Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 221, 7 December 1927, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

“A.B.C” Sir.— Every time I read of the sale of city land at a stupendous price, with the appended comments on our prosperity, I smile. A. hundred thousand pounds is paid for a site for, say, a retail shop. Who pays for it? You and I, and all the rest of us who have nothing - to sell but our services. flow much more do our requirements cost when they have to bear the charg-es of interest on £IOO,OOO and interest on a building to cost £150.000 or more? It all goes back to the landlord. So long as the few have the monopoly of the land, whether in city or country, then so long will there be the many poor. It's as simple as A.B.C. ECONOMIST. THE FURTHER PUNISHMENT Sir, — One of the iniquities of our prisons is the punishment of prisoners who escape or attempt to escape. My attention is drawn to this by the report of a young man who has been sentenced to an additional 12 months in, gaol for having escaped from gaol. A bird will escape from a cage if the door is left open. A prison is a prison, and it is the duty of the officials not to afford opportunities of escape, for the desire for freedom is as natural to man as to bird and in many cases quite naturally overcomes reason. lam not, of course, referring to prisoners on parole. HUMANIST. RECORD HOLDERS Sir, — A considerable amount of comment has appeared in the Press recently on the subject of cycling records. Although Percy Coleman has few equals as a grass track rider, some small amount of credit is due to other riders who have put up notable times. Coleman is generally said to be the world’s champion with one mile in 45£ seconds to his credit. This time was in open competition, and, as such, is no record. Has he done better than 47 seconds? I think the record can go to Spencer Stratton, with 46 1-5 seconds for one mile, but this premier rider has in open competition on the grass covered one mile in 44 2-5 seconds. A FOLLOWER OF THE SPORT. SUBURBAN LOCAL BODIES’ DECISION Sir. —■ At a conference held recently by the suburban local bodies, it was decided that they were not justified in committing the ratepayers to the loss involved in giving a guarantee of Is fid a mile for each bus, or such amount as should be deemed necessary to maintain the bus service of the Auckland City Council. It was the opinion of this body that a commission on transport was unnecessary; also that private enterprise could provide adequate transport without any guarantee. These opinions have the support of a large majority of the Auckland ratepayers. The demands of Auckland residents are well-known to the City Council. They require an up-to-date transport service, and the only way this can be speedily brought about is by Laving the present Act deleted from the Statutes. In other words, they desire that private enterprise shall be permitted to enter into the transport business free and unfettered by council and Parliament, as it is they—the ratepayers—who have to foot the bill.

Let the council by all means managi the trams, and if it canno

compete against private enterprise, then it can only be pronounced a bad business corporation. On its own figures it appears to be in a hopeless position, and to grant further loans would be indiscreet. To set up a commission at the bidding of the City Council and Parliament which passed an Act suppressing private enterprise, is too one-sided and not wise. What are the histories of all commissions? Nothing but the creating of an enormous expense, with the findings seldom brought to realisation. A commission is not necessary, but a little common sense is required. The people are thoroughly dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, and clearly manifest what they want, and are prepared to pay for it, that is, that private enterprise should be encouraged and not hampered; that there should be healthy competition and an avoidance of commissions, which only put off the rainy day. In other words, as the City Council has not proved a success in managing the transport business of the* city, give private enterprise a chance. North Shore, Takapuna and Milford are examples of what private enterprise can achieve in this direction. Such a service that has been inaugurated in those districts in a short period is a credit to the organisers. WALTER F. DABET. EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS Sir,— At these times of depression, with many British workmen with large families unable to obtain employment, at their wits* end to know how to feed their little ones, might I ask space in your independent paper to bring: the following few facts to the notice of your readers. The question I desire to ask is: How is it that, in one gang alone, of men employed by the Public Works Department at Orakei, there are four British workmen employed to 16 Dalmatians. Is this fair treatment to our own kith and kin, when thousands of them are unable to find emTployment? From inquiries made from those in charge, it is not denied. They deny any responsibility for such a state of affairs, and admit they have no power over it. DISGUSTED. “That’s quite all right,” said Mr. L. B. Campbell, Public Works’ district engineer at Auckland, when, this letter was handed to him this morning. “It is perfectly correct that we have a number of Dalmatians in our employ. Some Dalmatians have been in our service for at least 10 years.”