Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 295, 5 March 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

OLD BOOKS Sir,— I have in my possession several almanacs in book form, all dated 1684. The authors are John Tanner, John Partridge, John Gadbury, Henry Coley, Richard Saunders, and others. The printer was John Hayes, of Cambridge. Could one of your many readers furnish me with their value, if any? DUDLEY HIGGS. Harding Avenue, Mount Wellington. HEAVY RATES Sir,— With interest I read in The Sun of Mr. Downie Stewart’s remarks at Dunedin on March 1 in regard to heavy local rates. The Minister appeared to be very sympathetic about the unfortunate ratepayers and farmers having to pa:y more rates than they can bear. If that is the case, why has the council (and other local bodies, for that matter) the power to raise £IO,OOO without the vote of the ratepayer being taken, the amount being a charge on the annual And do not the valuators raise values; a process which helps to feed councils and local bodies and to draw heavier land tax from the farmers. It seems strange to hear the Minister of Finance complaining of methods which, after all, appear to be those of the Government. FARMER THE HARBOUR BRIDGE Sir, I have read, with interest, the letters of “I. C. Fax” and others on the harbour bridge proposal. Granting the opponents of the scheme their claim that the bridge will cost more than has been estimated, I fail to see why that fact should be held as an argument against the fullest discussion of the project. Auckland has never been accused by its worst enemies of lacking a progressive spirit, and it seems to me that if w r e are to progress in the next half-century it will be necessary to span the harbour. It would be foolish to allow argument against the bridge to deter supporters of the scheme. Let us go forward, draw out plans for the projected span, discuss ways and means, and have everything in train for the big moment. And when the moment arrives, let us be ready to start on a project that will definitely help to place Auckland on the map as one of the Empire cities. GO AHEAD. MERELY A MILLION Sir,— As a writer in an Australian paper observed recently, it is lucky for New Zealand politicians that most New Zealanders do not take an active interest in politics. It is a pity that the politi-

cal keenness formerly aroused by Richard John Seddon could not be revived to-day in order to put a curb on the Reform Government. It is reported this morning, sir, that the Prime Minister told a convivial party of railwaymen at Dunedin on Saturday evening to go on with the expensive scheme of railway improvements, and not to let the people interfere. Then Mr. Coates coolly announced that a loss of £1,000,000 a year on the railways was certain for at least five years. Things must have been allowed to become pretty bad in the service if such a loss be inevitable, and if an additional luggage van full of borrowed money be required to make everything as right as right can be. Is it proposed to drive all motor traffic off the roads into the sea? Mr. Coates should look across to Britain and see how far the greatest and best railway system in the world *s strained to make progress against motor competition. Does he really suggest that one of the worst systems can succeed in this age of new transport by merely spending millions of pounds on bolstering it up? TAXPAYER. A SOCIAL MENACE Sir,— The fact that a girl of 16 years is permitted to reside in a ChineseMaori household, illiterate, and overworked, as disclosed by your report of a case in the Children’s Court on Saturday, is no credit either to the European or Maori races. Attention has been called in the past to this state of affairs existing at several of the market gardens in the vicinity of Auckland, and similar conditions, I am given to understand, have existed for several years at at least one garden in the vicinity of Wellington. Heaven help the Maori race if this sort of thing is permitted to continue! Surely this is a matter in which the authorities might well undertake a systematic investigation. It is not right that it should be left to chance, as in this latest case—when the girl was arrested for theft—before the details are brought to public notice. In this instance the girl did not even know her birthday. Fortunately for herself this little Maori girl will now be in the safe hands of the State. Thinking men of all three races concerned will realise that it is absolutely wrong that these young Maori girls should fall into the hands of Chinese. MAORI WELL-WISHER. SUMMER TIME Sir,— Xow that we are back to sanity eo far as the clock is concerned, let us hope that Mr. Sidey is satisfied. No doubt he will be mentioned by future historians of New Zealand, but that is not sufficient reason for inflicting his Summer Time on the Dominion again. I have just returned from a tour of New Zealand, and except for a few residents of the cities, I found no one in favour of it. G. Symonds Street.