Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 489, 19 October 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

THE UNITED PARTY Sir, — Sir Joseph Ward in his policy speech for the United Party failed lamentably to give what was expected—something for electors to think about. Sir Joseph is made to say he will borrow untold millions which will cost nothing to the taxpayer. He is made to say he will finish all the unfinished railways in New Zealand and put them on a paying basis in three years. As a politician Sir Joseph does not really believe all this nonsense. As a financier he certainly knows it cannot be done. NORTHCOTE. THE COMPETITIONS Sir, Can the committee and secretary of the Competitions Society explain why the prize money has not yet been given to successful competitors? It is now two months since the festival was held, and it is very disheartening to prizewinners to be told, week after week, “The committee has not met yet,” and so on. The competitors have been well out of pocket with entrance fees, costumes, etc., and at least an explanation should be made to them. Where is the balance sheet? One judge, I understand, gave his services free. ONE INTERESTED. Owing to members of the executive having been out of town, or absent through illness, it has been unable to meet to carry out the business. The quorum consists of five members, as well as the secretary, and although four meetings have been called, only four members have been able to attend. “One Interested,” however, may rest assured that the committee will meet in the course of next week, and that all arrangements for paying out the prizemoney will be completed.—Ed., The Sun. NOMENCLATURE Sir, — It is hard to account for the Mount Wellington board’s idea for changing the name of the Panmure railway station, seeing that the military settlers, as pioneers of the district, had done so much strenuous work in carving their way out of a wilderness in which they were placed—smoothing down hills and gullies. I may state that all the roads in the district were formed and metalled when Mount Wellington took them over. Having served for 21 years in the Army, our pioneers were called upon as worthy representatives of our Mother Country in the protection of her interests and her subjects against an honourable foe. To throw a slur on the Imperial Army of to-day would be a grave offence, yet the men who formed the

British Army of one or two centuries or generations ago were made of the same stuff as the heroes of to-day. It would be interesting to hear the board’s objection definitely stated. Three stations to name, and these worthy citizens start off with Marama, after some of the estates that are being subdivided in the district. Next comes Sylvia Park, after the birthplace of that great horse, Carbine; while the next Panmure, but Panmure ... No, never; that only represents the soldier pioneers. Did anyone suggest Chinatown? The honourable discharges from the Army of these old men (the records of many being still in existence) are written in terms which signify: “Well done, thou good and fatihful servant.” Will anyone write this of our board at the expiration of its term of office, I wonder? PIONEER. DIXIELAND BATHS Sir.— So Mr. Harold Schmidt is really a real person. I had gathered from his remarks that “Harold Schmidt” was really the pen-name of someone writing merely to be amusing. I have had the pleasure of attending Dixieland on a number of occasions. I wonder whether Mr. Schmidt has ever been there? One thing I do remember was tho complaints of my partners, last summer, about having to wear dinnerjackets when flannels would have been much more comfortable. But there seems to be some written or unwritten law even about thus demoralising Dixieland. What is going to happen when we girls start dancing there in bathing costumes next summer, while our men are still in dinner-jackets, I don’t know! Perhaps in the afternoons scruples will be thrown to the wind, and the men will appear in flannels. Oh, Mr. Schmidt, how can you think such things about us? FLAPPER. GUY FAWKES DAY Sir, “Spoil Sport” chose an excellent nom de plume for his letter condemning the quaintly-aging custom of Guy Fawke s Day observance by children. observing that “little gamins with blacked faces are already on the streets fawning for money,” he classes it as a detestable business, and would like to see them spanked off the streets. Now, sir, November 5 is the only children’s day in the year. In our soberly-colonial country there are few enough public festivals. Why _-ob the children of theirs? Guy Fawke*s Day may actually signify nothing,-but it is an old custom, and even the most insignificant old custom is worth preserving. Customs are allied with tradition, and tradition is the twin sister of esprit de corps—the most valuable non-material asset a country or an

Empire can possess. Leave th' children alone. In our youth we begged for our Fifth of November pennies, and our fathers begged befou us. We are none the worse for it Adults are not arrested for the same offence, “Spoil Sport.” Walk Queen Street on Daffodil Day, Poppy Day, Flag Day, or any other ‘Da and see for yourself. TOLERANCE. TIME Sir,— As the Book that never change*, so was* time given to us as a standard. Father Time is a very old man: he sav the beginning and will see the end of the world. For many hundreds 0. years, time, which is divided as * know, into a standard of hours arfractions of hours for each day, given to us from Greenwich, Londor On it our activities fbr the day wer set, and we know beforehand, or could calculate, what to do day by da:. It was our rock that never change But the politicians of the day feel competent to alter this standard that *•;' given us by our fathers. My W^5 C for one, is not going to be changed t meet this new-fangled measure. Incidentally, why should a persohave to get up half an hour ear * le cold mornings such as we have bee having lately, while, taking farmers’ case, why should, for examP* a farm-hand have to get up half hour earlier, as if his hours were n>• long enough already? It will nseaa longer day for the already o worked and underpaid farm-hand, * on any farm that is go-ahead, hours are from daylight to dark VOTER. BRITON NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS C.8.—(1) When the flyers America, Kingsford Smith heia rank of Lieutenant. IJlm han military rank. On arrival lD , y€V , Commonwealth they were S'honorary rank by the Australian Force, Smith becoming a s£ l u^“^ r leader and Dim a flight-lieutepa (2) Qualified, but no official en . recorded. —Ed. The Sun. ! “Not Too Green.”—Will have made.—Ed., The Sun.