Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 360, 22 May 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

PRESENT SITE OF AUCKLAND’S FIRST BANK

Sir, Reading Saturday’s issue of The Sun, I was interested in the article entitled “Romance Behind the Ledgers,” and noted the writer’s remarks about the purchase in 1857 by the Union Bank of Australia of its present Queen Street site, which brought to memory a proposed deal at an earlier date for the same land, the details of which may perhaps interest some of your many readers. The owner at the time I refer to desired to dispose of the property for something under £3O (thirty pounds), as the money would be more useful to him than the land. He offered it to a seafaring friend at this price, and finally a deal was agreed upon. The necessary conveyance having been prepared, the parties met to conclude the purchase, when the buyer, contrary to universal custom, insisted that the vendor should pay all legal costs in connection with the transaction. The ancient mariner maintained that in his opinion the land was worthless, and that in giving the price agreed upon he was .simply doing the then owner a kindly turn and paying a price far in advance of the true value. Both parties were obdurate and the proposed deal fell through. The wouldbe buyer was a well-known identity in the days of early Auckland and for a considerable time was employed by the late Mr. David Goldie as a master of one of that gentleman’s timber boats. It is related that after the bank built on the land the nautical speculator never passed the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets without being seized with violent spasms and attacks of mal-de-mer, and until the day he “crossed the bar” never cared to hear the subject of Queen Street land values discussed. On rare occasions in his declining years, when he ventured an opinion on city properties, his mind would always revert to the old incomplete deal and the lost opportunty, when his language became simply unprintable. OLD TIMER. IN DEFENCE OF RATIONALISM Sir,— “Heps” second letter in Saturday’s Sun displays a disappointing lack of logic. To him, the Rationalist is nearly as “bad” as the religionist, and Rationalism only provokes fanatical resentment on the part of the latter. Evidently “Hep” alone exhibits the sane attitude. But wait! “Hep’s” avowed opinions stamp him as a Rationalist, and in his first letter he publicly attacked the cherished religious dogmas of soul and immortality, labelling them “bunk.” In what manner then does “Hep” differ from the Rationalists he derides? Perhaps he will enlighten your readers. The majority of Rationalists do not subscribe to Atheism, which they take to connote a dogmatic denial of'Deity as futile as the opposing dogmatic assertion of God’s existence. Rationalism and dogma are antipathetic,

It is perfectly true that science and the spread of knowledge alone destroy the ancient authority of Church and Religion, and the sole object of Rationalist societies is to more rapidly disseminate these forces of enlightenment and point their obvious moral in regard to religious beliefs. We desire to hasten the day when believers will adopt the views of “Hep.” Take, for example, the Rationalist Press Association. This organisation issues by the hundred thousand, cheap reprints of scientific and philosophical works that otherwise would be unknown or beyond the means of the mass of men. Many of our eminent scientists and men of letters consider it an honour to be associated with the R.F.A. Sir Ray Lancaster has said that no association in Great Britain has done so much for intellectual progress in the past 20 years as the R.P.A. “Hep,” though his opinions avow him a Rationalist, has evidently much to learn and unlearn regarding his fellows of that attitude of mind, I trust that he will be reasonable enough to enlighten himself on this matter before breaking forth into fresh diatribes. A.E.C. LOGIC Sir. Regai'ding Sir Arthur Keith’s remarks, there are certain difficulties those who, like me, have been trained in logic. (a) If evolution is correct, then reason is affected by it. This puts Sir Arthur out of court. (b) Growth of tissue is no evidence of mind. If so, it would initiate. (c) Science being based on mental phenomena, why not investigate the assertions of Spiritualists? (d) A mere statement is not logically possible. It must be proved. (c) Is the whole world the playground of irresponsible forces? As far as our reasonings go, certainly not. Laws evidently await discovery. When we discover, 10, the laws are there I (f) If one case of survival can be proved, then all survive. Is there any case? (g) What is memory? It is immaterial, that is certain. A candle flame does not initiate—brain does. LOGICIAN. CO-OPERATION WITH AUSTRALIAN NAVY Sir.— Apart from the fact that H.M.S. Diomede, which sailed on Saturday for England to refit, is to re-commission and bring back a new crew, it seems unnecessary to send the cruiser 12,000 miles for repairs that could quite easily be carried out within four or five davs’ steaming of Auckland. At Sydney there is every facility for docking and refitting ships three or four times the size of the New Zealand cruisers. Since the war. every unit of the Australian Fleet, from H.M.A.S. Australia (20,000 tons) down to the smallest destroyer, has undergone her

periodical overhaul either Garden Island or in the Cockatoo There seems no reason why * from New Zealand to be all °.**; kTar d use of the Cockatoo Is.and periodically should not meet approval of both the A Government and the Adm “L „_', ve z» The interests of the Comm w and the Dominion are identica g as sea defence is concerned. » , either were menaced, the two rons, it is reasonable to as a matter of course, join fore This opens up another aspe teres „ two naval forces with siml - t t a little more than 1,000 “‘J* nottaW* seems odd that adva ntag .. {or commote often of the opportunity . bined tactical exercises gunnery^ tices. and fleet sports compet bin «l gattas, etc. The value of such comanoeuvres is recognise 1 j ved Atlantic and Mediterranean much bigger forces than ' ou mee . based a similar distance every year for this PurPO^New Zealand has S''* 0 ba ’ s e. support to the Smgapo co-ope - -5.000 miles away. . squadron, tion with the Australia® by t« n which is soon to be and t»< of the latest I°,o°o ton cni benefit new submarines, be of m that would and promote good feeling gof war. be of incalculable value (R td.)