Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 603, 4 March 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

ROTORUA BATH HOUSES i Sir,—1 My attention has been drawn to the announcement of the Prime Minister to the effect that the Public Works Dej partment is preparing plans for the new bath houses at Rotorua. Obviously it will be a calamity if the services of a leading architect are not secured for the designing of these buildings The lovely gardens at Rotorua will be marred if the Public Works DepartI ment is allowed to erect its usual ugly though doubtless durable, tvpe of building. ' An architect could have evolved a far more beautiful design for the small stations being dotted along the new railway line without involving extra expense. This mistake is beyond repair, but there is yet time to save the Rotorua gardens from unsightly buildings J.C.T. SOLDIERS IN SAMOA Sir,— ‘ In your issue of Saturday Major H. f 3 * , * Robinson, secretary of the Melanesian Mission, made references to statement I made in my speech at tlie Samoa demonstration in the Town Hall last "Wednesday evening. I regret to say that Major Robinson misinterpreted my remarks. What I said was this: “The actions of these men in Samoa were casting a reflection on their Xew Zealand comrades who fought for their King, Empire and freedom. I hold too high an opinion of my -\ew Zealand soldier comrades in the war to think of uttering other than praise of them; also admiration and sympathy with their mothers during their anxiety for the. safety and welfare of their sons. c. l. McFarland. SAMOA MILITARY POLICE Sir, — I do not wish to intervene in any controversy between Major Robinson and Mr. Hall Skelton, but Major Robinson questions the accuracy of Mr. McFarland's statements at the Town Hall meeting that members of the New Zealand military police had thoroughly disgraced themselves” in Samoa. Mr. McFarland was no doubt referring to the unpardonable system of this force entering the open native fales in the dead of night in search of defaulting taxpayers, pulling aside the blinds screening the sleeping quarters of the women and children, and terrorising them by flashing powerful electric torches in their eyes. Complaints about this practice were made by Mafioso Tamasese when she was interviewed by Press representatives on her arrival. They have also appeared in the Samoan Press and in letters published by newspapers here from their Island correspondents. These military police were recruited in New Zealand, and are under the control of an officer of the New Zealand Forces and the Administrator When Mr. McFarland recalled that with other local-born lads, he left Samoa to fight for us in the Great War, and remembered his Samoan mother, his burning and eloquent denunciation of such methods was not difficult to understand. If the women of New Zealand, and most of our clean-minded men, are not ashamed

(To the Editor.)

of such administrative methods, it is high time we revived some oldrashioned and discarded ideas of common decency. The idea of a Liberal administration here sanctioning such methods of hunting- down Samoan taxpayers and appealing to them to respect “law and order” is almost what Major Robinson might regard with ■much amusement.” PERCY ANDREW. Devonport. AUSTRALIAN SPORTSMANSHIP Sir,— It is lamentable that the allconquering tour of the English cricketers m Australia should be marred by such displays of crude sportsmanship from Australian barrackers. Duckworth, who is only a keen colt, was the first victim of these leatherlunged baiters, and now the pinprickmg of Larwood, without the slightest justification, is another glaring case of amazingly bad sportsmanship. The -Australian cricketer- critics have done nothing but squeal since the tour started: then officials of the Board of Control burst in on Geary while he was p ei ng massaged for a painful injurv m the Englishmen’s dressing room, and warned him he would not be allowed to bowl again that day. It looks as though the Aussies have lost all sense ol sportsmanship, and cannot take a senes of beatings without bawling like a . sp P ilt child after a spanking. Even the bombastic Americans can take a licking in a better spirit. WISDEN. UNEMPLOYMENT Sir.— For his letter on the evils of unemTi?Z m ?- nt in The Sun last Saturdav Old Employer” chose a very appropriate nom-de-plume, although' It should not follow that an old employer should cling to the old theory that low wages mean prosperity in industry. In a country which exports tiie products of its industry low wages mean a one-sided prosperity but in New Zealand, where the products of manufacturing industries must be for home consumption, low wages are absolutely fatal to those industries. That is what is wrong with us at the present time; we are not overproducing, but are underconsummg from sheer inability to buy. I have not the means to work out i the figures (one would need oceans of statistics at hand), but it is safe to assert that if methods of bringing consumer and producer together, i.e. of distribution, had improved in direct ratio those of production, there would be infinitely more consumption and also more production and less unemployment. Any of your readers who have given even passing thought to the question must be driven to the conclusion that it is the present wastefY.«.methods of distribution that are stifling and retarding all, but particur} y t .9YI manufacturing industries. -Let Old Employer” trace the course of any article, from the point of production to its ultimate end, and I am certain he will not rush into print advocating that panacea for unemplovment of all inefficient employers—low wages. It certainly would be a boon to one particular industry if its wages could be reduced and at the same time wages in other industries kept but

if they all fall together ■where doei--“Old Employer” see his benefit? He will be actually worse off, because a reduction in wages always means a tightening of domestic finance out of proportion to the actual reduction.

Your correspondent also says; “Setj tling a few persons on the land is only a drop in the ocean,” and again he shows that his thoughts are but small ones. We want to see the land | settled to its full capacity and that is going to absorb hundreds of thou- | sands. "Old Employer” criticises the Reform and United Governments for providing relief work; but will he say \ that the putting into circulation of | the money that was spent has not provided a fillip in some degree at least |to industry’? | Finally*, and to use his own argu* ' ment, let us then “strike at the root jof the trouble” and reduce wages to vanishing point, an existence, let us ' say’. Who then will be the consumers? Yet this is ‘ Old Employer’s” argument. CHAS. BAILEY. SPIRITUALISM Sir,— I am sure most of us are filled with admiration for -A.E.C.” He has held his own so gallantly. But he, with all his caution, has adopted his opponents tactics. It is regrettable that arguments are supported by so-called authorities on both sides. The idea seems to be to destroy the opponent, but how this can advance truth, I can* not at present determine. “A.E.C* seems to have a fear that he may ** wrong, and seeking to secure himself, say's, “"When scientifically controlled This proves his opponents’ case. Sir Oliver Lodge is a scientist. H* controlled the experiment or test. was scientifically controlled. Crook** also was a scientist, and so on. Katie King comes into court. Xow. taking “A.E.C.’s” letter broadly, he offers 1° prove beyond all doubt: (a) That socalled spiritual phenomena are fais?* and (b) that such phenomena can be explained outside alter-death person* ality. Well, this removes all authoP" ties and confines the question ‘“A.E.C.” So, with his permission* * shall submit for his explanation case Xo. 1: Mr. R. is am ignorant farmer* 3 : ignorance is commonly explained- & came to me once, very* excited, anG said: “I have won £2,000 in Tattersails, but I won’t get it all.” “NYhy* I asked. “Well, you know Mrs. ST; that friend of my wife’s, who reafl~ cups? Well, she read mine about month ago, when she was staving us and told me.” “Why <* ldn * you tell me?” “Well. I so tickled I thought the tr h0 ‘* thing was a fraud. I thought would regard it as a huge joke, me.” This Mrs. S— told him more tM* a month before the event happened particulars. Mrs. S — said that tn« cup was only the apparatus. “A.E.C.” is not permitted to disP u " the accuracy; by his own statement" agrees to explain. But I can voile* for this being true. , LOGICIANNOTICE TO CORRESPONDENT “Speed”.—The official world’s record of 318.620 m.p.h. is Mag. Mario de Berrtadi. The etw* information you ask for is not» raJr able.