Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 138, 1 September 1927, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

ONEHUNGA AFFAIRS

Sir, * I see by your report of the Onehunga Borough Council meeting that the Mayor suggested to Mr. Blackwood —the owner of a section the council wanted for a rest room for Onehunga —that, being a resident of Onehunga, he might make a name for himself by letting the council have the section at about half its value. Now, Sir, as the Mayor is local-born and has been elected to the position of Mayor, he might make a name for himself by giving his first year’s honorarium toward the proposed rest home. He will then show the electors an example which many might follow. RATEPAYER.

BONELESS VEAL

Sir, —■ We have read much against boneless veal export, and the heartless cruelty of gathering, herding and slaughtering these new-born bovines; of the poor and worthless characters of the products, and so on, accompanied by a cataract of crocodile tears. On Saturday last I presented myself, unannounced, at the Horotiu meatworks, and was conducted over the whole premises. I have never imagined that slaughter could be conducted under such humane and tender conditions as those I witnessed at Horotiu. So far from any suggestions of cruelty the victims are treated with the utmost tenderness and consideration. They wait in sheltered, dry, well-drained, clean yards. When driven thence, the goads used are light, empty sugarbags. They are most gently driven into pens, with the least suggestion of hustling and crowding, and when they are dispatched it is done in groups of four each, being hit over the head with a bar of iron and instantly bled. I was agreeably surprised to note the" fine conditions of the great majority of the carcases—and to notice what wholesome-looking, appetising meat the final product appeared to be. There are a large number of men and youths employed in this venture. They are a fine stamp of upstandingmanhood, and would scorn to be guilty of any unnecessary cruelty. And should the agitations engineered by a ring of schemers succeed in squelching this splendid effort to use what is otherwise a waste, another injury will be visited on that longsuffering class, the “cow-cockie.” NGATIMARU.

BORIC ACID IN BACON

Sir, — In recent prosecutions against firms for using boric acid in bacon, counsel for the curers is alleged to have stated that it was a common practice to use boric. That does not apply to all curers, nor to the company I represent. and I unhestitatingly say, in spite of the plea put forward, and I claim to have had the control and handling of more pork than any man in New Zealand, that there is no necessity whatever for the use of boric in curing bacon. England has prohibited the use of this article. America places a ban on the use of boric acid. Germany, France and Australia the same. The war against boric in bacon has been waging for years past and all the leading countries of the world have said: “Away with it.” Think of the enormous quantity of bacon cured in America, consider the huge import of approximately £50,000,000 worth annually of ham and bacon into Britain, all of which is free from boric. Australia, with its warm climate, will not have it. I have sent quantities of cured bacon

CROSSWORD PUZZLES

ABOUT THE TUTU

CIVIC SQUARE AND COMPENSATION

to London free of boric, which was reported as being beautifully mild. Now I throw out the challenge that I am prepared to have ten sides of bacon cured with only the wholesome ingredients which the law allows, and place this against ten sides cured with the aid of boric acid. I will prove to the satisfaction of the Health Department that non-boric bacon can be produced beautifully mild, but at the same time with a reasonable flavour and that it will keep just as long. S. C. BARON, General Manager for J. C. Hutton (N.Z.), Ltd., Wellington.

Sir, — In your issue of Saturday last there appears in the advertising columns a crossword puzzle, which, like many others previously advertised, shows skill in construction, whereas the finding of the correct solution is purely a matter of chance. The puzzle referred to requires for its solution the funding of 80 words, 67 of which are so easy that a child of average intelligence could, by the aid of the “clues, discover them in a short space of time. This leaves 13 words to be found. In each of these 13 cases more than one word may be used and there i -,

in the puzzle to indicate which is the correct one. As an instance, from the clue “short and thick,” the words “stubby,” “stuffy,” “stumpy” and “sturdy” may be used. In each of three other cases any of three words may be used, and in the remaining nine cases either of two words may be used. From these facts any Sixth Form Grammar School boy can easily ca < late that there are no less than 138,240 possible solutions, only one of which can be the particular solution decided upon by the promoters. KIND WORDS.

Sir,— In connection with an investigation on Tutin, the active principle of the poisonous native tutu plant, I am desirous of obtaining from old identities, settlers or anyone else with information to communicate, anything of interest they may be able to contribute. While particularly interested in experiences relating to the poisoning of human beings, symptoms, aftereffects, attempted measures of relief. I shall be equally pleased to learn of experiences with stock, or other relevant facts. For this use of your columns and the kindly assistance of your readers, who are requested tocommunicate with the undersigned, I am duly grateful. C. AS SID CORE AN, M.B. Mental Hospital, Kihikihi.

Sir.— With reference to the projected subdivision of the Civic Square, I am under the impression that under the terms of sale that when the leases expire, in 66 years’ or so, the council takes possession again, and also acquires the buildings thereon without compensation Surely sir, fhis is bad business and false economy, in that it must tend to drive away those investors who would desire to erect large or palatial building* This type of man will not go in for ventures involving the expenditure of thousands of pounds merely from philanthropic motives, and for the purposes of providing the city with rent, and later a building or buildings for nothing. It

appears to me that public Interest would be stimulated, and the bidding keener, if a compensation clause were embodied in the conditions of sale. The tramways company was compensated when the city took its propertyover, and surely the principle of compensation is better than that of confiscation (the Russian method). lam convinced that any auctioning of these sections without provision for compensation will fall flat, and will result in monetary loss, and end In an architectural botch. The conditions should be made more attractive, and so provide better security for investment. MARBLE HALLS.

BOOSTING NORTH SHORE

While the work of bringing the North Shore into the limelight, on the part of Mr. T. Walsh, is commendable, the writer is inclined to the opinion that the newly-elected chairman of tne Waitemata Chamber of Commerce evidently puts more stock on the efforts of the North Shore local bodies than is apparent to an ordinary citizen like myself. I have now been living on this side of the water for the past twelve months, hut except for the progressive work for which credit is au to the Auckland Harbour Board, i have vet to see where the chief citizen have done little more than emulate tne Labourite by a system of agitation, and, further, that spirit or civic priae which has developed in the tlz ™ h of the North Shore, as quoted by MrWalsh, seems to be devoid of practica expression. As a sample of what on may expect to find when attempting bring the average citizen out of a state of civic coma, which may or may not be accentuated by the balmy f*e<‘ breezes, I may point out that, toward the end of last summer I suggested to a resident of Narrow Neck of longer standing than I that it would be a good scheme to organise a working bee to provide needed improvements in tne bathing facilities at the beach, hut was informed that any efforts in this direction would not be welcome for tri main reason that if the “locals” improved the beach too much, peopl from the city would monopolise it. My humble suggestion to both MrWalsh and our worthy Mayor, >«; Aldridge, is to organise a North Snore Beach Improvement Association or, • one already exists, make an effort to revive it, and, by taking a lead from the Caroline Bay Association J* Timaru, make capital out of the various beaches for the direct benefit o all-year-round residents of the Shore. The avarice of the landlords mentioned by Mr. Walsh is evidently ca T us *i! through a greater appreciation of Nort® Shore values than I have and whii citizens remain in their present state of lethargy I have no ambition to become a landlord myself. At least am prepared to give practical hion to my feelings on the matter when the call for workers Is made. A. SIMPSON. Narrow Neck.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS “Constant Reader.”—Thanks tot newspaper cutting. The law does n® permit us to publish race -dividends. Sorry. * (Continued on Page 110.