Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 269, 3 February 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

MOTOR SPEEDING Sir, — One can anticipate that the road to Muriwai motor races to-morrow will show the usual strange method of traffic control. Because some township with a hotel and a dog kennel has a speed limit of 10 miles an hour, or something equally ridiculous, the supposed guardians of the public safety will probably be in hiding with the usual stop watch and imperfect speedjudging arrangements. Then some dozens of unfortunates will be prosecuted for speeding. If there is any danger on the road, for Heavenis sake let us have the traffic inspectors standing out doing their duty, and slowing up traffic if necessary, instead of completely spoiling an already dusty run by sneaking behind a fence or post, catching revenue, not on the ground of dangerous driving, but because some out-of-date speed limit gives them a safe margin. . OVER-HARASSED. “THE KING’S PORTRAIT” Sir,— “Citizen Claudius” is apparently of that curious turn of mind generally known as ‘nosey” in the slang of today. He most assuredly evinced a good deal of curiosity when observing an inoffensive fellow-citizeif stamping a letter. He even noticed that it was addressed to a business firm in New York! In probability disrespect to King George V. was the thought farthest from the person’s mind, and having been in receipt of several American letters which have inadvertently displayed inverted States stamps I should like to guarantee that the American firm in question would he broadminded enough to guess that the letter was hurriedly stamped, If indeed it happened to notice the matter at all. Perhaps “Citizen Claudius” has never had the experience of tearing down a crowded Queen Street, clutching letters and parcels in a frantic endeavour to reach the mailbox before closing time If so, he would not be quite so smart in finding fault with folk unknown. CITIZENESS CLAUDIA. LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE Sir, — Among the many other prognostications that might have been included in my letter published in The S-m of the 27th ult., the following are perhaps of general interest. No doubt there has been lately, and still is, unusual prevalence of neurotic disorders of various kinds. We may confidently expect that such troubles will soon abate, and that they will continue to do so for the next five years. Indeed one might predict the days, and even hours, when the suffering from such ailments will be most acute during the next 20 years, just as one may foretell the times when deaths from heart failure and many other happenings may be expected during -he same period. The ability to foretell such events would be of little value, were it not for the fact that it involves a knowledge of the deleterious causes, thus placing us in a position to counteract them, and show us how Nature intends us to avoid and remedy such ailments It is a popular fallacy, for Instance, to suppose that wet clothes constitute the one great cause of rheumatism. The wearing of wet

clothes, especially upon the feet, is in many cases a contributing factor, but it would not be appreciably so if we lived natural lives. This malady, like all others, results from civilisation 1 advancing without a knowledge of Nature’s provisions and requirements. r It might tie asked why I do not now pffer a full explanation. The answer is that a full explanation would necessitate voluminous writing, which very few could understand, whilst unsupported statements of fact would go unheeded. Apparently the first and proper course is to make my reports to the leading medical authorities through the proper channels. One can see no limit to the possibilities offered by this new research. For instance, 1 have no doubt whatever that, given the necessary facilities, ore may ascertain the prime cause and true nature of cancer, and I am almost as confident that eradication of the scourge will then follow. A remarkable feature of this year will be the abnormally high birth-rate from July to November inclusive. In July twin births will be particularly numerous, and the health of the children good for most of the whole period, will be especially so for that month . Such conclusions are, of course, arrived at from a knowledge of the fluctuating vital forces of the sun. They have been successfully used in forecasting the birth-rate for New Zealand during the past few years, and apparently they may be trusted to give, with decreasing reliability, such results for the next 100 years or more, and for any particular country. fredk. r. field. MAORI MISPRONUNCIATION Sir, — Touching on “Oat-a-Hoo’s” letter on the above subject, one is seized with the idea that a lot of the faulty pronunciation of Maori names arises less from carelessness than from overcarefulness. This is particularly so, 7 think, with regard to the series ending in uku.” The true Maori diction correctly slurs the final tl u”—dn some cases it being barely noticeable to pakeha ears—and so we get wrongly Why-ook,” “the Mowl,-,” and other similar atrocities. The same argument applies to certain of the native names beginning in “wh,” which of course every (New Zealand) schoolboy knows is not given the pronunciation os in •who." But, all tlyi same, the white New Zealander overdoes it, when he turns the two letters into one and pronounces it like the Anglo-Celtic I f, giving us "Fong-a-nooey,’ and so on. The South Islanders are the worst offenders, though, and particularly so with regard to their spelling e.g. Otago for Otakou, Kartigi, Waihola’ These, surely, are Maori words that never were on sea or land? In closing, one is reminded of the foreigner who said that t!he English were strange people, for although they called it “Chumley,” they spelt it “Marchbanks.” "CHOLMONDELEY.” A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT Sir.— Some few years ago a special session of Parliament was called early in the year to debate the advisability of putting a second cut in the Civil Servants’ Hvmc on . f a t ccou , nt of decreased cost of living. After days of talk probably amounting to - somewhere L near the amount? to be samed) it

~ rr fr -r r rf v :r T **£ decided to do so. Incidentally. employees were granted at the saro time by the Arbitration Court, ma-e» os, females 2s 6d a week extra on account of the increased cost of and the hotelkeeper has got to keep them! You pointed out in your leading article on Monday the seriousness o the “unemployment Question,” whicn has become more acute now or. account of the drought. In spite of this, not one of our £450 per annum politicians, plus a free railway tip**; (when opening flower shows and of hospitals) has mentioned anytnh* about the matter. „ I think the question should treated as a non party one, the as the Licensing Bill, and would suk" gest that a special meeting Jj* Cabinet be called now and an toy-nj tlon be extended to the leaders ox• other parties in the House t 6 At the same time arrangements sh°r be made for the immediate format* of a National Government for years. I think the last session of f*;, liament months at a cost Vfhe I £ 85,000) is sufficient argument of stupidity of the present system , money spent in an election wow*®": employment for hundreds, P r ®™v rl « it were spent in increasing thi of the country instead of putting®* kerbstones and deviations in w*sv r ? If The Sun advocated a POjWj* ■Rational Government and Exports,” it would do more futures prosperity of New Zealand all the newspapers in. th