Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 55, 27 May 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

To the Editor,

A QUESTION Sir.— Through your courtesy I should like to ask Commissioner Mcllveney a question. If, as he claims, he has chased the criminals out of Wellington, where has he chased them—to Auckland? A FRIEND OF THE AUCKLAND POLICE. THE HARBOUR BRIDGE Sir, — This morning I had occasion to go out to the Birkenhead-Glenfield Road which leads from Birkenhead to Albany, and I can truthfully say I have not seen a more beautiful residential district in all my experience. The undulating nature of the land gives a fine view of the harbour and Upper Waitemata, and a man has to be on the Birkenhead side before he can see one of the finest sights in the world. Birkenhead is surely the coming district, and will be a tip-top suburb when the bridge is thrown over the water. It would pay the province to erect this bridge right away, and it should have been done 20 or 30 years ago. Here was an excellent jumping ground for the Prime Minister—a chance of a life-time to get “something attempted, something done.” After all it is not such a very big job. If started now it would give work to the people; trade to retailers, and prove a blessing to us all. The Press and the public should go straight out for this long-talked-of harbour bridge. From the foot of College Hill to Northcote seems to me the most suitable place for this erection. We want this bridge, and we are going to get it. Why not now? Procrastination is the thief of time. EDWARD O’TUFF. PAPAL EDUCATION POLICY Sir,— May I thank Dr. Buxton for his courteous reply to my request for an explanation regarding the education policy of the Roman Catholic Church in various countries? But the explanation he gives of the facts to which I called his attention is not quite satisfactory. In New Zealand the policy is “Catholic schools for Catholic children.” In Italy the Vatican favours religious instruction of the Roman Catholic type in the State schools. Dr. Buxton explains that such instruction must be given “by Catholic teachers,” but I understand that these teachers are paid by the State. According to the concordat between Poland and the Vatican, religious instruction is obligatory in all State schools. It is to be given to Roman Catholics by teachers chosen by the school authorities, but only from a list approved by the bishops. This is surely an instance of the State “tampering with the things of God” which is strongly condemned by the Roman Catholic authorities in New Zealand. It throws “one of the most sacred duties of the Christian ministry” (to quote “The Month”) on the shoulders of State officials. In Serbia the religious instruction of Roman Catholic children in the State schools is given by catechism teachers paid by the State. The Serbian concordat even requires the State to endow a seminary for the training of young men for the priesthood. Does not this mean the setting up of “an ascendancy class of exclusive and endowed educational privilege,” which the Roman Catholic authorities in New Zealand wrongfully accuse the Bible in Schools League of wishing to do? In New Zealand the Roman Catholic authorities have been insisting very strongly on religious liberty and equality. But the concordat between Spain and the Yatican provides that

Roman Catholicism shall be the religion of the State, and that education, public and private, in Spain, shall conform to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. If I understand the position rightly, no other religious body is allowed to establish schools. The law even prohibits any public religious manifestations other than those of the Roman Church. These facts seem to me to show that the policy of the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand differs from its policy in the other countries I have mentioned. NORMAN BURTON. AN UNPLEASANT ADVENTURE Sir, — My attention has been drawn to a report published in THE SUN giving details of my being accosted on Friday evening last. This article states that I was evidently the victim of a hooligan’s hoax, but such is not the case. The circumstances which led up to my unpleasant experience are as follow. At about six o’clock last Friday evening I was proceeding home when a “hatless” individual attired in a blue serge suit accosted me. He told me his name and l instantly recognised him as the constable I had seen on numerous occasions and who resides in the street on which I was walking. He then asked me had I been breaking into any houses in the locality. When I had fully recovered from this insult, I proclaimed my innocence. However, this did not suffice and I had to endure a further cross-examina-tion. He stated that I had been in that street for the last five nights, to which I replied that I had been frequenting the street for the past year, as I find it a very convenient route to my house. I am no stranger in this district, having resided here for the past 15 years. I am fully convinced that had it not been for the fact that I had tangible evidence in the shape of my dog, I would have been “reported missing.” I write these few lines in the hope that other respectable citizens may not endure a similar humiliating experience to mine. I might add that after .1 had been released I watched my assailant enter the residence where I have seen him on numerous occasions in the uniform of law and order. H. A. ALDRIDGE. FIND THE MAN! Sir, — May I. through the columns of your paper, put forward a suggestion which I think will be eagerly' taken up and elaborated by more capable pens than my own. Some time ago you started a hunt for the most beautiful girl in New Zealand. What about starting a hunt for some "strong man,” capable and willing, to head a movement to do away for ever with the present idiotic and costly system of party politics, and to cut down the cost of running this glorious little country. Is it not lamentable and pitiable to think that it takes 80 members of Parliament (all at a high salary and a large percentage of whom open their mouths only at Bellamy's), an expensive line of Cabinet Ministers and a Prime Minister to manage the affairs of about a million and a-quarter people? Take last session: How much better off is any one in New Zealand for all the vapourings of these beauties? Not one iota. If you will, with your new paper, start the ball rolling, you w r ill be doing a work worthy of a great paper, whose first duty is to the Empire and the people. That we have this leader in New Zealand I am and so

heartily sick are the people greneralF of the way things are going on now. l am sure that if he went to the hustings at the next General Election win the pick of his following and contested every seat with the main plank inn» platform to enlarge the electorates wj* sav, 12 for the North Island and 1for the South, he would have tne backing of every sane, right-minae elector in the country whether LaDera*. Labour or Reform. Henrv Ford ran a bigger concern than New Zealand off his own » • haven’t we some man of outstanfli . ability, eager to do something gr for posterity? __ TRY AND FIND HIM.

HOSPITALS AND HEALTH

The Minister of Public Health tel us “New Zealand could point to v* fact that it had more hospitals in lation to its population than any 0 country.” Ye gods! That is * P cious state of affairs for a c 0^ n , ; hardly more than two generations \ • so far as our civilisation is concern • We may well ask what it will pe . in two more generations’ time *- state of affairs is allowed to conti _ ■ It is a very queer psychology whicn gards hospitals as being “SrLjd institutions, and is one which s be just as radically removed minds of the people as the idea when we leave school we have ished” our education. And v.nen turn to the Public Health Departm reports, they are even more than the Minister of Health s statement. cjjr Such an undoubted authority a Trubv Kink, in his Child ’'■Vdfareb port in 1925, says: “It is to turn to the scathing r fP°J pr. Hercus, Professor of Public Hea • j Ada Paterson. Director or Hygiene, Dr. Hunter, Director o tal Hygiene, and our school officers, school nurses and dental n . as to the quite unjustifiably lar jL eg ted. portion of malnourished, C«nderretarded, weakly, undersized, hoo i*. weight children attending our s and the scant attention paid in _ uar dcases by their parents or other g ians to such simple essentials a wholesome, regular meals, rec and sleep. Yet the provision ° simple requirements would P r ®\ vast majority of the bodily dene disabilities and diseases wMc t j,e during the 12 or 15 years fr . end of infancy to the close Olife.” Here is a pretty Mettle o indeed, and what are we y. ers going to do about it? I tn self the sooner we get to v- oa jgn institute a vigorous national c of humane education against a . g for of disease, the better will it 0 f the welfare of New future generations. There one true national prosperity, a vjgPris the prosperity founded up ° . nir we ous health. And the first * j<je* want to be rid of is the era . that our hospitals are “heaii \ tutions -- -exTTXTANIS'S./