Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 275, 10 February 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

CIVIC INQUIRY Sir, — As one who has closely followed the inquiry into the charges—pardon, allegations—made by Councillor Murray, I have difficulty in following the reason for your correspondent, R. Richmond, suggesting that obstacles are being placed in the way of the councillor. To ask the Government to appoint a commission of inquiry on the general allegations of one councillor is surely absurd. Both Mr. Murray and his solicitor have apparently been asked at least a dozen times to bring forward definite charges—if they have any. This appears to have been going on for months. If they can accuse employees of theft or graft or some other misdemeanour, why in Heaven’s name don’t they do so? Why blame the council for waiting for the charges, when Mr. Murray and his friends (with all their affidavits) seem to have their charges proved up to the hilt, but are afraid to make them? Or is this method of procedure merely to keep Mr. Murray in the limelight? STRAIGHTFORWARD.

A MILITARY INJUSTICE Sir, In my letter on the above subject there is an error of mine which I wish to correct. I stated that tli ere is nothing in the Compulsory Military Service Act to compel a boy to commence training before his 14th birthday. This is not correct as the Act provides for training “from the first day of June of the year in which a boy attains his 14th birthday.” Thus a boy whose birthday falls at the end of the year takes up his training several months before he is 14. It is interesting to note that the words which follow on those already quoted—“or any later date on which he leaves school” —mean that the dull boy or the truant may remain at primary school till he is 15 or 16 and escape military training till he leaves, while the bright boy who takes a free place at a secondary school does from one to two and a-half extra years. All this goes to prove the necessity for the abolition of this unnecessary and useless Act. ZE ALAN DIA. WATER PROBLEMS Sir, — The very serious position of the Auckland water supply is in evidence, and at present the residents of the city and suburban districts, besides being put to very serious inconvenience, are losing considerably in plants, shrubs, trees, etc. My own personal loss will be fully £IOO, besides the time required for re-growth of new shrubs and trees. If the existing restriction on the consumption of water is to come into effect every year, particularly at this season, when we require an abundance of water, well then it is quite futile to devote any attention to gardens either for vegetables or ornamental purposes, and the whole district might better be left barren and so avoid any further loss, for it will be quite useless to go to the labour

and expense of replanting when we may expect similar treatment as now experienced from the City Council from year to year. It is quite evident to me, and no doubt to all residents of the Auckland district, that the City Council has failed to recognise its responsibilities to the citizens of Auckland, not only on the vexed question of water supply, but-many other serious problems, and I am decidedly of opinion that the Taupo water supply project should be revived, and without further loss of time. We are now on the verge of a very serious water famine, and to prevent an epidemic of disease I consider the health authorities should take drastic action In the direction of infusing some life and common sense into the City Council or the Minister of Health should be approached for the purpose of constituting a water board. The seriousness of the existing conditions requires drastic action, and even if the water from Taupo should involve £3,000,000 I am quite agreeable to contribute my own proportion, and consider such a project much more sensible and practical than to fritter away possibly the same amount on either the Waitakere or Hunua Ranges. The Taupo water project is sound, and I feel sure that if adopted we shall be supplied, with an abundance of clean w*ater. A.*».g. SAVING TARGET REPAIRS Sir, It seeims hardly logical to spend much time and £IO,OOO on building a battle-practice target, only to tow it ° shoot holes in it and then tow what is left of it back again to be repaired—and still further expense. The Navy must have something at which to shoot. Gone is the time when cruisers distributed cannon balls freely along the coast. People are not so broadminded nowadays and might repr°Jectile Ploughing up the front lawn or nestling among their cabbages. i ,;!:, h f \ neW , Larget which distinguished itself by taking the water on its beam ends yesterday might well serve the purpose for which it was built without suffering material damage. Ir } th ® Australian Navy ships use each other as targets—theoreticallv The gun-sights are adjusted so that the shells fall 100yds or so either ahead or astern of the “target.” A hit being counted when the splashes of the salvo are seen the calculated distance from the target ship. There seems no reason why the New Zealand squadron should have done without a target altogether. having two perfectly good sloops on which to practice. Now that it has one, however, *■ !( ' re seems no reason why it should not practice the "throw-off” method of firing and save repair bills R.A.N. KAURI FOREST SCENIC PARK Sir,— The visit to and remarks on tinwonders and beauties of the Auckland -ity Council's Pukematekeo kauri forest scenic park and the cascades made yesterday by Dr. A. W. Hill' should serve as a reminder to the Auek-

land City Council of its gross neglect of public duty. There is a park, in ihe words of Dr. Hill, “the largest and finest in New Zealand”; it is only one hour’s motor run from Auckland G.P.0., if a good road were available, yet the road to it for the last one and a-half miles is not fit for a oar to go over. Over four years ago the Government contributed one half of £28,000, which the council has paid to the Kauri Timber Co., Ltd., for 650 odd acres, whicn area is in the centre of this park, on a. definite understanding that the coup* cil was to make a good road to tnpark and open it for public use. JjL total area of this park is 2,680 oa acres, of which the above 650 acr' form part, and all of which is outsi the council’s water-shed area. - It is my opinion and also others who visited this beautiful spoj that if a good road were made ■ * there would be a thousand mC jJ' or ’i ace going to it every week, and the P would become, in a very short tun . health Mecca of Auckla ( lj| ss . B vBR. 6/2/28. The town clerk. Mr. Jstales that no undertaking to bu“ r road was given >%» * « ars can get right to .he • *teretei the road is not exactly like j Kvery Sunday, for many weeks, have been driven into *.he reserve. ! The Sun. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS J-W.P. <T. ■ cable to IgJ the article you mention. Ed. T ,,e