Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 403, 11 July 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Your correspondent “Homie.” under the above heading says: “Until’* some tragedy results. I can assure “Homie” and any others interested that lie apparently' knows more of the inner workings of the Chile! W elf are Act than some of the associates do. And I can give particulars of a tragedy that happened to one of my own children. But I most emphatically state that when a tragedy does occur, and a good home is not a good home, that the closed Court protects the socalled “good home” people, and also covers up the blunders of the Child Welfare Department, and no amount of shuffling can get away from the fact that this law is one-sided. You have my permission to give “Homie” my name and address, if required, to add to his list. INDIGNANT. THE HERMIT’S QUESTION Sir The very sensible and all-important question asked by your correspondent “The Hermit of Great Barrier” has been answered by Henry George in his great book, “Progress and Poverty.” Briefly, the cause of the anomaly of increasing want and poverty along with advancing civilisation is land monopoly and the excessive price of land. Land is now the subject of a gigantic gamble a hundred times worse than horseracing or two-up. Everything comes by the application of labour to land. Capital and Labour alike must have land before they can function. When the community collects the community-created value of the land for community purposes, leaving all improvements untaxed, then and not till then will unemployment and poverty in the midst of plenty cease to disgrace our civilisation. E. STEVENSON. UNORTHODOX TREATMENT Sir, — Hot many people are aware that a clinic for those who are unable to pay for medical treatment elsewhere, and in a majority of cases, have been given up by the doctors as incurable, lias been established in Auckland for two years. Many sufferers from rheumatoid arthritis, extreme nerve trouble, T. 8., paralysis, etc., have benefited wonderfully. It is felt that a home in connection with the clinic is necessary where the patients would be under supervision and get rest and diet needful for their care, and that this should be within the means of all. The treatment in this home would be well-tried, unorthodox methods. A fancy goods stall to help procure funds is being held at the Winter Show, and any of the ladies officiating will give any information. There is urgent need for funds, as so many country people are waiting for this treatment to be made possible for them. Donations by sympathisers will be gladly received at the stall or by H. Hay, 5 Wairiki Road, Mount Eden. HOPEFUL. MR. FIELD’S PREDICTIONS

For a number of years I may claim to have had an acquaintance with Mr. Field, and during that time he has foretold with rare accuracy events pertaining to seismic disturbances, general as well as local, weather conditions of a coming date, and now, more striking still, is his claim to a discovery of a workable cure for cancer, and perhaps other maladies. I a.m glad

to observe by The Sun that Mr. Field is not keeping silent, and I am informed that the leading hospital and cancer research societies in the world are now begging him to tell all he can. He will surely tell them all without delay. By the way, Mr. Field, addressing The Sun some months back, said he had not had time to give much thought to earthquakes, but that presumably we should find them occurring mostly about the end of May, middle of June, late in October, and early in November, the last dates being the more certain. Earthquakes reported since in New Zealand approximate the dates given, and the most notable fqlt in another part of the world were in Mexico on or about June 16. F.W. A WOMAN ON UNEMPLOYMENT Sir, —• I would like to express a woman’s views on the subject of unemployment; the greatest problem to confront the world since the war. Statesmen, civic authorities and labour leaders have been clamouring and debating, but the position remains the same. Although the causes are many I would certainly name Labour unions as one of them. By stringent regulations they have made it impossible for employers to help lighten the burden. Again, over-education. Bo not misunderstand me. A sound education is necessary, but secondary education is overdone. Every boy and girl cannot be absorbed into commerce and the professions and hundreds through not being placed in a good trade early in life drift along as unskilled workers. Under-production and the high cost of production contribute to the chaos. The desire to crowd into the cities has also a great deal to do with unemployment. That is where the Government should take a hand. There should be a drastic revision of our decadent land laws that would give the people faith and confidence in the Government. Immigration cannot bo blamed for the present state of affairs. There is room for thousands of the right class of settler. I think that too many married women who have no need to work their husbands being in lucrative employment, set out to earn salaries of their own. If they were content with home life there would be quite a reduction in the ranks of unemployed marie jackson] THE TAUPO RAILWAY Sir, — I see the Reform Government has arranged to spend many millions of public money on a railway to Taupo The terminus will be a hundred miles from the nearest port, and three times that from Auckland. Ey putting farmers on land at Taupo (instead of, say at Taupiri, where there is plenty of halfused land) a large addition to railway revenue should result, for clearlv the haulage of goods and products both ways, for nearly 300 miles, must be a very profitable thing for the depart”i ent ',.i Tlle 2 there is the advantage tho n tth " S ' first the “waste" lands of the Dominion. This enables the country to conserve the non-waste areas against the time when population may be expected to press on the means of subsistence. Thus we will have very high values for the better and nearer lands, greatly adding to the assets of the country. The new railway will promote the activities, not only of farmers, but of other classes. Land agents should be able to make many transfers, at constantly increasing prices while the work is in progress! and for some time afterwards, until values get to the peak, and things settle down. The present owners in the district, too, should be kept busy

assisting settlement by subdivision of their large areas. This will make work for road builders, surveyors, lawyers and others to the great advantage ot the community. It is surely a stroke of genius to settle the poorest land 9 “while the going is good”—the better class areas will never present apy difficulty in this respect. MORE SETTLEMENT. THE HARBOUR BRIDGE Sir.— In the description accompanying the attempt to picture the dream of the Harbour Bridge, in Tuesday’s Sun, tb® cost is said to have been estimated afrom £500,000 to £1,000,000. According to printed statements, the cost has been set down by sundry computers *t figures running as high as £2,500,00u. not including extras, such as the parchase of land for approaches. Th® Sydney Harbour Bridge is costing nin® millions, and if the Waitemata Bridge, which is to be longer and. in addition, have long approaches built up on tidamud, could be carried out for one-third

of the cost of Sydney Bridge, it mean* finding £3,000,000. But does any person outside of Bayswater really believe that a Harbour Bridge is possible? T*° weeks ago The Sun published a suggestion for a tube under the harbour, and that may be feasible. Two tubes meeting the highway termini at Devonport and Birkenhead would solve tn* traffic problem when it arises, whicn may be a long time yet- Actually, think the flying boat, which will shortL be as common in New Zealand as th motor-car, has settled for ever an? wild-cat scheme of a harbour bridS*When people can hop down to Waiwera in 15 minutes, to Whangarei in a hour, and to Russell in time to eaten a swordfish and be back at Aucklan for dinner, there will be little deman for a bridge. Moreover, Shoal Bawould then be the airport for the a-j of Auckland. X. Sh. OKE