Citizens Say-

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 122, 13 August 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say-

(To the Editor.)

THE GREAT CRUELTY

Sir, — Better the application of the law of euthanasia than the practice of the great cruelty which disgraces our socalled civilisation in the treatment of the sub-normal. Better they were strangled at birth than that they should be punished through life for the deficiencies they cannot help. As it is, they grow up to be a “nuisance” to the normal community. If they are mad enough, we send them to the “mental” hospitals; if they art not, we send them to gaols, taking the easiest way out for our own comfort. The sub-normal, as “Humanist” suggests, should not be dealt with by an ordinary magistrate or judge; he should be dealt with by expert psychiatrists. The present system of dealing with deficients as though they were criminals, instead of mere unfortunates, only drives them from bad to •worse. It is a dulled public conscience that tolerates this scandal. ANOTHER HUMANIST. VETERANS’ HOME Sir, — I notice in your issue of the 11th inst. a letter re the above home, and particularly the remarks: “As to gardening for the men, a gardener is employed, because no one will do any, and there is also a shed full of wood for anyone who is looking for a little exercise, which needless to say is not rushed.” It is common knowledge that dissatisfaction exists at the home, but on reading A. Flyger’s letter one can guess the reason. Fancy these naughty old boys of 80 to 90 years of age actually refusing to cut logs of wood or dig the garden. It is surprising, and about time a public inquiry was held to see what is to be done. DIGGER. BONELESS VEAL INDUSTRY Sir, • You have published several letters on the subject of boneless veal. As one vitally concerned in this question, because of the fact that my livelihood is at stake, may I venture to suggest that your correspondents are speaking without knowledge of the question. Anyone familiar with the dairying industry knows full well that every year thousands of good calves are knocked on the head because of the fact that to keep them until they are three or four months old is not a payable proposition. Because of this fact, certain calf skin dealers do excellent business, and make handsome profits. Now, when the calf is three days old, if it has been well fed, we find veal of a very good quality is the result. Certain people, having the welfare of the farming community at heart, becoming cognisant of this, saw a means of helping the man on the land and at the same time giving employment to

many seasonal workers, who would otherwise have been workless and suffering from the attendant misery to themselves, their wives,' and children. The calves are killed under the best possible conditions by experts skilled in the art of killing, so. Sir. I reason that their suffering is less than formerly, when the killing was not done by expert butchers. Besides, freezing workers like myself, this industry will employ countless numbers of workers in other industries—for instance, railwaymen and watersiders, who will handle the veal in shipment, also the workers in the numerous by-product industries resulting from this new industry. Sir, I could write more, but in conclusion let me ask those who are talking of cruelty, etc., which is the more inhuman—to slaughter calves under good conditions, or to allow thousands of men, women, and children, whom this new industry provides with food, shelter, and clothing, to drag through the long winter months, hopeless because of the breadwinner’s unemployment, and in a semi-starving condition resulting from the same? HOROTIU SLAUGHTERMAN. EUBIOLOGY Sir,— Students of biology may have noticed gaps in biological sciences. Looking to the future, and the betterment of human life, we have the new science of eugenics. At th e end of life we desire euthanasia, or an easy death, which should be developed into a science. But most important of all is eubiology, the science of wellliving. Laws of health, morality, ethics, and religion cover the ground more or less, but what is needed is a presentation of the principles and practices of good living from a modern scientific point of view. It Is the lack of such a science as this which is the great defect of our school curricula. There would not be all this agitation for Bible in schools if the science and art of right living were being systematically taught under such a head as is herein suggested. The proper care and cultivation of the body, mind, and soul should be the most essential elements of every educational system, also the wise conduct of life in its various relationships, human, sub-human, and super-human, should be included. To which end the exercise of religious faculties in praise, prayer, aspiration, etc., may not be reasonablv omitted. J. G. HUGHES. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS “Diavolo. ’ —We have a music critic on our staff. He has already given hif . opinion on the production you criticise, and we see no reason why it should be amplified. “Argus.”—Your letter is rather too strongly worded. “Abraham McTavish”—Sorry, but the original letter did not appear in our columns.