. .Perhaps it would be in the public interest for the Council to take over this site for the purpose. The Council has. the authority to provide such a convenience and this suggestion might get over the site difficulty which was raised some time since.