Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 107, 27 July 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

RELIGION, THE SCHOOL AND MORALITY Sir, — I will not try to define the word religion, but will only say that it is the human being’s idea of creation, the reason for this earthly life and what is hereafter. The different religious schools, from the lowest pagan to the present-day Christian churches, have their ideas worked out; that is how to live to find happiness in this world and to earn the highest reward in the next. They have their priests or text books, or both, and teach first religion—their ideas of creation, the reason for this earthly life and ’what is hereafter, and secondly how to live on this earth; that is morality. As religions differ, so do moral ideas. Studying the various religions. Christian or otherwise, we find that the teachings are practically the same and can be put down under the Commandments 4 to 10. all starting with “Thou shalt not . . to which can be added a few “Thou Shalts . . for instance, “Thou Shalt love thy neighbour.” There are few religions which do not honour generosity, kindness and selfsacrifice. Although there are great differences in the various religions, ideas of creation and of what is hereafter. their fundamental ideas of how to Jive on this earth are practically the same. If flam right in this, then it strikes me as a great shortcoming of the pres-ent-day schools that they offer no time on this most important study, “how to live”: oi* call it morality. This could be done without hurting the susceptibilities of any creed. We are nominally a Christian nation, so that the teachings of “how to live” ought to be embraced in the general Christian ideas; that is to say, also include the Commandments 1-3. V.V. KAINGAROA Sir. — Having been a fortnight on the Kaingaroa tree-planting relief work, I can claim to know something about the general conditions. Most of us have been having a hard job to make ends meet, and being offered a job here we gladly accepted it, having been promised 9s a day for single men 12s for married men. First we had a train trip of 171 miles to Rotorua, and arrived with our packs at 5.30 p.m. There we had to seek lodging, some of us paying as much as 8s 6d for tea, bed and breakfast. Next morning a lorry took us to the camp 57 miles away through bleak and mountainous country. On arrival we discovered that we had to live in tents with no fireplaces or heaters, in bitterly cold weather. We started work on Monday, and found to our dismay that we had close on one hour’s walk over high hills and across rough country before commencing the work. Tree-planting, as you may guess, is exhausting work,

and we returned to camp at night dog-tired. We got used to this, however. As time went on, though, other troubles assailed us, chief of them being lack of sleep owing to the bitter cold. Another trouble was the way our clothes became torn and ripped by the manuka. To cap that, we were told that our fares, 18s, would be deducted from our wages. Married men who have 30s a week or more rent to find in Auckland discover to their dismay they have very little in pocket (and sometimes are out of pocket) by the time their wives have received 6s a day. We have to wait until the end of each calendar month before we receive our wages. Taking it all round, if we had known how far we would be out of town, and what sort of country we had to traverse, we certainly would never have ventured out here. Needless to say, we are getting out of it. and we won’t be caught napping again. A WORKER. CHEAPER TIMBER NEEDED Sir. We hear a good deal these times about the wish of the Government to assist the working man, especially the man on the land. One of the pressing needs of the farmer at present (the dairy farmer in particular) is cheaper building timber. The price of timber at present, with high railway freight added, makes building almost prohibitive. When travelling through the country districts one is impressed with the need of the dairy farmer for additional housing for his stock, without which he cannot obtain the best results. Now there are some millions of feet of sawn timber stacked, at the State mills in Mamaku; also a large accumulation at Frankton Junction. Some of the timber at the State mill has been stacked there so long that it is deteriorating in value. I would suggest that the Government transport this timber by train to the different farming districts along the railway route and appoint certain days to soil it by auction. I am confident the farmers would buy it at a reasonable price, as by doing so they would save railway freight. The utilising of the timber would make things brisk in the country. The State would also have to employ more men to replenish their depleted stock of timber. W. ROSS. 25 Ethel Street. CLARE AND DE VALERA Sir. The complete returns of the Free State elections announce that Eammon de Valera has headed the poll in historic Clare. This county is a particularly interesting part of Ireland. At the mouth of the Shannon is situated that peerless island, “where woman's foot ne’er trod,” and which for centuries was a famed seat of learning. Imishcatha. or Scattery Island. is within a stone’s throw of Kilrush,

where the author of “Charles O'Malley practised his profession. In the neighbouring bathing centre, Kilkee, Lever met many of the characters we find mentioned in his works. Away in the north of Clare the O’Daly's had their famous Bardic schools. This clan gave over 31 poets to Ireland. Eammon dc Valera, who headed the poll ia the recent elections, was elected the first Sinn Fein candidate for Clare, It seems the fashion now to disparage Valera, but it is owing to bis teachings in the Gaelic League that Ireland adopted for its slogan. “Sinn Fein Abbain.” We owe in gTeat measure to him whatever freedom Ireland has won. Surely a man of his educated mind, a professor of the National University, will sooner or later learn the lesson which History teaches, that factionism can only lesu to subjugation. “Eternal vigilance is the price of victory.” CLAN COXAL ELIMINATING TARIFFS Sir. — “If, say, the United States hurts nS by restricting our sales to them, it benefit us if we retaliate?’ asks your correspondent “C.H.N. ’ My answer is yes, most decidedly. If fight those who fight us it will b® costly to both them and us, yet it the most forceful way of bringing home to the aggressor the folly and futility jof his action. We are entitled to ua® ! reason, but we should at the same time | back up our words with deeds. Had | this policy been pursued in the pa* l * [ tariffs would never have soared to j such outrageous heights. For tne | United States to oust competitors from her home markets by high tariff** and yet to have free access to dump her surpluses on the markets of other lands, was never just or right, and should never have been allowed. * am in substantial agreement ™ i “C.H.N.” on the matter of lop-.-idea trade, which is unobjectionable when ' trade is really barter, and such it | ways is when on a sound basis. Yet* since it is easier to find sellers than buyers, and since selling develops lions® ! industries, the more evenly any | of nations buy and sell the more fairly ! the advantages and disadvantages ot both selling and buying are dividea j between them. When a protectionist | country penalises the selling of a fre# | trade country, fair trade between them is impossible. J. G. HUGHES*