Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 595, 22 February 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

FISH FOR THE PEOPLE ter some weeks of close observai ion I have come to the conclusion that the ocean surrounding: “Wardland” is teeming with splendid large edible fish. At Whangaruru, North Auckland, a few days ago, three lines caught 34 schnapper, kahawhai, cod, etc., in about an hour’s effort. At Napier half a dozen steam trawlers go out in the morning and return with a couple of bins full of fish, which are graded at the port for distribution. When the bins are full they cease operations—presumably to keep up the monopoly and price. Tons of fish are swimming about the ocean waiting to be caught, while thousands of people cannot use them, nor catch, them, .owing to cost. Will such a position ever end? J.H.C. PAYMENT FOR BEING WELL I wish to ask your readers, and our doctors, through the correspondence column of f aper what hope have we, as a people, of obeying such timely advice as given by Mr. W. Sampson Handley in his address at Wellington. He said that cancer was curable if caught in time, and if the public could be indbiced to seek prompt advice immediately any suspicion was aroused. How often those who need medical advice are the very ones who are unable to pay for it, so the cure and resultant benefit to the public a,re lost. This ■leads us to believe that something is wrong with the system. Doctors today earn their payment from us when we are ill. Why not let them keep us well by paying when we are so? By this means we would sign our names in any doctor’s book, promising to p a, small amount weekly, while we are fit. And when a man became ill all payments would stop. All of us would then receive close attention and cancer could he caught early—and cured. FOR THE PEOPLE. PROPHETS OF WAR Sir, — Certain among us are confidently predicting another great war. This is stark, staring madness, for there is no surer way 'than that of bringing about another war. Wise persons and nations may prepare against the worst, while they hope for the best, but they must do their utmost to avert the former and realise the latter. I do not blame those who study to avert and overcome gas warfare, but I do condemn those who place themselves in such a position that they will be proved to be false prophets if war does not come. The more confidently one predicts war, the more it is for his interest to bring it about. The way to end war is for us to determine that it shall not be, and to exert our utmost endeavours to that end. In doing this, we defy all who from the Bible, the great Pyramid, or any other source,

would force us to believe that another war is inevitable. We repudiate their interpretations of the same and defy them to prove that all wars truly predicted thereby are not now over. We recognise the existence of economic and psychic warfare, but warfare of a carnal sort must end as men determine that it shall be no more. —WAR ON WAR PROPHETS. GIRLS AND CRICKET Sir, — It would seem that some of the “strong, silent sex” —of course, men never gossip, that is why they are so designated—are finding amusement in the fact that the Auckland Girls’ Cricket Association has been given, through the courtesy of the A.C.A., permission to play an exhibition match on number one wicket, on Easter Saturday, at Eden Park. They are not likely to find much to amuse them, but doubtless they will find much to surprise them. They will see that the “weaker sex” will be able to give them, first and foremost, points in courtesy, as well as in good sportsmanship and a sound knowledge of the inner workings of the king of games. There will, I hope, be “dozens of cheering girls” —but there will not be “dozens uf giggling girls,” for they will be too intent on the game. Perhaps these scoffing gentlemen might care to pay a visit to the Girls’ Athletic Ground, at Market Road, Remuera, some Saturday afternoon, and be further initiated into the realm of women’s cricket. COVER POINT. SPIRITUALISM V. MATERIALISM Sir.—Keys of a. local warehouse were lost, and, after fruitless seaxeh, the services of a psychic were employed, with the result that he described exactly where they would be found. Legislation prohibiting the useful exercise of osychic gifts for reward should be repealed immediately, and we shall cease making martyrs of our mediums, as we have been doing. To tempt them to break bad laws and then prosecute them for yielding to police Temptation is really disgraceful. Spiritualists are teaching doctrines which are abreast of the most advanced scientific, philosophic and religious knowledge of the world. The debt owed to then, by other churches for the new life and interest they have brought into religion will be appreciated more as it becomes better understood. Broadly speaking, all who believe in God, Who is Spirit, are Spiritualists. And nearly all Christian churches believe In “mystic, sweet communion with those whose rest is won. Christ was a Spiritualist. With Peter, James and John, He held a seance on the Mount of Transfiguration, and conversed with the spirits of Moses and Ells-s. The best that Rationalists Mr. C. E. (Continued in next columr!>

Major can do is to question spirit**? phenomena. They cannot disprove It In their meetings and on the wai«. front I have challenged them to oonfute the evidence in Denis Bradley's books and in “The Blue Room"; but they cannot. Materialism was never worthy of being called a “philosophy” for it is folly, and materialistic write? < like “A.E.C.” are silemt before thF facts of modern Spiritualism. VCTjat has such a writer as Bertrand Russell ever written to justify the sophistry which vaunts itself under ch© highsounding title of “Materialistic Philosophy” ? J. G. HUGHES. SEEKING OTHER EMPLOYMENT Sir, — I was reading Mr. Ransom’s statemen regarding wages and conditions on relief works. Mr. Ransom states that the contracts are based on a standard rate of 14s a day, and also that a good man can make a good day’s pay for a good day’s work, and that a man's earnings depended entirely on his own efforts. He also states that the men are encouraged to seek other employment. With the latter statement I quite agree. We are not only encouraged, but we are practically compelled to seek other employment. Now ho says the prices are so arranged that a good man can make a good day’s pay for a good day’s work. That looks all right to the uninitiated, but allow me to give you the navvies’ view of the matter. The prices are: Stiff clay. Is a cubic yard; sandstone, rubble and loose rock, Is 6d; solid rock, 2s 7d a cubic yard—all measurements taken out of the solid. I will dea.l with the clay, as there is more clay than anything else. Now the lead with barrows is Id a chain after the first half chain, that is. if you are wheeling one chain and a-half you get Id a yard. To earn 14s a day you have to break and fill and wheel out 180 to 200 barrow loads of stiff clay in eight hours. The picking and filling, alone, of this 14 yards or 200 barrow loads would constitute a big day’s work, and I doubt if three men in a hundred could do it. After all we are only flesh and blood like othe.* people, and cannot be expected to do superhuman tasks. Well, add to that the wheeling, and any man who has ever pushed a barrow will agree with me that it’s no weakling’s job. It takes every ounce of strength we possess to push that loaded barrow through mud over loose rubble, etc. We have no planks- Now the distance to be covered in walking in the day is roughb eight miles. Four miles with a loaded barrow and four miles back with the empty barrow'. A fair pace with * loaded barrow would be two miles an hour. Coming back with the empty barrow' would be a bit faster, but k would amount to three hours’ hard toil. For that you would get 14 pene® —ld a cubic yard for 14 yaa*ds wheeled out. One chain and a-half comes to Is 2d. The prices that are paid on this section are not new prices; tbe> are the same that were paid 40 ana years ago when the ruling wage vas 5s or 6s a day, and the cost of living was about one-third what it is today. . ~ Now I was sent up here with mam others from the Westfield deviation and have been on this job about seve weeks, and have been paid just atwm «Ll sin all. It costs me about i* l • week to keep myself, then I have w keep my wife in Auckland. I havc . pay rates, taxes and insurances, D ' sides trying to pay off my home. -No I find it impossible to carry on here, so I am encouraged, as Mr. Rans puts it, to seek other emplojmaj^j;'