Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 282, 18 February 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

NEWCASTLE COAL Sir, I would like to refer to the tender fo.r coal, which is to be brought from Australia in Australian ships, manned by an Australian crew. I am a sailor and have been out of a job for five months. I am a member of the Seamen’s and Firemen’s Unions. Our secretary wrote to Mr. Coates explaining the position, and was told that the Government accepted the lowest tender. There are many of us out of jobs, some poor fellows sleeping in the park at night. Fo.rt§ nately, I have a bed. I think, sir, it is up to every citizen to protest against this business. I have been on the coast her© for over 20 years. JACK GALE. STILL ANOTHER INQUIRY Sir, — It was with great pleasure that I read in The Sun last evening an announcement by the Auckland town clerk respecting the intention of the City Council’s Parks Committee to hold an inquiry into the causes of dissatisfaction with the hours and conditions at the various public baths. This is all to the good, and very well as far as it goes, but The Sun, with further plain criticism of municipal muddle, should press hard for an extension of the scope of general investigation. There is to be a commission of inquiry about inefficient transport and chaotic bus management; an inquiry is sought into charges against the City Council and some of its employees concerning the conduct of municipal works, and so on; and now an inquiry into baths control. Why not hold a supreme inquiry into the reasons for all these inquiries, and obtain a judicial report of the hopelessness of the present administration to manage successfully a fine city that is hindered in progress by a village standard of management? EFFICIENCY. UNEMPLOYMENT—ITS REMEDY Sir, — Throughout the country many and various suggestions are broadcast by the Press and private individuals for the extinction of unemployment. They are all practicable in a greater or lesser degree, but I fear most of them fail in one particular—they do not do away with unemployment, except temporarily. Now, sir, I beg leave to place before the “powers that be” a plan that will do away with the ever-recurring evil of unemployment, and in doing so I will not, whether my idea is acceptable or not to the Government, contribute one further line to the subject in the way of a paper war:

The Government owns thousands of acres of idle land. These must be productive in some measure. Let the Minister of Lands have nominated to him personally, or by proxy, 3,000 men with families at present out of work. Let these workless ones with, say, six dependants to each receive from the Government £3 a week (less where dependants are fewer) to fence, road and later clear and till the various sections apportioned to them, a limited and reasonable period' to elapse before the wages are discontinued. This to be based on the possible production of the land “made.” Let no rent be charged for at least five years, and then by mutual agreement. The Government had no hesitation in borrowing to prosecute an aimless war; why, then, hesitate to do the same—but I will say nothing partisan. Three thousand at, say, £l5O a year would be £450 000 See what it would do for the country Consider what relief costs now. In less than two years the people would bless the Government. Do they do so now? Hamilton. 17/2/2S. INCONVENIENCED Sir, — Could anyone living near to Point p “ rlc enlighten us as to the cause of J?- e J lorrlble smell of burnt grass or rubbish which pollutes the atmosphere in the early hours of the morning, penetrates into the homes and even provokes fits of coughing or sneezing m those who have weak throats? Is it smoke carried dn the wings of the wind from the burning areas? Does it emanate from the sewers which, like everything else, suffer from the scarcity of water? Perhaps someone could shed some light on the quesReading yesterday about the new restrictions on the use of water; then, tra.! ellmg on a tram which stopped twice for want of electric power, on each occasion for 15 minutes, and at a rush hour; and being inconvenienced this morning in bed by the offensive smeU menttonetl ab °ve, I was thinking that the City of Auckland is rather a quaint place in which to live. SHELLEY. TRANSPORT TO BATHS Sir.— They say the Shelly Beach baths are not paying the City Council. That must be obvious, not only because of tuS, reS -rv! Cted , hours during summer time. Tbe only chance of bathing a worker in the city, and living at Ponsonby, has, is betwen 7 eand 9 p.m. But the most glaring feature of the business is that there is no bus or If the Cit y Council had been alive to its interests the tramhne would have to run down Shelly Beach Road from Jervois Road, loop-

ing round Point Erin Park. Th*® r 8 maintain, should have been done ye* ago. One would think that none of city fathers had been beyond A land. Nowhere else could one such a popular place, so close w r city, without transport any n than three-quarters of a mile- - wonder the baths don’t pay* don’t need to go to Australia to up-to-date beach and bath Anywhere else in New Zealand - side Auckland, can show UP”* methods—Lyall Bay, Island f X. PS e Brighton and St. Clair; *** beaches, for years past, trams running to their edge. the only way that baths can to pay. As for the custodian an long hours. I maintain that the many families round Auckland present time which would be on ) pleased to have his job, even worw =» until 9 or 10 at night. gWIMIIB R,