Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 347, 7 May 1928, Page 10

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

MAGNIFIED CROWDS Sir, We have reams of audited statistics about public activities, but what I should like to see audited is the claims made by various football codes about the crowds their games attract each Saturday. Some of our worthy football scribes must have a very poor capacity for judging crowds, or must be supplied with figures that are palpably inaccurate. For instance, it was “estimated” that there were 6,000 people at Carlaw Park on Saturday. What I say is that there is no need for an estimate. The gate returns and the number of “deadhead” tickets issued should supply a figure unassailable in its veracity. We don’t get that at present. FACTS FIRST. SAILORS AT EDEN PARK Sir,— v Me and my mate off a ship went to see the football at Eden Park on Saturday, but we could not understand the scoring rules. The Ponsonby team scored a try and got three points and two more for putting it over the bar. Then they got three more for again putting it over the bar. The next time as we all saw, they put it under the bar, but still got three, making them mus? n '~o We al " ay ? thought the ball must to o o\er the bar to score. The people near us all said the ball went under the bar. Then we had had enough and went away to see another bar before the ship sailed.” SAILOR BOX. OPTIMISM WANTED Sir,— Much could be said for the state ment of the Hon. A. I>. McLeod re' 3 iaThe Su " on Saturday**' that made’rvf C tv» noiitical capital is being made of the depleted population of our to° U d n a7, d n 1 riCtS - “ is huite°common to-day to hear politicians and others srttwTh I’’ 1 ’’ the fact that thousands of v Yir. been compelled to walk ?ior, h YV holdings, and that the populafarm lands has fallen on at an alarming rate over the last decade. Certainly a large number of men have been compelled to walk off them farms during the past five years bU a the reasons have been natural ones fma pres ® nt .economic conditions unavoidable. Again, statistics may show a big decrease in the number of farm employees. The explanation bere * s that, with the greater part of development work completed, the men are not wanted. On the smaller holdings, too. machinery is replacing men to a large extent. What is wanted ™ ore healt hy spirit of optimism which would do much to restore the faith of investors in rural securities and help considerably to make cheaper money available to the man on the land. ECONOMIC. UNLIMITED ENERGY Sir.— Speculating on ‘‘the unsolved riddle of social justice,” and the admitted shortcoming of the present industrial system, one wonders whether exceedingly cheap or even quite free energv would make industrial organisation less complex and more easily managed. At any rate, what are the possibilities of achieving this worthwhile thing? First we have the academic professor’s 'atomic energy," about which I know nothing and they. apparently, very

little, except that it might prove to be anything but free energy. Far more promising than this, there is wireless power. In my opinion the receiving end m the simple function of picking up the energy has not yet been perfected, for are we not in an ocean of radio . Then, with apparatus of impracticable dimensions, of course, we should be able to pick up as much energy as we like, apart from any local amplifying we do afterwards. No one has yet demonstrated this! Has anyone ever tried making the aerial, ground and aerial leads the same diameter as the ground conductor, which is driven into the ground at least 6ft or better still is a 20ft length of conductor, buried about 3ft? I feel confident that picked up energy will increase as this diameter increases! Then there is the free electricity of the atmosphere. Even about five years ago it was reported that an Austrian student had obtained “electric light from the air without the least expense. ’ And recently Mr. C. Francis Jenkins, of America, has freely given to the public details of a little motor driven by the static electricity of the air. Undoubtedly some genius will shortly show us how to apply practically this form of potential power. Volta’s grand fundamental discovery —the primary battery—is simply waiting for someone with wit enough to apply it. These are all possibilities of free or at least very cheap energy. Who can say which will prove to be the best? Let us hope one or the other will soon become a commonplace. A.H.C, A MATTER OF SALESMANSHIP Sir, The criticisms of your correspondents “C.T.” and “Fed Up” regarding railway management apply to any Government department, and particularly to the post office. If you go into a Queen Street shop, or any large mercantile house to spend your money you can do your business in clean, spacious premises. The attendants are neatly dressed, eager to attend to you. Quickness, courtesy and friendly service appears to be the chief aim of the staff, because the proprietor knows that if you don’t get these attentions you will transfer your patronage to some place where they are forthcoming. In short, the customer is as welcome as the flowers in spring, and from the floor manager to the humblest assistant behind the counter, the whole policy of the shop is to satisfy your requirements and induce you to come back again. The Government of this countrv is committed to all kinds of trading, but Government officials are destitute of the first elements of salesmanship. In many cases the office accommodation is unworthy of a second-hand dealer. The official as often as not is an untidv person who has neglected to shave and does not appear to own either a nail or a tooth brush. He wears a collar for a week, and an ancient office coat spattered with ink and frayed at the cuffs His general appearance is that of an ill-nourished man trying to maintain a wife and family while helping to keep a bookmaker or a moneylender on L 4 toh v. weel Y- . bas no interest in his ■ lob beyond his pay. his annual leave and his superannuation. From his point of view the customer who comes m to do business with the mer P ,y makes extra work t^ r SeY e 5. Wlth a r °mine laid down c 4 °i°) ? übUc Service regulations none of which gives the slightest informatum on the subject of salesman- .** it any wonder that doing business with the Government is invariably at-

tended by discomfort, loss of time temper and general dissalilactio*Most men in business know to th'’’ cost that for three months out of 12 they are working for the ment. That is to say, taxation the whole of the net profits from the operation of a plant or a® large business organisation for fourth of each year. This heavy burden could be aljy lightened if the trading dc P ar ;’ ments of the State were efficiently ganised on the lines a merchant of tributor has to adopt to attract and do business against his compe-* tors. CITIZEN REFORM ADMINISTRATION Sir,— Another failure is admitted by - Reform Government. The tally mounting. This latest admisw** the Prime Minister’s that the members of the R* ll **/ Board are voluntarily retiring on SUP*annuation, and that Mr. H- Hling, a former member, will ns sum? ? position of general manager. polite way of explaining the CJWPJ of a vaunted administrative syste® collective control. Then there is the naive cxpl*®*. as to why the former Minister oi ternal Affairs, the Hon. w. worthy, has been taken out oi Samoan picture. His superses** the Prime Minister has been me; incidental to a readjustment of de 'L fmental control, and in no way sents a reflection on Mr. service. Indeed, the change was * gested by the lesser Minister. to one another is a delightful among politicians, but even Government by regulation* prevent the public from having 9 at the political Eam^ N , TI . RE FOR*NOTICES TO CORRESPONDS** 5 - pjftlS*" “Absolutely Disgusted. —“ &.■ theatre proprietors have plained that the only way to s difficulties about seats is to rese seat in good time beforehnjJLgjjj; firemen are permitting overcro on stairs, your protest shoo I made to the proper authorit***" i The Sun.