Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 102, 21 July 1927, Page 10

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

THE AUSTRALIAN CLUB Sir, Mine thinkit good idea pfellei “Waratah” yabber to makeit the cami for me fellers and him Marys whal walk about over here from ’Stralia Plenty fellow man from 'Stralia sii down over here. He likeit yabbei along himsels and Marys. KING BILLY. THE STATE OF EUROPE Sir,— In one of your recent sub-leaders you spoke of the state of affairs in Europe, and compared it to a distracted man. I felt that I could not let it pass without commenting upon it, as it is a subject in which I take a great interest. I often think when I read in the Press articles dealing with the state of affairs now passing in fronl of us how wonderful it is to feel thal the material and secular Press writes articles confirming the Scriptures and the things contained therein. All sorts of formulae for peace are being brought forward without avail, and we have tragedy confronting us on ai: sides. There are as many suicides ir a month as there used to be in a twelvemonth, and many of them without apparent reason. I often feel that the world should be warned of the coming crisis, which is very apparent in spite of all the talk about, peace and goodwill. It is no use our shutting oui eyes to the facts, which become more apparent every day and every week. „ J. GRACIE. Edendale. THE HALF-MILLION LOAN Sir, — Permit me space in your valuable paper to express my feelings with regard to the loan of £500,000 which the City Council proposes raising foi tramway purposes. From past experience (fish market, tramway buses civic square, etc.), that body has showr only too plainly that it is really noi fit to be entrusted with such a vasl sum of the ratepayers’ money. Whether they like facing the truth or not does not alter the truth, and it it being proved all over the world that trams are r a back number, and from whatever country you read the balance sheets in connection with trair services, you find the results are the same—loss, continual loss. The City Council, in spite of the fact that it ha= been specially protected by the Government, shows a loss of £ 49,000 or the year’s operations, and then it has the effrontery to ask the ratepayers to hand over another half million One of the outstanding reasons they give why this money should be handed over is that 156 men will be sacked if it is not forthcoming.

It is not a matter of men being sacked, but a matter as to whether the loan is justified or not, and as to whether the council is the proper body to be entrusted with the handling of such an amount or not. The ratepayer is the one that has got to foot the bill in the long run, and the sooner we make a halt the better. It will certainly be food for thought for Avondale and other local bodies contemplating joining up with the city. TAXPAYER. ELIMINATING TARIFFS Sir, — I am heartily in agreement with most of what Mr. J. G. Hughes has written re the above. But his statement that “we must continue to protect ourselves against those who protect themselves against US’” is not sound economics. When we remember that the word “protection” is a misnomer and, as W. E. Gladstone said, stands for “oppression, delusion, fraud,” the statement is tantamount to saying that we should delude and defraud ourselves because other nations delude and defraud themselves. No nation can hurt us by sending us goods (good things), nor will they do so unless we send them good things in return, either direct or through some other country. Mutual tariffs are 100 per cent. injurious; “protection” for the other fellow and free trade for us is only 50 per cent, injurious for us. C.H.N. NGAROMA LANDS Sir,— In your issue of July 9 is a report of Mr. Reid’s Home Truths.” Practically the whole of Mr. Reid’s remarks are confined to one case, and in mentioning that case it is a pity that Mr. Reid did not state that when this man complained to the Lands Board in 1917 and asked for assistance, they wrote back saying that “the Land Board noted his reference to bush sickness and regretted that the only assistance they could offer was to give sympathetic consideration to a transfer." A copy of this letter was sent back to the Auckland Land Board with the application for the transfer, so that the Land Board was well aware of the position when the transfer was granted. I also challenge Mr. Reid to state exactly how much of the purchase money (which by the way was paid for the stock and not for the farm as no deposit was paid on the farm) did the Lands Department insist upon getting before allowing the transfer to go through. When the man saw Mr. Reid at Erankton he stated that if he could get a small section such as he was applying for the few head of stock k his wife still possessed, together with

what he believed he could get o bill of sale from one of the s *ocK b panies, would help him to start »* and said that he was willing to a _ don the Ngaroma property ® Government in accordance vntn advice of the Deteriorated Lano s mission, if he were helped to get e lished somewhere else. Does Mr. n suggest that this man shoe in , whatever credit he could get to try experiment at Ngaroma and ~, try the expert advice he can get t y r; and bolster up a position in McLeod described as uistenaDie . 1926. and which nearly everyone bf who lias investigated lias descri \<r. far worse names? Fie upon yo • Reld! GASCONY. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS SUN Reader.—C onsideration wi» „ given to your suggestion*