Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 134, 27 August 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

SPORTS GROUND FOR MT. EDEN Sir, The action of THE SUN in urging the claims of Mount Albert ratepayers to a sports ground is to be commended. Here in Mount Eden borough the same position occurs. It is only through the pleasing public spirit of a worthy resident that we have a ground at the corner of Dominion and Balmoral Roads. It is only comparatively recently that the Mount Eden council started to form a small park at the East Avenue reserve, and it only takes a very limited number. The vacant land in Mount Eden is getting. less, and I do not know what the young people are going to do for grounds unless the council wakes up and does its duty. I think the Mayor could spare with advantage some of his “water” enthusiasm for sports grounds objects. RATEPAYER. SUNDAY TENNIS AT MILFORD Sir, To eke out his indefensible argument that Sunday tennis would lead to an increase of Sunday labour and threaten that holiday with extinction, Alf. E. Hartnell finds it necessary to include organised sport and horse racing. But no one is advocating these things, nor would the Takapuna Borough Council have any jurisdiction if they were. Sunday tennis does not necessitate the employment of a single person on that day, and the council’s prohibition is an arbitrary decision at the behest of those, who, not satisfied with having full freedom as to their own Sunday conduct, would arrogate to themselves the right to dictate what others should do. It is this bitter persecuting spirit, this odium theologicum (ineffectively disguised even in your correspondent’s letter) striving ever to secure an hypocritical conformity to its narrow code of conduct, by appealing to the power of the law and influencing legislation that the tennis players of Milford are up against. Let them assert themselves, for that intolerant spirit thrives and grows on success but is utterly impotent in the face of ridicule and aggression. A. E. C. AUCKLAND COMPETITIONS Sir. — Mr. Borradale, the judge of elocution at the Auckland Competitions, in commenting last evening on the small attendances at the festival, is reported as saying “that he cannot understand the apathy of the Auckland public.” I believe this is not entirely due to apathy, as suggested, but to the resentment felt by some over the rise in price for admission this year. Until the competitions had started, and a tardy announcement was advertised of the generous number of 200 seats at Is, 2s' was required to admit one to an evening performance. Also, as a teacher remarked, “If one were interested in one item in the day session and was limited for time, one might run in to hear the item, were the admission more reasonable as formerly, but now it was not worth while.” I myself have enjoyed many a pleasant hour in other years, but feel now that

times are harder for most working people it has been a wrong move by the Competitions Society to increase the price of admission. STAY AWAY. August 25, 1927. On the above complaint being referred to him this morning, Mr. Frank Adeane, secretary of the Auckland Competitions bociety, said that nobody regretted more than the society that as a result of the poor support received from the public in the way of subscriptions it had been found necessary to raise the price of admission in order to try and make ends meet. Realising, however, that a num- , * P®.°P le frequently attended throughout the competitions, a compromise had been effected by issuing a season ticket at 10s 6d.—Ed. THE SUN. COMPETITIONS AND LATE HOURS Sir, — Why these complaints about competitions and late hours? Actually they are very early. lam now on my way to Greymouth, where they usually' finish after midnight. Gore holds the present record —12.45. Trained and hardened listeners have lasted till 2 a.m. Mr. Roland Foster vouches for that. Auckland closes its competitions at an absurdly early hour. J- F. MONTAGUK. (By Telegram, Welington). A DEATH TRAP ON THE TRAMS Sir, — From time to time in the past few years 1 have called the attention of tramwaymen to an almost ever-present danger. I refer to the practice of hook•ng the platform chain (when not in use) to the strut between the upright stanchion and the partition behind the motorman’s compartment. Such practice causes the loose brass chain to

hang vertically close up to the stanchion wnich most people grasp when mounting a trramcar. The effect is to foul, or foil, one’s grip, and, especially if the car be in motion, such an insecure grasp can easily precipitate a nasty, and perhaps, a serious fall. Of course, we all know that it is against regulations to board a tramcar in motion, but there is no justification for setting death-traps for those who being fairly agile, do sometimes transgress m this respect. Often a motorman decides at a glance .hat a passenger is capable of boarding without the necessity of bringing the car to a standstill. While such breach Lari Innd , V t C ° Untei,anCed by “otormen and K«h l fe rs ' especially when running behind time, it is up to them to minidints th Tb 11Sk . ° f . causin s serious accim In The sl . mple and obvious remedy in all cases is to give the boardng a , fir ? and unobstructed of , th . e stanchions by hooking the loose chains to the inner-end of the horizontal handrails, where such are provided, or to the lattice-work or rod! men7 a W he motOT man’s comport? ment. Failing any of the above proIno SLa a m P S CiaI staple for the chainof . fltted tow ard the middle , m ? torrnan s Partition. Better eeth er ab nt lSh chain system alto?ot be . r (it is insecure and dangerous, T° r °-. Ut of use ' on our overgated d trams) and a<J °Pt a reliable SAFER AT REAR.