Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 292, 1 March 1928, Page 10

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

THEN AND NOW Sir, — Re your leader in issue of The Suns “More Work for the Wages Paid." I would like to give you my point of view as an Ordinary Working man. I have been in my present job for 19 years. I am satisfied With my job and my boss is satisfied With my work. Before the War my Wages were —if is immaterial What they were Or what they are now. But I would like to point this out. Before the war I Was paying 17s 6d a Week for the house X am living in. 1 am now paying 30s for the same house. I don’t mind so long as the extra 17s 6d is tacked on to my weekly wage to meet it. Before the war I paid 4s 8d for 1,000 feet of gas. Now 1 pay double. I am not grumbling. All I ask for, is that the amount over and above the 4s 8d be added to my Wages, so that I can meet it. I pay 2d for my daily paper. It used to be Id. That’s all right so long as I get the extra 6d a Week to pay it with. So with my tram fare. I don’t mind if my plug of tobacco costs twice as much as it did a few years ago, so long as I get that extra amount to pay it with. In every case Where there has been a rise in the cost of living I think the average Worker is right in wanting a rise in wages to meet it. If things drop, then it’s fair to drop the wages. H. BARTON. Grey Lynn. “CHARITY” COLLECTORS Sir.— From time to time in the last few months, my attention has been drawn to the fact that there are numerous persons going round the city and suburban areas collecting money on behalf of the poor and particularly the unemployed of the city. I believe that genuine social Workers should be protected from the wiles of unscrupulous collectors, who grossly misrepresent the position, and ■ who have even stooped to use my name wben collecting for an unrecognised body called, I understand, the Auckland Unemployed Association. In at least one instance a man with several convictions for vagrancy, etc., has approached numbers of people on a pretence of coliecting for the Auckland City Mission. I have issued warnings to some of these men until lam tired of it Two of them I roped in and handed over to the police “for a good scare,” because I hate prosecuting any man; but I believe the general public should be warned to use great caution before they give money to unknown and unrecognised persons. I have been puzzled for some time to know why our subscriptions and donations were not coming in. I fear the above is the unfortunate explanation. JASPER CALDER, City Missioner. SECTARIAN BROADCASTING STATIONS Sir, It is noted that the “Te Pono Radio Association of New Zealand” has applied to the Mount Albert Borough Council for permission to erect a radio

station on Mount Albert reserve, for the purpose of broa<lcasting “the chief features of Bible instruction” (whatever that may be) and other matter. This hitherto unheard of association claims to have a Government licence to erect a 1,000 watt station. It was recently reported that the Anglican Broadcasting Association had also received a licence to erect a 1,000 watt station (I quote the power from memory) in Auckland. If these plans mature we will thus have three highpowered stations operating in this eity. Perhaps some radio authority will inform Sun readers what effect, if any,' this will have upon reception. Now suppose the Presbyterians next apply for permission to erect a station on Mount Eden, the Methodists on Mount Hobson, the Roman Catholics in the Domain, and the Baptists in Albert Park —would all these licences be granted? It would seem grossly unfair that the first denominations in the field with money should be granted a practical monopoly to the exclusion of all other religious and anti-religious bodies. Yet on the other hand, if ail were granted, there would be such a jam of warring doctrines on the air that the ordinary listener-in, who has scant interest in matters theological would scrap his set in disgust. It seems obvious that there are only two just courses open in this matter of licences for the broadcasting of religious propaganda. Either licence all applicants or none. If the former is impracticable, then the latter is the only right alternative. I trust that this matter will be dealt with before it is too late. A.E.C. A MODEST HERO Sir.— r e * din * the various comments on Hinklers feat. I recalled another brave Australian. My first glimpse of mm was at Marseilles during the war. 1 noticed an officer dressed in the uniform of the French Air Force boarding a New Zealand hospital ship. Picture my surprise when I found him the next day acting as fireman’s peggv or steward. We got acquainted, and I found his name to be Francis Lux. Here is a short summary of his career. During Grahame White’s visit to Australia Lux met and subsequently joined with him and eventually qualifying as a pilot. When the war broke out Lux tried to join the Royal Air Force, but could not get in. He left England and worked as a fireman on board a cargo boat bound for Russia. Arriving there he applied and was accepted for service with the Russian Air Force. Luring his service he was awarded the Cross of St. George. On one occasion he had to make a forced landing, and owing to having the Australian Coat of Arms tattooed on his chest he was mistaken for an Austrian and interned. It took the British Consul at Petrograd three months to get him released. Lux was later wounded and invalided out of the service. He then made his way to France and joined up with the French Air Force. While in France’s service he was awarded the Medaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre. Lux was subsequently brought down and severely wounded (I might say from a personal view of his body he was a mass of wounds), and it was during his convalescence in Marseilles

& * Wr X 3; X 7* m & * * * that he was discharged and allowed to return to Australia. He came aboard in the only clothes he possessed—the uniform of a lieutenant. During the voyage he slept out on the open deck, and although he had a better war record than most, h€> never looked for favours, content to work in the lowest position aboard the ship so long as he got back to Australia. On arrival at Albany, Western Australia, he donned his uniform and went ashore. There was no one to meet him-—no cheering crowds, and he did not seem to care. A full account of his history was published in “Stead’s Review.” The last I heard of him was in reading The Sun a few months ago I noticed where he and his brother were attempting to sail from Marseilles to Australia in a 14-ton yawl. I regard him as one of the finest and most modest Australians I have met. It was a pleasure tq know him. INTERESTED. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS “Inquisitive.”—We have already in- J quired into this business. The man carried excellent credentials (possibly forged) from London anc. knew, from. A to Z, the details of the enterprise about which he was consulted. Obvi- | ously he had wide experience and he could converse with experts on the most abstruse problems in engineeringEd., The Sun. R.H. — Do you think it is a fair ques-« -j tion? Mediaeval polemics were frequently ludicrous and can scarcely be ; deemed to have any direct bearing on | modern courses of conduct. If we are | to delve into the cobwebby past we shall find many unpleasant-looking I skeletons in the cupboards of many j] religions.—Ed. The Sun. ... ? K.W.B. (Remuera). —<*lad you er— | joyed the article. Will have inquiries * made as to the possibility of obtaining | the photographs you mention. —Ed, | The Sun.