Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 109, 29 July 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

APARTMENT HOUSES

Sir, — Is it not time for the Health Department to move in the direction of having regulations drafted to govern the conduct of apartments? There are houses which are kept in a filthy state. The police should move that every apartment house should be licensed CROOK STREET WEST. SLUMDOM Sir,— The Minister for Labour is verbally emphatic in his condemnation of Auckland’s awful slums. Practically, he is spineless. What is the use of him saying- that landlords ought not to be allowed to charge any rent at all for some of these shacks when the law permits them to do so—and he does not abolish that law? What is the use of his blaming the municipal authorities for allowing the existence of these slums —when he and his Government have the power to wipe them out? Let him introduce an Anti-Slum Bill, to compel the local authorities to abolish these disgraceful blemishes on our city. It’s not talk we want; let’s have action! DIRECT ACTION. “LITTLE GEORGE WASHINGTONS” Sir,— “Here : s a tree. Let’s cut it down!” Some local bodies are like mischievous small boys with a new axe. They want always to be destroying something created by nature in order to put some man-made atrocity in its place. The trees on Mount Victoria give the hill most of its picturesqueness, but nothing will do these little George Washingtons of Devonport but they must cut them down. I suggest that the ratepayers of Devonport should call an indignation meeting and order the councillors to leave the trees standing. There has been altogether too much vandalism on the part of local bodies, and it is’time the people called a halt. ‘HANDS OFF!” SAMOA Sir, — The recent discussion by members of the House of Representatives on the Samoa Amendment Bill was of little avail, as the Government supporters were too strong. lam certain affairs would be soon calmed do\\;n in Samoa if a change were made, and a man such as the Native Commissioner °f Fiji appointed administrator. The New Zealand Government has been very virtuous in enforcing prohibition, without giving the whites any option in the matter, and a great injustice has thus been done. Before the mandate was granted liquor was obtainable, and there was no harm done to the natives. It is all moonshine to say that prohibition was necessary on their account. If prohibition is not in force in Fiji or Tonga, why inflict it on Samoa? Heavy fines could be

imposed for supplying natives with liquor, but chiefs would be granted permits, withdrawable if abused. The Administrator has been too lavish in 1- —Civil list. Far too many officials, and salaries excessive. 2 - —Public works. Over £IOO,OOO has been borrowed from New Zealand, and yet, with £20,000 per annum subsidy, the excess of expenditure for the year is £B,OOO. An inter-island steamer is in commission, at a heavy expense. A costly wharf is being put in hand. I think it will be found that the bulk of the expenditure has been incurred in or near the town of Apia. WORKER. RAILWAY CROSSINGS Sir.— How much more killing Is the Railway Department going to indulge in before it abolishes those death-traps called level-crossings? Not all the care in the world on the part of those who have to make use of these crossings will remove the human factor which enters so largely into all accidents. It is sheer laziness of outlook that prevents the responsible Minister dealing promptly and effectively with this danger. Some time ago your LookOut Man suggested the provision at all crossings of gates which would automatically close on the approach of a train and open when it had passed. There would be no engineering difficulty in this. The only thing that appears to appeal to the Government is the question of cost. The question of saving lives seems to he only secondary. No other people on earth would tolerate this legislative laziness, callousness and incompetence of a Government which is more concerned about exiling natives in the South Seas than in attending to its real work at home. DISGUSTED. ELIMINATING TARIFFS Sir.— Your correspondent, “C.H.N.,” misjudges my position. No matter how much we may hate war, if another nation attacks us we must fight in self-defence. This may be called ‘returning evil for evil,” but it is simple justice, which is universally recognised. In reality, to fight in defence of right is not to return evil for evil. Nor is it really injurious to counterblow with blow, since in that way greater injury is averted. And these principles apply to tariff warfare. “C.H.N.” thinks this process of eliminating tariffs “a very slow one-’ ’ In truth, no one knows how many tarifs de combat have been nipped in the bud by threat of retaliation. What I wrote of America ousting competitors from her own markets, and dumping her surpluses on others, is not “pure nonsense,” but a well-known fact. Germany. France, and Italy, as well as Britain, have been forced to raise protective tariffs recently in retaliotion- If this does not agree with the theory that “international trade is barter,” so much the worse for that

sorbed.” ——g theory. I agree with thoM caret* economists like Jevons and Gia * affirm that international merelv “tends to take the form o ter.” ’ The stern necessity yn America’s trade must become u favourable” i:: accounts are o squared is obvious. If my pri nc *P, -are right, as I believe them to be, would result from England and many applying them to us. On day last Mr. Coates said ttaj" doubted whether anybody could *OllO a policy of free trade and substan it. Neither could they follow al» of protection and substantiate it. item must be considered on its tne. • It seemed to him that it was a s tific tariff which they must c ° n " a he Mr. Coates should remember that Economic Conference at Geneva unci shtood a "scientific tariff" to be , able with reduction and elimmaU tariffs. Can our existing tariff be called scientific? the inter-state free trade o. * and retaliatory protection not tific? To these problems we must dress ourselves, and I am confident a better order of things is CVI ?;''JV.-o I J. G. HLGHEb.