Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 32, 30 April 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say —

To the Editor?

AUCKLAND'S PESTS Sir, — Please give me elbow room in the timely controversy about Auckland’s drabness. I have no sympathy with “Truth-teller’s’’ desire for a Continental city or for anything approaching the tawdriness of Sydney and San Francisco, whose airs some silly Aucklanders would like to imitate. Auckland is lively enough at night for any honest man with respect for his wife and children. But it cannot be pretended that it is a clean city. No other city in New Zealand suffers from the same prevalence of pests and parasites. Rodents and fleas—to forget mosquitoes now that April’s here —are as plentiful as in Jerusalem. And the tea-cups in restaurants —all chipped, with microbes lurking in the ragged edges! Then has anyone studied the system of glass-washing behind hotel bars? Let Auckland’s health officers and municipal inspectors get busy on the removal of pests, germs, and dirt, and the beauty of the city will compensate for the lack of all-night cabarets and Jungle Jezebels. SIMON PUHE. A GENEROUS SCOT Sir,— You will probably hit me with the mildewed gibe as to the inability of Scotsmen to see a joke, but I must Tuc^fk. 111 order to protest against I HE. SUN making merry over a picture of Sir Harry Lauder tipping a railway porter. The great Scot is not so mean as sorpe miserable Englishmen, and others have tried to make out. What about the band of Clydeside coal miners Sir Harry has maintained as old-age pensioners ever since he struck fame and fortune with his lilting sangs and infectious laughter? He may be canny with his bawbees, but, man, he is no miser. If THE SUN wants to poke fun at meanness, why not publish every Monday the Auckland church collections? The Presbyterians, I’m thinking, would not be sneered at. It would be “they English who would show ..the leanest generosity. SCOTTY. A SUGGESTION TO THE MAYOR Sir, — ~ As a SUN reader and one interested in the way you discuss matters in general, I would like to draw your attention to a paragraph in Thursdy’s SU N headed “Now Arbitrated Upon,” in which the mayor's words read:—“l will take that amount of time in quietly thinking over what I will suggest to them.” I would like to suggest that the mayor collect from the most successful commercial business men of Auckland their ideas on the most pro-

ft table use to which the Civic Square may be put. In my opinion he should confer with men like Mr. Caughey, Mr. Hardley, Mr. Whitney, Mr. Nathan, Mr. Davis and many others competent to give a practical lead on an important question. It would be well not to worry about lawyers, bank managers and land agents, but to concentrate on securing the advice of successful business men. This ought to be done in time to have definite proposals submitted to the first meeting of the new council. crvicus. POPPY DAY Sir,— On behalf of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association and returned soldiers generally, I wish to express publicly the great debt which they owe to the mayoress, Mrs. A. D. Campbell, and her many very willing helpers in the cause of the Poppy Day Collection. The results obtained, . being considerably in excess of last year’s figures, are a source of satisfaction to my association. The funds so freely subscribed by tbe public of Auckland and suburbs will be of immense assistance to the many necessitous cases which are sure to crop up this winter, and the general public may feel assured that these funds will be expended to the best advantage by the trustees. I also wish to thank the many generous subscribers to the fund, some of them anonymous. As soon as all returns are received a detailed statement will be handed to you for publication. S. C. REID, President. CHEAP LABOUR Sir,— “Right and Reciprocity” tells nothing worse than the case to which I replied. Long hours of labour are not peculiar to China. Many people in this country work more than 16 hours a day. Both my parents did. Railroaders in America sometimes worked longer than that and suffered much loss of life and limb before the Federal Government limited the number of working hours. “Girls seven years of age are earning 20 cents a day,” we are told. That shows marked improvement, for not many years ago Chinese coolies earned only 4 cents a day towing barges. Indian shipwrights in 1922 were earning only 16 cents a day. At the age of 15 I myself worked in this city, striking at the forge, for 4 cents a day. My wife, at 21, worked for 15 months in the Auckland Hospital without pay. Living is cheap in China. An Auckland lady, now in that land, says she can live on 3d a day. There is no wrong in mothers taking their babies with them to work. The

practice obtains in America and lands. Must a mother with a babe denied employment? Why sb r -• British employers in China be sinc/out for attack when hours, wages conditions in their employment are worse, but rather better, than of Chinese employers? And nowneed accept British employment trdoes not so desire. I agree with Eoor.' mist” about the necessity for '‘re';-' ing our own -dewpoint.” The trW® 4 is we have failed to reciprocate. have been selling China aboit f® times as much as we have been ivy®from her. RECIPROCITY IS RIGHT. A STATE HOTEL Sir,— » In view of the early construction - an up-to-date railway station • Auckland, it has occurred to ni* ‘ regular traveller over long dtowt'. to and from this attractive hot ••• equipped city that the GoveffJ-; should decide also to build a newt railway hotel. Why not folio successful example of the companies in Great Bntam _ r Canada, and provide excellent a. modation and restaurant servi v, tourists and travellers? “ iU? competent staff, the profits wo « to balance the losses on P°“r er &r ways that do not pay for an* J ho: - There is an ideal site for a fc ’ ca jp near the top of Anzac Aven - Beach Road frontage could a site for a commodious gara. - : a flat roof, to be used as a , garden terrace, or promenaa magnificent hotel oyerlooJCins. fpj the finest seascapes in the ” : -j Railway Department coUlfl a .. a n C e own taxi-cabs for the conv its hotel guests to and r trains. It is not necessary , serious heed to the inevit - j._ : from brewers, publicans, and P tionists. The breweries no tere e> of the hotels, and are onl> in the sale of liquor, m uc th« f is inferior but costly. to*' hibitionists, they do . no * . tt? v days. The manner in W* giur~ the liquor trade dominate cd i> pal elections the other day the tea-and-water dnnKers t y land have no strength f w jiicb the Reform Govern men , ve «s no time for “wowserism, model railway hotel. O could obtain modern a**®** 0* good food, the best liquor, courteous service. ■xßAVEkk^’