Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 288, 25 February 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

WATER SUPPLY Sir, — We have it on authority that our first progenitors were mighty men who lived long, and did not have to attend colleges, to learn how to provide for themselves. Later it was decreed that man’s day was to be three score and ten years. His thinking power apparently became shorter, too. Ruapehu, Ngaruahoe, Tongariro, tossed their heads about, and filled Taupo with their flowing streams, sent the waters flying northward, shooting down the Huka, tumbling over falls, zig-zagging at Aratiatia Rapids, and rushing down the glen, murmuring, gurgling, whispering, calling upon the people of Auckland —if they had any brains left —to hurry and bustle a pipe line alongside the railway line to Arap.-ni dam, to receive Nature’s sparkling waters, saying “We have come this long, long way to meet you; why so long delay?” Oh, to quaff those champagne waters from Arapuni dam! HENRY A. EVANS, 19 Mount Street, City. “BUY IMPERIALLY” Sir, It is remarkable how history repeats itself and just as remarkable is the fact that we (British Empire) contribute to the means which eventually bring trouble about our doors. Just as by trade Germany became prosperous and overbearing with her prosperity and eventually determined on world conquest, just as other periods before have given us similar illustr§L-

tions, are we to-day facing and making possible another such episode for history to record? We are by our trading helping to enrich the United States and to-day we find the very same spirit beginning to show itself there. Bigger navy, world trade conquest, and peaceful penetration—how familiar are these indications, and alw-ays chiefly opposed to our Empire. Do we sufficiently realise as we buy our foreign goods that we are builidng up trouble and misery for those we agree to protect—our children? Do we realise or think of past experience? Buy Imperially, intra-Empire trading will ensure reasonable protection from another experience as 1914-1918 gave us too latT realise this before it is J.H.B. PHANTOM BRIDGES Sir,— ‘ krnr+h ot « C vf that the Mayors of the about ou h ?£ 6 suburbs f re Pirouetting t?™, ™ P " blic Platform amusing brid-e T h tu • Phasing a phantom Drid 0 e I think that in view of the arYThi lm Pecuniosity of the boroughs, ueer| th a P umber °f things that urgently muoh ln them - they would be much better employed in concerning Wlth matters that are now being neglected. In Devonport the mam street is a monument to “hardT™', and scores of side streets in all the boroughs are but tracks through The Ta kapuna people cannot find money to close up the gaps in (Continued m next column.}

their main road system, or apparently cannot get the permission of the Loans Board to take a loan poll. In Birkenhead they seem to have an official policy that “what was good enough for my grandfather is good enough for me,” and the progress of the place is checked. This phantom bridge, he costs of which are estimated (blessed word!) at from £IOO,OOO to £5,000,090, will be as much use to the North Shore as a gold tooth to a parrot. In It* revived form the bridge stunt is a carryover from the Bayswater “bustup” over the unlamented trams, vh.cib has enthusiastic support from certain groups who own land about the ph , *-? s where the bridge terminals use indicated on paper. Let the Mayors get busy on something useful, and put the boroughs in a fit condition to live ® when people g:et there. I. C. FAX. North Shore. GRANDMOTHERLY LEGISLATOR Sir, — M I wish to state that I. as a disinterested citizen, deplore the recen* ruling in reference to euchre tourna* ments. I would like to point outtMJ since the decision is definitely base on the assumption that an elem-nt chance is not necessary to make transactions illegal, it definitely * legalises all bridge tournaments, - liards tournaments, and scholarsnp examinations in which an entrance I is payable in advance. Further, would like to draw the attention the public to the fact that the oruy thing which excludes golf, tennis, c quet, bowls, cricket, football, basketball tournaments is the fact t * the actual play is not carried on a house.” The line of distinction “ hence very thin, since the pre-imm fees are usually paid under a roof, is the desire to make the present t*a * ing Act—which in my opinion **s - culous as it stands—more tyrannic* than ever, the effort is doomed failure. The time cannot be rar "‘ tant when the public will wake up the evils of “grandmotherly _ tion.” This, I regret, is in my op only one of the many instances oi just curtailment of the liberty of Zealanders. _ ONLOOKbINORTH SHORE WATER Sir. — It is all very well for your co - pondent Mr. T. Walsh, to depreca. “the working up” of a water sno. scare at North Shore. There is £ reason for a scare. The has been medically condemned Icr £ without treatment. Is that the so water we want? It is time the Shore authorities ?ot on with an quate supply scheme to provide with pure water. We want pure and plenty of it, not to be stint ff fh p r cause of a few weeks’ dry' we ” ir Y The people of Auckland were too, that they were well P l * o ™:® o**.#,* 0 **.#,* in the matter of water. What do „ think of it now, and of the ex who gave them that assurance, there was an election to-morro • & City Council would be sa^£ e C am: .en body. And that is what will r d°o ™ Son Xlr and look ahead.^