Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 465, 21 September 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

FAREWELL TO AVIATORS Sir, — I understand that Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and his companions intend to leave Auckland next Sunday, and that they will receive an official farewell. Surely some other day could be chosen. The Rev. J. K. Archer had courage enough to refuse to receive these men on a Sunday, and I

trust our Mayor, Mr. Baildon, will support his Christchurch confrere by refusing to participate on the 23rd. CHRISTIAN. THE CIVIC RECEPTION Sir, I was one of the thousands who attended the Town Hall to welcome those brave flyers, Kingsford Smith and party. I was delighted to see such a crowd. I arrived at 11.20 a~m. and was pleased to have the satisfaction of hearing our very fine organ being played. It was, I thought, just the occasion when it should be played. The organist stopped playing shortly after, and having received thanks in the shape of applause, he bowed and walked out of a side door and did not return until just before the flyers arrived. My complaint is that that crowd of people sat there for just about half an hour, and I think it would have shown consideration for the people there to provide music for them through that period. We have the organ and wo boast an excellent city organist, and I want to suggest that on any future occasion that should be done. Another thing that worried me was to see, I should say, over 100 empty seats on the platform. These would quickly have been filled by those people who were outside or on the steps. Many never got inside the door. The seats would looked better occupied. RATEPAYER. SABBATH OBSERVANCE Sir,— The Rev. F. L. Sharp considers my facts are fictions, and directs me to the Encyclopaedia Biblica for enlightenment. I comply with pleasure, for that monumental work was compiled by learned theologians under the editorship of the Rev. Canon Cheyne, M.A., H.D. These can scarcely be dismissed as “rejecting the Bible,” and turning to their article on the decalogue we find: “The two parallel texts of the decalogue . . . present striking points of difference. In Ex. the Sabbath is to be kept because Yahwe made all things in six days and rested the seventh: in Dt. because the slave as well as his master needs rest.” Then follows a discussion of this # and other serious contradictions, which are ascribed to many expansions by the successive editors. “We next come to the Question of date. The Elohist

document is our earliest external witness and that does not carry us back beyond the middle of the Bth century B.C. (a conservative estimate). Nor does internal evidence point to a much earlier time . . . all (evidences) lend support to the view that the decalogue is grounded In the teachings of the great prophets. . . . The reasons against a date very much earlier are clinched by the modern discovery that there was another decalogue older in character. . . . Vet even this must be put long after the time of Moses.” Here we have authoritative corroboration from leading theologians of my contention that the command of Sabbath observance was not given by God but enunciated by man. The Rev. Sharp denies that the ethical laws of the decalogue were commonplaces amongst earlier nations. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of Egyptian history knows that Egypt had laws against murder, adultery, perjury, larcency, etc., thousands of years before Moses. The same is true of Babylon. The evidence can be denied but not refuted, and makes it inconceivable that a Supreme Being should undertake to reveal laws inferior to those already achieved in human fashion.

Concerning Professor Aulard, I will say only that for 40 years he has been Professor of the History of the Revolution at the largest university in France and is recognised as the highest authority, living or dead, on that period. Most important, his facts regarding the cult of reason, quoted in my last letter, are verified by reference to original documents not available to earlier historians.

A.E.C. LARGE CLASSES Sir,— May I crave space in your valued paper to comment upon a letter by Alice J. Greville, appearing in. a recent issue on the subject of large classes. I am with her whole-heartedly in the fight for smaller classes, but would advocase a different method, as a means to securing the goal. I agree with her when she says that “the mothers and fathers of the land should z*ise up boldly and demand better conditions for their children—and in their hands alone lies the power of remedy.” Quite The lady is probably aware that the hardest fight is to get .he parents to carry out their duty in this respect, and this is evidenced by the fact that at the last primary school committee elections, such little inter- ®®. was taken by the householders, that great difficulty was experienced in many instances in securing the required nominations for candidature to the committees. In my opinion this rf>n<i ition of affairs denotes a spirit °f. ‘absolute disinterestedness” in the minds of the mass, on “things” important. Can your lady correspondent give an instance of a class of 70 pupils

under one teacher, as to me this is surprising, in view of the impression that I have that an assurance was given In the House last session by the Minister of Education that such a class is not to be found in the schools under the jurisdiction of the State. Personally, after not a little study of the question, I am convinced that as soon as the size of classes is reduced to 39 pupils so soon will the young people attain greater heights of intellectual, ity, and so soon will the inferiority complex become a negligible quantity. Does the lady know, that in reply to representations from Gisborne recently, for extensions of primary school accommodation, the Hon. R. A. Wright explained that investigations are now being made regarding the proposed extension of the junior high school system, which, if given effect to would result in the reorganisation of all schools, leaving more accommodation in the existing primary schools. It would be interesting to know your lady correspondent’s views on junior high schools, and whether she would agree with me that the urgent inauguration of the junior high school sys* tem, as instanced in Kowhai and the Waitakl High Schools, is necessary as a means to better education, and as a solution to the problem of large classes —in preference to the fight for larg® primary schools as at present constituted. A GORDON HULTQL IST. THAT MYSTERIOUS HUM Tour correspondent “Generator Hum” has evidently not read your Tasman flight issue as carefully as ne should have, or he would have seen that it was not suggested that at no time was the plane’s generator aud* ible. As I read the article, it was the hum was not audible at the indicated by the diary of the flignAs the “experts” have failed to £ n " lighten “Generator Hum” as to wnas it was that IYA was broadcasting, 1 suggest he should ask the stationmanager what it was. “Generator Hum” will find an excellent definition of “C.W.,” also the meaning of “1.C.W., in the “N.Z. Radio Listeners’ Guide.’ In case he has not a copy, the definition concludes, “Continuous waves are called carrier waves for broadcast purposes.” ITZ.

THE SUN IN AMERICA

Sir, — You are no doubt aware that Tnn Sun newspaper travels round the world. For the last year or so I been sending, from time to time, local papers to a friend of mine, Mr. PWuP Kenton, of Longbeach, Cal., U.SA » think it is a complimentary gesture to your paper that he never mentions any other but The Sun among all the dailies I have sent. You have already received a letter from my American friend, also a pretty comprehensive TJ.S.A. radio loft which will prove of much interest to your readers. Wishing The Sun continued success GRANT COLES. Papatoetoe. FLIGHT OVER THE CITY Sir,— The Southern Cross airmen will have come and gone, and thousands Auckland will not have had an oppo®" tunity of seeing anything of themKeen disappointment about this * expressed on every hand, and I to suggest to those in charge of toe arrangements here that representation be made to Squadron-Leader Smith and his party to give a sbori flight over the city either before, or oj* the day of their departure, and afford an opportunity for school dren, hospital patients and many otD«* to see on the wing the men who ried out successfully the first tra®* - Tasman flight. If this can be arranged, should be given of the hour, so l ®"* all can be on the outlook for th«®J