Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 118, 9 August 1927, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

SALES AT EXHIBITIONS Sir, When visiting the Winter Exhibition I noticed several of the exhibitors effecting sales of their wares. To my mind, this procedure seems anything but reasonable and also unfair to the trades-people generally. If this course is to be adopted at future exhibitions, might I suggest that the correct name would be —“Exhibition and Sales Depot.” The public and the tradespeople interested would then know just where they stood; and make due provision accordingly. In justice to all concerned. “JUSTITIA.”

THE CASE FOR RELIEF WORKS Sir, Standing at the corner of Queen and Customs Streets to-day, awaiting a car, I was accosted by an old man, who asked for money, saying that he had been without a meal all day. I handed him a humble sixpence, expecting, as usual, to see it disappear into the nearest hotel. But to my surprise it went into the nearest pie-shop. As my sixtyseater car came along I wished I had made the amount at least a couple of shillings. On reading to-night’s SUN, I read with much annoyance your correspondent’s letter signed “N.Z.,” dismally extolling on the unemployment relief works as an attempt to lower wages, and stating “that the best that can be said for wages reduction is, that it is encouraging loafing on the job.” Now, “N.Z.” is not quite fair in using this subject to fire off such propaganda. It seems to me to be rather playing it lown down. The nine shillings a day offered is really to meet such distressing cases as the old man at the foot of Queen Street. Viewed as such it should receive every praise. AUCKLANDER. August 8. NORTH SHORE AMALGAMATION Sir, — That the present system of individual administrative control is an impediment to the progress of the marine boioughs, I have not the shadow of a doubt. Mr. Aldridge’s assertion that Devonport would be plundered in the event of amalgamation taking place is puerile, and not calculated to inspire any enthusiasm among deep-thinking latepayers. As a means of prompting settlement alone, amalgamation would mean increased trade for Devonport. Although Devonport will soon have a splendid concrete wharf, equipped with modern appliances, and should with careful handling become a prominent business area, Mr. Aldridge contends that there should be no continuity of policy. A waterfront road is badly needed to link up with other boroughs: but how can this be constructed until amalgamation is effected? Takapuna perhaps the most beautiful of all the boroughs, suffers for want of a reliable arid efficient transport service the solution of which is a bridge across the harbour. Again, amalgamation would hasten the construction of the bridge The four boroughs have nothing to lose but old-fashioned ideas, and perhaps a few conservative public servants If Mr. Aldridge is right, centralisation is a blunder and a provincial system of Government would be best for the whole of the Dominion. But. Mr. Aldridge is wrong, a community of interest does exist, necessitating an harmonious system of administration.

which cannot be effected while the present system prevails. I believe that so long as the question is left to the various local bodies and ratepayers’ associations to decide, amalgamation will be indefinitely postponed, and that if an independent committee were set up and facts placed before the ratepayers, amalgamation would be carried by a large majority. JOHN GUINIVEN. NEW TRAFFIC OUTLET Sir, Among the various suggestions for the Queen Street traffic outlet, none gives one so much pleasure as the idea of cutting down Queen Street to permit of Karangahape Road traffic crossing by means of a freakish overhead bridge. This is quite an artistic idea, and would fit in so well (when the ratepayers are caught napping) with the joke bridge intended to connect the two town halls in the scheme which the consulting engineers so nearly wished on the ratepayers in their efforts to solve the Civic Square problem. The cables of August 3 report that the Sydney City Council is considering remodelling the city to meet the traffic and business requirements of the next twenty years. Now what is wrong with Auckland city looking ahead for 20 years? By then our population will be, say, 400,000, and Queen Street from Karangahape Road to New North Road will be in the centre of the city, and any work done now should be done properly. Let us continue Queen Street as a straight, wide street, while costs are low, and not wait until permanent buildings of three storeys and more are erected, and the costs of any widening and straightening are prohibitive. ARTIST. A REPLY TO MR. SCHMIDT Sir,— I think that Mr. Schmidt’s letter calls for a reply. Tie says that his community buses were able to charge a lower fare than the trams. Probably so, but it should be remembered that the council has recently spent a large sum of money on the Dominion Road line which has meant that the residents of that district have had the middle of their main road maintained for them out of tramways money, which they would otherwise have had to pay out of their rates. Added to this, the tramway department is obliged to keep a large spare list to cope with the five o’clock peak load, which none of the bus companies ever attempted to deal with. Added to this is the admission of the representative of the Community Club that they were working their drivers 14 hours a day, and j Mr. Schmidt calls it fair competition. Mr. Schmidt should remember that in attacking the council he is attacking the city ratepayers. CITY RATEPAYER. RELIGIOUS EXERCISES BILL Sir, — Canon James, reported in your columns, disingenuously dodges the fact that although the only “additional” cost of the above would be in the preparation of the manuals, we would still have to debit the exercises with the cost of the teaching services for the time th*-y would occupy. His statement is a transparent attempt to delude the public into believing that the cry of injustice from opposing religious minorities is without substance. The injustice to minorities who would be compelled to pay

for exercises in which they c° u . conscientiously participate, . V! in any way be minimised whetnw measure was passed by Parha®**• by popular vote. In the words Caughley, nothing a injustice, not even the a^ieg^, f . ests of religion. If religious stri , arose it would be laid at the d those who, in their mistaken * subvert justice, have lost no p* tunity of stirring up sectarian a ■ i y and inflaming their followers a* i those who stand for equality 1 gious matters. c £ maJ0 R. BIRKENHEAD’S TRAFFIC INSPECTOR S Relative to the Mr. T. T. Beddick had been traffic inspector by the a Borough Council, which app® a *v, 3 your paper of the 29th ultimo* corroborated in the current iss Birkenhead “Gazette,” I <* es “!jA t p public attention to the appointee is in receipt of tion as an ex-policeman and. * cult to understand why witn <3i unemployment all around, tn £ . not allotted to a genuinely un man. _ The council cannot plead j* of the number of returned rn _. t ,jr ' ing employment, for at * '•levelling 1 of the Birkenhead ial, at which the Mayor were present, they were r : reminded by one of the S 0 f only to honour the memorj dead, but also to rememoei living had the right to worK is* them to provide the necessari for their families and . ~pr th® [This letter was read ° ve * w* phone to the Mayor of a \ert replies that Mr. Beddick fhe Ta suitable man for the positiu -.j muneration is exceedingly * insufficient to warrant tne applications for the P°® THE SUN.]