Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 113, 3 August 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

FILTHY BATHING Sir, — Congratulations to your correspondents, H. Stroude and Trevor Methuen, in drawing attention to the filthy baths at Parnell. To go to this appalling pool for a swim after the mud bottom has been stirred by the first few bathers is to “fail in the soup” very literally. Bitter complaint was made about these baths last summer. It is no exaggeration, sir, I can assure you. to say that they stank. Among those who complained last summer through the Press was Mr. Scott Colville, who said the Parnell Baths were, without exception, the dirtiest he had ever dirtied himself in. If the dog-in-the-manger City Council will not put down a concrete bottom so that bathers can escape slime, let it hand the baths over to private enterprise. I, for one, refuse to pay to bathe in filthy water, and the Parnell Baths will not see me again until they are transformed into something less like a sewer. CLEAN BATHING. STATE EDUCATION DEFENCE LEAGUE Sir.— With reference to the suggestion in Tuesday’s SUN by your correspondent, John Sim, that the State Education Defence League should supply a copy of its pamphlet, “Bible in Schools, The Opposition of Prominent Educationists,” to each elector, I would say that the only barrier to such a scheme is the want of sufficient funds. Many hundreds of copies have been distributed, and I would be pleased to supply any SUN reader who applies for copies. C. E. MAJOR, President, P.O- Box 80, Auckland. “MURDER WILL OUT” SirMurder will out, despite efforts to hide it. The Government, the City Council and other people have been trying to smother the unemployment situation by asserting that there are very few unemployed on the books at the Labour Bureau and that there is work available on the roads and in the country, while certain people who wish to promote spending screech that we have “turned the corner”— just as they screeched their songs of pessimisnr when it suited them to pull down prices. Very little employment, when 400 men applied yesterday for a job at pulling down a building in Queen Street! Probably most of these men will be used during the spring and summer and paid a bare living w age. Then they will be thrown on the labour market again for the following winter, while the glutted “bears” hibernate. This is a fine country—to be out, of. WORKLESS WORKER. ELIMINATING TARIFFS Sir.— It is impossible to express in words ;tny definite rule of conduct which is universally applicable. This is true because the ideal and the practical are not one on our plane of living. Treat ?N y O i LI ? vou3d be treated is a golden iule, but not always practicable. The

less generous but more just precept of “treat as you are treated” must often be followed. But this latter precept may not always be followed if the world is to be made better; therefore, the spirit of a wise man guides his conduct now in one and now in another—or between these precepts. None but fools and knaves treat worse than they are treated. These principles, applied to trade, demand the removal of all unjust restrictions. High tariffs stand condemned because they are not generous. They are reared and maintained from selfish motives. When reared to equal height in retaliation they are just but not generous. When reared above the tariff of others they are both unjust and ungenerous. When B buys £ 100 worth of goods from A, it is not right that A. by a 50 per cent- tariff, should demand £l5O worth of goods in return. The moral standard of living is degraded by such immoral exchange. To raise the material standard ofi living by the impoverishment of others in this way is dishonest and cruel. It is thus that men and nations gain the world and lose their souls. States which are united by such bonds of iniquity are not to be envied. It is true that small countries are not in a position to gain by protection as large and self-con-tained ones, but is that any reason why the strong nation should crush or enslave the one which is small and economically weak? In such cases the weak must co-operate with mutual free trade and low tariffs, and pay back the high protectionist with his own base coin. Accounts must be squared, but £l5O worth of goods may not be justly demanded in exchange for £IOO worth. There must be some political and economic readjustment to make fair trade possible between all nations. All for All! or The "Whole Earth for the Whole Race! is the slogan I prefer to those of selfish nationalisms. J. G. HUGHES. DISEASE PREVENTION Sir, The last paragraph of your leader re “Disease and Its Prevention,” is the one which strikes the very keynote of all effort toward the preservation of racial health. There are some indications which go to show clearly and distinctly why the medical profession all the world over is seeking to educate the public toward the preservation of health. These indications are to be found in successive issues of the New Zealand Year Book. They are as follow: HOSPITAL POPULATION 1919-23.—Average per year, 40,0"0 (357 per 10,000 of population). 1924. —58,600 (434 per 10,000). 1925. —61,500 (445 per 10,000). Deaths in 1924.—5.55 pei' cent. Deaths in 1925.—5.65 per cent. Increase in Cancer.—l92l, 575 cases; rises each year to 1925, 1,397 Average for five years, 1,115 cases. Deaths from Cancer.— l 92l, 275. Deaths from Cancer, 1925.— 403. Average, 334 per year. Venereal Disease— JSii?' 23 ' —Average 600 cases a ' ear. 1924. —Average 781 cases a year. 1925. Average 819 cases a year. W ith these figures in view the activity of the medical profession is not to be wondered at, for they are the ones most closely in touch* with the incidence of disease. But we must remember that the success of the medical efforts depends wholely and aolelv upon the weight of public support. And in this respect L have for the last seven years, as the result of mv war-time experiences, advocated hu-

mane education as the card _ g , i ciple of disease prevention. people owe it to ourselves, a , 0 the it a thousand per cent, m generations yet to be born. . Sir Neville Howsc, > , Minister of Health, _ estiro sospi' ft to 60 per cent, of disease here 1 to-day is preventable. And &fi have the finest opportunity f/t - g establishment of a .-irons * p r es«,' ft land Humanist Society lor | ration of racial health- mjjiASl®”' B