Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 434, 16 August 1928, Page 7

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

OUR SOCIAL SYSTEM Sir,— Your correspondent, Mr. William Perry, thinks machinery and the monopoly of same is the chief cause of unemployment. Well, if man’s desires were limited like those of a horse or a cow there might be a good deal in his contention. But man does not live for bread alone. As soon as quantity is satisfied he seeks quality. His desires are not limited to food, sleep and shelter. We make our homes more beautiful and more modern. We want music, entertainment and sport; we are not satisfied with the horse and cart so we get trains and motor-cars and airplanes. There is no limit to man’s desires. I quite agree that the hours of labour should be reduced (labour-saving machinery so enormously increases the production) to give the workers more time to enjoy the benefits of an advancing civilisation. We have nothing to fear from the monopoly of machinery and the tools of production. If they are held idle they will deteriorate more rapidly than if in use. Not so with the land. It keeps going up in value with the progress and improvements of the community surrounding. “Put yo*ii and me on an island. Mr. Perry, and you can have all the money and all the machinery, and if I have all the land I will bring you to my heels within 24 hours.” To make land common property and collect the annual value for public purposes is the only remedy. E. STEVENSON. AUCKLAND’S SINS Sir, — The Salvation Army informs citizens that on Friday the 31st inst. it purposes—with funeral music now eliminated— to hold a procession of mourning for Auckland sins. May I ask the Salvation Army authorities whether they realise or understand (a) that a “holier-than-thou” procession of the kind intended may repel very many men because of its self-satisfied smugness; (b) that they are to parade Auckland’s streets as self-advertised saints; (c) that a self-given certificate of holiness may not be countersigned in Heaven; (d) that both sin and sanctity need clearcut definition; (e) that religion may become easily an object of derisive grins or open laughter; (f) that in a definition of sin both the overt act and the internal mental condition of the offender should be accurately gauged; (g) that th£ wide difference between the Pharisaical and the really holv be clearly indicated; (h) that it should be made evident whence authority, scriptural or otherwise, is derived for adding to the decalogue such new commandments as “Thou shalt not drink alcohol”; (i) that the public be informed whether the Almighty is a. father or an ogre: (j) that the dividing line, if anv. between a trifling offence

and a grave act and their relative and absolute punishments should be indicated ; (k) that the pharisee was left with his sins thick upon him and the publican pardoned; (1) that the Salvation Army is anxious to assume the role of the pharisee; and (m) that the sinner, aware at intervals, of “ill deeds done and resolutions vain” may be recalled to spiritual sanity by the charity of Christ alone and not by loud ostentation, whether vicarious or funereal or both? cms FOR THE DEFENCE Sir. — Permit me to reply in strong protect to your leader in which you so severely denounce the Salvation Army, even before you are in a position to hear its side of the question. I am sure the Salvation Army demonstration will attract thousands to witness the parade. Everyone does not think alike and the Salvation Army ic entitled to its own opinions. Certainly it is in a position to know more of Auckland’s seamy side than the average citizen. The Salvation Army sees probably more than either doctors, lawyers and chemists, and if even half the things that are whispered are true then the least the papers can do is to hear the case first and pronounce judgment later. Certainly there are many citizens who are desirous of acquiring more enlightenment, and no doubt the throng that will assemble to witness the parade, will prove that many consider there is room for more purity even in Auckland —both public and private. HAROLD SCHMIDT. FATHER MARTINDALE ON RATIONALISM Sir. — Rationalists will read with quiet amusement Father Martindale’s statements that the Rationalist Press Association, and the Secular Society, both of England, “might have had some significance about 1900,” and that the “Truth Seeker,” the local monthly organ, is “one of the few quite oldfashioned things I have met in this modern country.” As local honorary secretary of the British Rationalist Press Association, and as the author of the article to which Father Martindale devoted portion of his sermon, I am able to give a few- facts serving to modernise the father’s knowledge of Rationalism. It was not until this century that the bodies named made any headway, and since the war they have rapidly increased their membership and influence. They both have members in every corner of the world. Not even the Catholic Church can show such a brilliant galaxy of scientific and literary names upon its roll as can the R.P.A. There we find such (Continued in next column.)

famous names as Arnold Bennett, the Hon. John Collier, J. B. S. Haldane. Frofessor Julian Huxley, Sir Arthur Keith, Sir Ray Lancaster, Eden Phiipotts, Earl Russell, the Hon. Bertrand Russell, Professor Eliot Smith, Sir Robert Stout, etc. Does Father Martindale really believe that these leaders in ccience, art and letters cling to outworn mid-Victorian ideas? For the forthcoming gathering of th* British Association at Glasgow, the R.P.A. has secured a large hall for September 9, when Sir Arthur Keith will preside, and many distinguished scientists will deliver addresses on the Rationalisation of Society. The president of the British Association, Sir William Bragg, has agreed to the publication of his presidential address by the R.P.A., which also achieved a “be?: seller” in the publication of Sir Arthur Keith’s famous evolution address las’ year. These facts serve to show thu: Father Martindale has seriously underestimated both the “dating” and th*influence of modern Rationalism. A.E.C. FISHING PROBLEMS Sir,— Of the many columns of evidence * r the Thames Fishermen’s Conference the greater part is technical, geographical ,etc., irrelevant to the question °- limits to power-drawn nets, and of n particular interest to the public. following extracts are most interesting I will not give the fishermen’s naim r as I do not quote them in full. THAMES FISHERMEN S CONFERENCE. SOME OPINIONS. Fisherman: Four years ago two • could run a line and get 70 bunales. - ’ they did well if they got 20. I"' use twice as much gear and got - as much fish. Some of the set-net • now were just making benxine, roon* - He had experience in seine netting the North Sea, and off the coast of , mark, where German fishermen cleaned the coast right out. seiners were taking too many .. If things go on like this many mors * would soon leave their job. In nj* ~r‘ .. ion there should 1# a three-mile upright around the coast. abSamuels, he said that trawlers w solutely detrimental. j„ v . Another fisherman said in the o - two hand liners could bring in . bit- fish in a day. If not done soon it would not oe bothering' with, as there would »e schnapper left. The set-net just hanging on and hoping tn» ». ol n' ment would do something. tnej ... all use the seine net if the* aknow it would ruin the Gulf. 1 h t to the department to remedy *na . had done in allowing seining ana ua )( , ing. He thought all power nets -Hooti b>< kept out of the Gulf. ”, whtf' his experience in Britisl l, Col ’i m fnr ’e s h n one day a week was allowed “ , travel up estuaries. Ann . th *' r _. r iencf > r said h. had had 40 yearsexp' the Gulf. The Government haa . the seine fishermen to clean ° „ g.., aries and kill most of the t onThey had not the courage or men t victions, but were allowing - arK j F go in for annihilating the fish, lowering the nation s fish sPP roe n; Another fisherman said the * tir allowed the seine net 10 - “ . coU ld dabs. Two years ago a boat co a mile of nets and get 200 Th , a boat could seldom get 10 d ine pete Government should put the where they belonged—,, was an: Another fisherman asked if >t , r use fishermen talking? TheytalK 1926 and nothing had been aon •_ ffon j Another fisherman ** k ‘ r < ! dl E£ton B»J----if seining had harmed arts*'’, and received a non :®2”S, ainirS 6“ d The fisherman contended taai“ ea _ been disastrous in the tha; Another fisherman a ~Vefng ruin* Thames set-net men were Dems and starved. ..... of" It seems wrong that these should be so hard Ut , T aO>RUBY E VlAis"