Citizens Say —

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 4, 26 March 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

To the Editor. “MISERABLE THREE WEEKS” Sir, — Under the above, heading you tell of the sufferings of a young man who, you say, has been “disillusioned regarding life in New Zealand.” Mr. Dalby's kind heart would be wrung when he learned that his young friend had had to get up so early to milk cows. No reasonable cow should expect to be milked at the time set out in your indictment. How much pleasanter it would have been if the foolish things would have waited until 10 o’clock, or at least until the day was nicely warmed before expecting to be milked. No wonder the son advised his father to buy no farm upon which such creatures might intrude. But why does your informant think of going to Westfield to get work? To do so is to court further “disillusionment” forthwith. I fear he will find a somewhat indifferent smell at Westfield, and may need Mr. Dalby to stand by with the scent. Instead of risking another harrowing experience at Westfield why not try an advertisement in THE SUN? Something like this might do:

“Wanted, a very nice situation on a clean farm by a disillusioned young gentleman who had his picture in THE SUN on Thursday, the 24th day of March, 1927. Plenty of good food no objection. Advertiser will not necessarily require the owner’s ‘ wife to do his washing, nor to catch his fleas, but it is distinctly understood that he must be expected to do neither himself. Preference given to applicants who will milk their own cows in the mornings and where the advertiser will not be asked to fasten the whare door with a rope.” The last proviso is not, perhaps, essential, but it had better remain. It will be just as well to have no more misunderstandings. It would be very damaging to New Zealand if the young man, or even Mr. Dalby, should be further incensed. Is it permitted. Mr. Editor, to ask why you are pulling Mr. Dalbv's leg so mercilessly? BUSHMAN. WHO BLUNDERED? Sir, — . A nice state of affairs is revealed in the matter of the ecclesiastic addresses to the Duke and Duchess. It had been plainly given out that there were to be no addresses tendered the Royal couple other than those from the Government, the Harbour Board, and the Mayor and citizens of Auckland, yet the representatives of churches other than the Roman Catholic did present addresses at the civic welcome. This, of course, gave an opportunity for some citizens to impugn the loyalty of Catholics, in the same old way. The facts are that Bishop Cleary obeyed the implied request that there should be no addresses other than those stipulated, and so did not have an address prepared, and he was astonished and pained, as he himself says, when he attended the welcome to see addresses presented by other religious denominations. It looks as if some people deliberately “put one over” the Catholic community. Mr. Baildon says his council was not responsible, and that the religious bodies which presented the addresses applied of their own initiative to the GovernorGeneral for permission to present them. Why was not Bishop Cleary, as head of the Catholic community, not informed, so that the Catholics, too, could have presented an address—which they were only prevented from doing in the first instance by the intimation in the Press that such addresses were not required? Who blundered—or who was guilty of this discourteous neglect? LOYAL CATHOLIC.

A NOTE OF PRAISE Sir, — I maybe you would be interested to know that THE SUN reached this point in due course, and made quite a flutter. The marvel of a new daily, full-fledged, in vitalising activity, touches the imagination and gives a new interest to the day'. It’s particularly pleasing that you are not in the old grooves—a freelance—able to commend what is good and condemn what is bad. May you live long, and may your shadow never grow less. TE AROHA. PEPPER TREES Sir, — In your first issue of THE SUN you publish a photograph of pepper trees growing in the street at Herne Bay, accompanied by the statement that they are the first to be grown in the streets in Auckland: and that they have been planted about seven months. Now, Sir, I wish to point out that about three minutes’ walk from Dominion Road terminus, there is a street (I think it’s Queen’s Avenue) planted on one side with a row of magnificent pepper trees. They have been there over three years to my knowledge. PEPPER. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS Sir, — I am afraid that many people in and around Auckland will take strong exception to the words—streaks of socialistic nonsense—contained in your leader of Wednesday last. Of course much depends on your defini. in of socialistic nonsense. No one can reasonably object to any newspaper attacking nonsense of any kind if it chooses to do so; but on the other hand if the words complained of are intended as an insult to the Labour people of Auckland who have time and again affirmed their socialistic tendencies, then it is in execrably bad taste. We have had a plethora of capitalistic nonsense, not to call it by a harsher name, within the past few years, and a new journal such as yours could get in some good work in ministering correction to those who have lowered the workers’ standard of living in this fair young country'. There is ample opportunity for a third daily paper in Auckland to

render excellent service to the community it run on right lines, but certainly not by offering a gratuitous affront to a very considerable section of the people whose numbers are increasing by leaps and bounds, and who bid fair to become at an early date a controlling influence in the destinies of New Zealand. As a subscribe; to THE SUN I looked forward to its advent with considerable eagerness, but I must say quite candidly that its first leading article is not altogether reassuring. > OLIVER MASON. “A SONG OF LAMENT” Sir, — I I was much struck with the ode to our beach, Milford, but I wish the composer of the ode would hie himself to t!‘ foot of Tiri Road, Milford Beach, and write a “Song of Lament" at the way this lovely beach is vandalised by some of our business people, who are taking thousands of yards of sand away from this spot. Their boundaries come well below high water and naturally the sand gravitates; from all along the beach to fill up where the sand was taken. I take this opportunity to ask the council if it is buying sand collected in this fashion? ANTI-VANDAL. A TRADE ARGUMENT Sir,— v ; y We are hearing a good deal a*, present about “New Zealand goods for New Zealanders,” etc. Yes, and American goods for Americans, and German gcods for the Germans, and Japanese goods for the Japanese* and Chinese goods for the Chinese, and good-bye trade and commerce. No! The best goods, produced at the least cost by the highest paid workers, are the ones deserving of the buyer’s preference. TR-aDE-