Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 326, 11 April 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

FROM A N.Z. SCOT

Sir, — The statement made by a Wellington clergyman in last evening’s issue of The Sun should make it clear to all that the Presbyterian Church, as a Church, is not opposed to military service. It is noticeable that nearly all the ministers who oppose our Military Training Act are importations from abroad. If they do not like the laws of this country, why do they not go back to Scotland or whatever country they came from and leave us to manage our own affairs? A NEW ZEALAND SCOT. WHY NOT? Sir,— From Gibraltar comes an account of a cordial meeting and parting between Rear-Admiral Collard and Captain Dewar, R.N. This, we are ponderously informed, was “a striking incident, illustrative of the Navy’s esprit-de-corps.” Then why, in the name of common sense, might one ask, if these officers—especially the senior—are so imbued with esprit-de-corps, did they stage their rather touching reconciliation in the lounge of the Hotel Bristol, Gibraltar, only the other day, instead of on the quarter-deck of H.M.S. Royal Oak at Malta long ago? PUZZLED. CEMETERY CONDITIONS Sir, — Though I sympathised with your correspondent, “One of the Many,” in his protest yesterday against the wretched conditions at the entrance drive at Purewa Cemetery, I could not help being amazed at his simplicity. He has a lot to learn about the standard of administration in Auckland if he expects it to be associated with anything like fine sentiment. The plain truth about cemetery conditions here is that the municipal authorities have no thought for the dead at all. It ti*kes all their time and mental activity to attend to the interests of the living, and then they are hopelessly unable to give satisfaction. But “One of the Many” is fortunate in having his best sentiments concentrated at Purewa. His misery would be complete if his sorrow touched the desert of death at Waikumete Cemetery. There he would find the Weakest conditions in any cemetery outside pagan lands. The drive and approaches to that wilderness are quite good—like a clean doorstep in a slum —but within the grounds there is a record unkemptness, decorated with buckets padlocked to grave-railings, to say nothing about the litter of rusty kerosene tins dumped into neglected gullies, making the place look like the

backyard of a Chicago meat-preserv-ing works. As a writer pungently pointed out in The Sun a few weeks ago, Waikumete Cemetery is a disgrace to the Parks Committee of the City Council; a thing that added a new terror to death which should not be frightful. There is a half-inch water tap for 150 acres of graves. The paths are uncouth and broken, though here and there streaked with tar and shells. Perhaps the staff is overworked; if so, some of the unemployed might be given a few days’ work collecting and burying the abandoned tins and the heaps of broken rubble-relics of cheap concrete. Moreover, those who take the trouble to plant beautiful shrubs and perennials over grave-plots would like to see the authorities erect a noticeboard warning thieves that to steal from a grave is to rob the dead. If the Messiah came to Auckland some people would not be content to touch the hem of His garment They would pinch it. ANOTHER ONE OF THE MANY.

THE YOUNG MAN SPEAKS Sir, — I am a schoolboy, aged 14, and I am writing my first letter to a newspaper. I hope you will publish it. I have been reading the discussion in The Sun on homework. I notice that two headmasters are in favour of the nightly task, so long as it is not unreasonLast week, on two evenings, my 1 homework took round about four hours to complete. I don't think that is reasonable. It means that a schoolboy has no time to read good books and I think it will be admitted that good books are essential to the general education of young people. TOO MUCH HOMEWORK. SCOTLAND YET Sir, * > i’-T, i = thstand ' ns the blast that blows a ? ellington announcing what Gods attitude is in regard to military train,nS; l Ject . ors to se rvice are quite withm their rights when applying for exemption—the law having definite proto meet their case. Quite often the idea seems to be that objectors are considered beyond the pale of justice. Uld . be Bhoc!tin S if. in the endeavour to exalt militarism, a species intolerance found root. r°™ e , mo . nths a P° many Presbyterians umbrage at tbe treatment of a student, and the history of the Kirk wher S n lUle rcom for d °nbt as to will w=n E3 " m ,b? thy will be. and what 7" “1 ~ efall military training if th#» r mt,nUM to v-iden. Those who undertake to dragoon a Presbvter’an eonscmnce must be highy me ©cot has a deep-rooted conacAen-

tious objection to being driven. Thtf applies particularly to matters of religion and military service, the two often being inextricably mixed in the Scottish mind. The Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, writing of the outbreak of the late war, says: “Howbeit. long before that the prejudice against military service had become deeplyrooted and pervaded all parts of Scotland. Perhaps no sentiment less universal and intense than the fiery indignation kindled by the wrongs of Belgium would have prevailed to come it,’* etc., etc. Yet, in spite of Scotland’s objection to •*: r * vice, when conscription came in Britain, the only men left in counties* clachans were greybeards and schoolboys. Nevertheless, the martyrs graves, scattered across the hills of Scotland, are beacons of courage no less high. In Scotland’s glorious re" cord there is no grander ?tory 1 . „ the matchless courage of Pres by ten* martyrs, who, defying the suffered and died that the world mig have freedom of thoughtsquare for freedom in every wind blew! ou! ate: A PRINTS COLLECTION I Sir. — . nV Could you tell me if there * | likelihood of some financial asel ~rf-pts | toward the establishment of a ■ room in conjunction with the Auc Art Gallery? I was glad to ® e tong . Sun again draw attention to t “ l * ha * I felt want. Every adequate gallery one. and what is just as impor special fund for the purchase ° J? n< jed If only £IOO per annum were 1 'in this manner Anuckland wou 1 have the nucleus of a splenau* tion. and it would be the believe of encouraging n Jt* bnacb of etching in this