Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 510, 13 November 1928, Page 12

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

AMERICOPHOBIA? Sir. In the more pathetic aspects of the rather boorish and wholly benighted insularity with which the letter of jyour correspondent “Alaska” reeks, it is unnecessary—probably useless—to comment. “Alaska’s” —save the mark! ebullition is itself a good argument for the need of censorship being exercised over the innumerable pocket editions of Big Bill Thompson at present flooding this country. There are just now among us people who are deliberately engaged in what almost amounts to the indiscriminate vilification of well-nigh the whole population of North America. Yes, realise the present is an inopportune moment for the advocacy of less Americophobia. NORTH BRITISH. AMERICANISED NEW ZEALAND Sir.—Allow me to commiserate with you in ybur task of appeasing the newspaper readers of the Queen City. On one hand you have the Birkenhead School Committee, the members of which want Press censorship because of American spelling in newspapers; on the other is “North British.” a correspondent who takes exception to your leader writer’s criticism of the word “cinch” and describes his mild qualifying remark as a sample of Americophobia. To my mind there is no occasion for either attack on the newspapers. They maintain, in New Zealand, a commendably high literary standard. It Is on our streets, in our picture theatres, and on our advertising signs and hoardings that we find objectionably un-British words and phrases. In Auckland we have sweet shops labelled “candy stores.” and school boot sales described as “college shoe drives.” Many of our lifts are dubbed “elevators.” and our motorcars are slowly changing to "automobiles.!’ Much of our luggage is becoming “baggage” and one or two of our chemists have "drug stores.” In one South Island railway station there is a painted notice in letters nearly a foot high: “Shew tickets here.”* Let newspaper readers learn something from their streets! On the other hand as North British said, '“cinch” is an apt and expressive word. "Say, you sure dribbled a bib-full”—to quote from Mr, Punch—is expressive too, hut that does not make it attractive. N.Z. TO AVOID DROWNING Sir.— Many drowning accidents occur each year in New Zealand, chiefly through persons not being able to swim. The following instructions as to flow to

make the body buoyant in water may be of some benefit to non-swimmers. The principal cause of persons being drowned is the raising of their hands above water, the unbuoyant weight of which depresses the head. If he moves his hands under the water in any manner he pleases, his head will rise so high as to allow him liberty to breathe, and if he moves his legs, as in the act of walking, or rather walking upstairs, his shoulders will rise above the water, so that he may use less exertion with his hands, or apply them to other purposes. This is a matter that cannot be too strongly impressed upon the minds of every person. To illustrate more clearly the consequences of a person acting •reasonably or unreasonably on such occasions, the case may be said to stand thus: If a person falls into the water or gets out of his depth and cannot swim, and if he wishes to drown himself, let him kick and splash as violently .as possible and he will soon sink. On the contrary, if impressed with the idea that he is lighter than the water, he will avoid all violent action and clearly *but steaxlily strive to refrain from drawing in his breath while under the water and to keep his head raised as much as possible, and gently, but persistently, to move his hands and feet in a proper direction. Acting thus, there will be a great probability of his keeping afloat until assistance arrives. A. R. TURNER. HUMANIST IDEALS Sir,— Please accept my sincere thanks for your splendid editorial on Saturday night on the cost of bad health. For six years I have been carrying on a silent campaign—so far as public opinion is concerned —against disease. As a result, I have had something like 70 letters published in various newspapers appealing for uublc cooperation against mankind’s greatest menace—disease. I have appealed in vain for the foundation of a strong New Zealand Humanist Society, and a humanist fund, to extend the noble work of the Plunket Society. But all my efforts have ended in futility through the frozen indifference of the New Zealand public. Yet the humanist motto is a simple enough one for any child of the sixth standard to understand. It is “Cure by Prevention. Prevent by Education.” In the words of Sir George Newman. Director of Health in Great Britain—“ Educate or Perish.” This same authority estimates that the people of England and Wales lost 30.000,000 weeks in 1927 through sickness. In New Zealand in 1926, for public hospitals alone, it was 200.000 weeks; in 1927, it was round about 218,000. Now, sir, no young democracy can support this economic I wastage, and remain prosperous. It jis a natural impossibility. For years I have held the belief that prob-

ably 90 per cent, of our evils, politically, socially, commercially, and industrially. are directly traceable to the incidence of disease. In Australia. 14 women’s organisations have combined to force maternal welfare to the forefront in the Federal elections Mr. Bruce, the Federal Prime Minister, has denounced maternal mortality as a national disgrace. Queen Mary has also called attention to this national reproach at Home. But still our politicians wrangle in a hectic splurge oi worn-out verbosity about land and finance, economics, unemployment defence. etc., without the slightest understanding that the conditions of all these things lie not in themselves, but only in the human power and the vitality of the people to handle them. R. M. THOMSON.

WHAT WILL BECOME OF US?

Sir.— During- the present political campaign I have been attending meetings held by the three different parties now in the field, hoping by so doing to arrive at an intelligent decision as to where to cast my vote. But. the further I go, the more my uncertainty increases, and my confidence lessens. When I listen to Labour speakers I am assured with all intensity of feeling that New Zealand is doomed to absolute ruin under the rule of either the Reform or United Party. Not one \ good thing can Labour see in either of those two opponents. Then, when I listen to Reform lam 1 overwhelmed with facts and figures. j which seem to prove conclusively that under either Labour or United Party government our lot would be infinitely worse than ruin. Not one redeeming virtue can Reform discover in either o£ its two opposing parties. * ' When in desperation I turn to the United Party for a solution of the political puzzle my panic becomes j absolute, and in a sweat of fear I return home thoroughly convinced that j whatever party comes intd power on j the 14th of this month, our lovely larnl is doomed to absolute, eternal and irreparable ruin. Judging from the facts and figures which are being submitted to us at the \ present time, there is no political party in this country fit to referee a dog fight, much less to govern, and bring into a further state of productiveness and prosperity this delightful emerald gem of the southern seas. What a pityProblem: Where shall I cast toy vote? Is there a fourth party anywhere? * C. A. PAAP. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENT “Glen Lady Elector.” —Your letter arrived too late for publication yes* terday. and we are not permitted publish a prediction of that w 24 hours before the election. The Sun.