Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 128, 20 August 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

ENJOYING THE PICTURES Sir, — The Rev. Dr. Gibb’s statement on the degrading and demoralising pictures he saw in six Auckland theatres must have come as a shock to most picture patrons of this city. Being a regular patron myself, I cannot call to mind any picture of the kind he describes as having caused him. to leave at intermission time. Dr. Gibb should remember that he is living in the twentieth century, and not the seventeenth, and that the minds of the people have broadened and advanced with the times. The producers are doing their utmost to cater for the public, but they can’t please everybody. If Dr. Gibb is going to visit the pictures, and look for everything that’s bad, he is sure to find it. Most of us go to enjoy ourselves. PICTURE PATRON. ONE PER CENT. Sir, One cannot help but admire Mr. Schmidt’s persistency to help the travelling pubfic. That same public has just proved it hasn’t much confidence in the present Mayor and councillors by turning down the loan. A pity little things like tram fares hadn’t been thought of during last election. As far as trams and tram fares are concerned, I would like to say that nowhere in New Zealand (and I have lived in the five cities), are trams so dirty and fares so high. Wellington has a universal fare of threepence, so, surels*, Auckland with a much larger population could do likewise. In that city, also, each conductor carries in his car a neat little broom and at each terminus it is used well, thus each car is swept clean many times a day. Yet, Auckland trams have been stated to be 99 per cent, efficient. What a lot that poor little one per cent, has to account for! CHEAPER FARES. MILFORD SUNDAY TENNIS Sir.— In response to an objecting deputation from the Milford Baptist Church, the Takapuna Borough Council decided to uphold the ukase forbidding Sunday tennis in the Kitchener Park. Presumably a deputation from the tennis club will now wait on the council and ask that the Baptist Church be suppressed on Sundays because it interferes with tennis. The following facts about Sunday cycling in a public park in the charming Canterbury 4own of Temuka may interest the Milford tennis players, and also the Takapuna councillors. Some 24 years ago the local clergy were horrified to see cyclists not only riding, but actually* training, on Sundays, on the asphalt track in the Victoria Park, and they set the ball rolling by asking the Temuka Borough Council to stop this wickedness, because it was hurting the feelings of church-going people. Right! The council promptly passed a by-law forbidding cycling on the track on Sundays. Will it be believed that the naughty cyclists, even with the council’s prohibition before their eyes, continued to ride on the track on Sunday as before? Once again the good clergymen stirred the porridge pot. They pointed out the sins of the bicycle riders, and demanded that f something be done. Naturally the

councillors were angry men to find their sovereign authority thus flouted by mere wheelmen, so they rose in their wrath as one man, and passed a resolution that a gate be built across the asphalt track, to be shut and locked each and every Sunday. This would stop their wicked wheels! This bold resolution was received with such a burst of derision by the citizens of Temuka that the councillors promptly dropped- the thing like a hot potato. The gate for the track was never built. The cyclists continued to ride on the track on Sundays, and the clergy apparently accepted the situation, as they made no further move. No rider was prosecuted for breaking the precious by-law. These facts point a moral for Takapuna. J.S. \ MORNINGSIDE RESERVE Sir, Your timely article and leader on the Morningside Recreation Reserve has caused much discussion in Mount Albert. To my knowledge, agitation for the opening up of this reserve has been going on for the past 3 0 years, and the position to-day is as it was at the beginning. Many deputations of ratepayers have waited on the present and past councils urging them to have the reserve laid out, but the only answer that has ever been given is “the matter is receiving our earnest consideration.” It seems a great pity that the largest borough in the Dominion has done nothing to make playing areas for the children of ratepayers. It is a civic scandal that the citizens of the borough should have to depend on the generosity of our city civic neighbours for the use of their playing areas. The executive of the Auckland Play Association, the president of the Young Citizens’ League, the executive councils of the Rugby. League and Football Associations, Hockey Association, Cricket Association have individually and collectively urged the Auckland City Council to purchase more playing areas as the supply did not nearly meet with the demand. Could I, on behalf of a very considerable number of Mount Albert residents, respectfully suggest that they all visit this truly wonderful reserve and when they see itS*"potentialities, they will surely use their great influence with our lethargic council to have it opened up immediately . Mount Albert as a borough is the only civic authority on the peninsula which has done absolutely nothing to alleviate the present distress cause*! bv unemployment. On the other hand it has recently discharged 87 borough workmen. Here is a chance for it to redeem itself by securing the Government subsidy to lay out this reserve into a playing area. G. CAMPBELL.

CRUELTY TO CALVES Sir.— You are to be thanked for the way m which you have brought before the notice of the public in THE SUN the inhuman treatment of the calves, and in showing up the gruesome veal trade. It is most gratifying to see the Interest taken in the subject, which, It is to be hoped, will lead to action. I am sure anyone with a spark of (Continued in next column).

humanity within him, after realise fuller accounts of the question, Bar. be filled with loathing and disgust a: such an inhuman trade being undertaken and carried on. Of course, tit larger the number of calves supplier “the few shillings the greater increase.' The sufferings of the poor little calva do not count in the sum total. Evert cause is followed by effect. General: on the whole, it seems that as so:' as cattle are considered fit for sale i lot of their misery and suffering cormences, only leasing with the slang:terman’s work. If not on the hums' point, surely for human consumptiet cattle should have every care arconsideration given them. There a still a great need of improvement ' the wa'»” cattle are handled, transportetc., before ultimately reaching tfc* market. L NOBLE-

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Sir,’ — Previous to your articles in THE SUN on the disguiting *» cruel calf trade, I was astonished tiasuch a thing should be allowed, therfore I have taken a keen intere* & the various letters. It seems to however, that some of the writers asoriginators of the scheme display lack of knowledge when they feeding the calves w-ell for three As the usual method with dairy is to remove the calf at once, ij*j® generally takes a few days to the calf to drink properly, it means starvation for the poor animal for the first few days, what benefit then is the so -called ***•_ ing to the three-days-old calf or one else ? The writer speaks 01 scientific manner of slaughter a works, and the building up 0 trade and its by-products. w- . cruelty does not come in here, think of it, the building up of a-JJJf of this kind! On the same some of our stray cats and doge < be slaughtered, nicely seaa°n®o* made use of. In many parts land well-fed veal is not fit under three weeks old- * « with others, Sir. that THE S serves the thanks of the country bringing to light in such a ner this disgusting, filthy, business. Again, who is

WORK FOR 1,000 HAMMERS

Your correspondent, ‘ Aue suggestion that the the means, might do much "j to relieve the prevailing dis . rt h» emphasis. An example. M je emulation, came under my .aro® 5 cently. A number of f »Ho* with practical sympathy to sots* worker who had ex i’ er en t, f 1 hardship through unemP|oy®“ vided him with a few P° hat mif r of work in their gardens. business men be aMe » yjA if they were minded ,lk f . , gjty, *3 land is naturally a be ®“* withi® **! there are many ugly spo the* round about and as many without the jurisdiction of s_ institutions as town-pla j- nt il «*[-■ and beautifying societies. to individual citizen is .'"'mutions. idealism of these ms , „ e ,er goal, the city beautiful, reached. There are unpain dilapidated fences an “ , pS*** sections by the score m .rework for a thousand and « es hammers and paint ? ; u ro» ’ :o S. penditure of even modest ,y r moving this ugliness" and lieve the prevailing distre. yp.W** assist the aforementioned to attain then goal. _ **