Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 312, 24 March 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

POOR LIGHTING?

Sir, — May I utilise your valuable space to air a grievance? Why is it that the libraries committee of the council has not modernised the lighting system of the Public Library? In the reference department the lights are wholly inadequate. Not only are they of insufficient power, but owing to their position they cause the reader’s shadow to fall upon the table, further dulling his vision. Auckland can justly be proud of its fine library, which should be kept up to the standard of similar institutions in other countries, and not allowed to become retrogressive.

A LOVER OF GRAMOPHONES

Sir, — How much longer is IYA going to broadcast on its evening programme!? the same songs sung by the same artists? What has become of “The Snappy Three,” and a few more performers, who added a bit of zest to the night’s concert? The 3 to 4.30 record programme is a treat to listen to. Men like myself who work through the week only get a chance to hear it on Saturday afternoons. Why not make up the night’s concert with at least 50 per cent, records? This year my licence money will go toward a gramophone, and then I shall be able to “listen in” to whatever I choose. DINKUM.

“NO MORE VICES”

‘ I noticed a man walking down the street the other day whose shoulders were so “hunched” as to suggest that he had wings folded under his coat. Could he have been your correspondent “Reformer”? He ought to have wings —and the necessary halo. He thinks more citizens should be in gaol for gambling, and that racing and the totalisator should be wiped out. And “the filthy habit” of smoking, too! This wicked world is altogether too awful a place for “Reformer.” Myself, I am profoundly affected by “Reformer’s” kindly rebuke, and I promise him to refrain from visiting wicked race meetings whenever I can’t raise the money to go with, and to abandon “the filthy habit” which so disgusts his refined susceptibilities the moment I abandon breathing. REPENTANT SINNER.

WAITEMATA POWER BOARD

Sir, — In your issue of Wednesday, March 21, 1928, appeared a leading article in which was stated, inter alia, that: Most likely there is not the shadow of a valid reason for the slightest suspicion about the board’s expenditure, but in view of the fact that it has been declared, on the evidence of official statistics, that the Waitemata L° w er Board is “the most expensive should be exceptionally willing to make an open statement about its finances. While criticism of a public body is undoubtedly in the interests of the latepayers, care should be taken that such criticism is fair and substantially correct. You have evidently made the £5t me mistake as others have done. The Government Blue Book for the y ear ending March, 1927, gives the percentage of working costs to revenue

of every supply authority in New Zealand, and in our case the revenue was stated as £ 8,354, ancj working expenses £6,536, which shows the -working expenses to be 78.4 per cent. of revenue. The reason for the above figures is that the Waitemata Power Board did not receive supply of current from the Government until late in December, 1926, and practically a whole year’s expenses were compared with three months’ revenue. This is most unfair, and if a comparison is to be made, a complete year of trading should be taken into account. If this is done for the financial year ending March 31, 1928, it will be seen that this board’s working costs are below the average for the Dominion. I shall be pleased to show your accountant th© figures if you so desire. The actual figures and details were handed to your representative in a report. J. W. HAYDEN, Chairman.

“ON THE KNEE”

Sir, — I have met many of your readers who are, like myself, curious to know the full hjptory of the “On the Knee” order issued by Rear-Admiral Collard and mentioned by you in your initial report of the trouble on board H.M.S. Royal Oak. Would you please supply the details of this little known incident ? CHAS. BAXLEY.

A correspondent, Mr. G. J. Annletnn of Claudelands, has written to The Sun ° n £? ls subject. His letter is an answer writs'- “ThiJ' S i s i n q r i T>; , Mr ‘ A PPleton rear-admiral has been mixeUupTrf dfi! ~ ALNNTT: p wTen mo ?S ar^? ne Seu?e* C a e n r t gS‘ Six stokers wer? arrested niiia. t W e^ eld to to the rin^S' Zn°Lieutenant Collard to co'ST that 1 fn nd l2U an inc £ lry - * te evident & Srom?3tirn a, has R not r 'h d e™ ir; ;I £0!as that of AdmteUirßoge, Keyes rto Thl Sun by ° fflcers !lnrl SSn ”L.Ed

RADIO QUESTIONS

Sir,— While quite aware of the fact that constructive and not destructive criticism is to our material gain, I feel I rucMand 1 lo w , Mr - Han-is’s reply to the a Listeners League to pass without comment. - “„ the ° Ol ??P an y desires “full con- ( '"tb liners, then does not a meeting of licence-holders give the company that opportunity? The reported reply states: “It was noticeable that at the meeting of the tbaf U ?T, Speake j S emphasised the point reSaJmf? made no complaint at all the quality of artists engaged. Quite so. The licence-holders rl— Perfectly satisfied with the quality. Sint they desire variety. The fact that the artists are “being encouraged to widen their repertoire” will do little to fill the gap If the art v. ts are 10 Kive us varied t b®P quality will certainly suffer. tr, ,’ka n ?, ervice ” is taken in relation to tadio, service area” is the major mos S t d nro tl?n ' , Ac : corclin f? to one of the most prominent radio engineers of tothe service areas” of radio stations are: 50 watt station, 3 miles’

radius; 500 watt station, abo J 2t tin ' a , miles’ radius: a 5-kilowatt stau about 30 miles* radius; and a watt station, about 100 miles tbbIn view of these facts, then. New land is poorly served. AQUA GELJDA” Rotorua. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS Devonport.—Thanks for s'our.£^rwishes and the verse to comm ate our first birthday.—Ed. Tne Billiards.—There are a dozen an £J^ r . different records made under ent conditions. Under BA(cradle cannon), T. Reece 499.155 in 1907; under B.CA* * G. Gray made 2,196 (1,620 °** fbe r eAustraiia in 1911; and under vised BA. and B.C.C. ' y is Lindrum made 1,417 in 1922. In a match against C. • * at Sydney in 1924, W. gistered 253 consecutive no ns. In a cannon game o jjol* up at Zurich, Switzerland. ] reco rd Hugo Kerkau made a ' s ' rol^L S w as break of 7,156 cannons. R e the table five days. — m _ cho*"® New Zealander*—Mr. John job® your letter, says that ‘L m tb* Logan--Campbell’s book 1 New Zealand section of 1 inland Public Library. and quiry been made the book w been produced.—Ed. The