Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 74, 18 June 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

MAORI NATIONAL FESTIVAL Sir,— Mr. Geo. Graham's suggestion in THc SUN that instead of having a Maori School of Arts at Rotorua there should be a national festival like those in Wales and Ireland is well worth attention. But" why not have both school and festival? The arguments that Mr. Graham puts forward for thinking the school at Rotorua will not be a thorough success do not seem altogether conclusive; the Maori equivalent of our cottage industries no doubt will have a force, diminishing with time and the European education of Maoris. The sex differentiation in training is not much more serious than our own. Our boys are not taught cooking at school, anyway, because it is considered de.roga.tory and we have our schools for girls and schools for boys. I should think that smouldering tribal animosities, combined with the relative inaccessibility of Rotorua, would have the greatest effect in hindering the success of the school. If we had several schools, scattered over New Zealand, and a national festival, then we could look for the preservation of much that is valuable in Maori culture, T. WALSH. Devonport, 16/6/27.

SWAT THAT HEAD! Sir,— Even if you only think you see a “head,” swat it, seems to be the motto of those engaged in the search for nails on which to hang tile blame for the present depression. Speakers at business functions have been trouncing the hire-purchase system, A “leading trader”.- is reported as denouncing hirepurchase because, “people by utilising this method mortgaged their incomes in advance.” Quite so; and proba,hly there is a lot of money ear-marked in advance for time payments. But here I would suggest that it is pertinent to inquire why traders are so dumb anent incomes that are much worse than mortgaged. I refer to the huge sums of money constantly vanishing into the maw of the omnipresent totalizator; this money is quite obviously diverted from the normal and beneficial channels of circulation. Does the business community in g;enera.i approve the convenient and elaborate facilities provided for mass gambling in New Zealand? The contents of the innumerable pay envelopes that vanish into the blind alley of the tote machine are solemnly referred to in certain journals as “totalisator investments.” True, at the tote as elsewhere “monev talks”; but more often than not, only says “Good-bye.” ALSO RAN. NEED FOR HELP Sir,— What is wrong with this immigration system of ours, that men in high places should endeavour to smother and hide from view the real facts? Let us be honest, and confess that many of the youths who were farewelled in the Old Lane! with flowery speeches, and imbued vrith visions of a flowery land beyond tile seas, are to-day penniless and ir dire distress, without hope of providing for themselves the ordinary necessities) of human beings. Under the Bishop of London's scheme, youths of It; were taken from the English schools and planted in this country. They were provided with work—oh, yes; Allow me to outline just one case. A youth of 16 was sent out under the abovementioned scheme, fresh from the desk, and planted on a farm on the Hauraki Plains. He worked from 3.30 a.m., being indeed fortunate if his labours terminated at 7 p.m. Fifteen.

and a-half hours of farm work is good going for an immature youth, and for this he received his keep, and at the end of each week the lordly salary of 12s Sd. Perhaps these conditions constitute the ordinary training of our farming community. The “backbone of the country” must be strong! But this lad had not touched the hidden privations until, after 10 months of loyal labour, he was discharged. Strenuous efforts have failed to locate for him a single means of earning a livelihood. The flowery speeches, and the bishops are afar off. He has sufficient of his earnings left to pay for another week’s board. Seventeen years old, in a strange land, among strangers, without a friend or even a bishop to guide and assist him—is this the point from which these talkative Empire-builders of ours expect, mere children to mcke good ? A system which throws such striplings out into a cold world, without at least some chance of support in the inevitable climax, is surely unworthy of so great a man as the Bishop of London. We may shut our eyes to the labouring conditions into which such lads are led, but we cannot surely admire a scheme which abandons them in the hour of adversity, and keeps on adding to the suffering band. Perhaps the fault is at this end? If so, let us remedy it sufficiently to ensure that such youthful immigrants can at least be insured against hunger and the want of covering for their heads. It does not require the refined soul of a bishop to hope that our young kinsmen will find security from actual want in our midst. HUMANIST. A QUESTION OF DEGREE Sir, — The University students in conferring degrees overlooked one of their number, a divinity student whose: name figured in Police Court proceedings recently. Why did they not award him the D. 5.0.? (interpret it according to your inclination!) If the University turns out any more of his kidney one can imagine the time when German or other guns may lay their University in ruins in which case one may hope that the tower (nuptial style) will not escape. DISGUSTED R.S. A SOCCER SUSPENSION Sir, — Permit me space in your valuable columns to express my dissatisfaction with the recent suspension of a Thistle Club player in the match against Shore As a senior player in club football for some fifteen years in New Zealand Soccer (I have since retired), I witnessed the game in question in company with another five enthusiasts, and consider the Thistle player was exceptionally unlucky in the penalty given against him. As a Southerner, lam unbiassed m opinion, and when the referee in question called a halt in the game we all considered an injustice had been meted the player in question, as the Shore player to our mind had held him and we expected a free-kick would be awarded against Shore. Imagine the surprise we received to see the Thistle player ordered off and later to see him stood down” for one playing Saturday ail for being held by an opposing player. The player penalised made no attempt whatsoever to kick his opponent. ■ ueh treatment to individuals does not tend to help the attendance at Soccer fixtures. The referee has a thankless duty, we know, but in the above instance, “nuf said.” - -UNBIASSED SOUTHERNER