Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 620, 23 March 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

NON-STOP DANCING Sir, — Will you kindly aliow me to state that Mr. Bert Nicholls does not hold the world’s record for non-stop dancing with 101 hours, as published in your paper on March 16. I would like to say that I hold the world’s record with 104 hours 20 minutes, which I previously danced in Dunedin, finishing on the third of this month. As regards his challenge, I have already agreed to dance him anywhere, at any place or any time, on level terms, the man dancing the longest time to be declared the winner. B. W. TREMAINE. Anderson Bay, Dunedin. MUNICIPAL MUSIC Sir,— In your issue of March 19 there appeared a very interesting statement of receipts and expenditure in connection with the city organ recitals. Ratepayers would no doubt be more than astonished if a financial statement relative to the income and expenditure of the Municipal Band were supplied for general information. The returns from this combination are very meagre, so much so, that recently no less an organisation than the Chamber of Commerce advocated the termination of the band as it was not a paying proposition. Whereas formerly the band was an attraction for citizens attending the Zoological Park, to-day it is not considered as such, the time of patrons being fully occupied viewing the many exhibits. Therefore the band could be used to better advantage performing in the various parks on Sunday afternoon. Diligent in .research, will Cr. Murray investigate and reveal receipts and expenditure of the Municipal Band, especially in regard to the following items: Conductor’s salary and terms of engagement, retaining fees for soloists and members’ salary, advertising, cartage of gear, rent of Town Hall and assisting artists? HOEPA. MAORI—RED INDIAN Sir, — I note that an officer of the Mormon creed claims that the Maori and the American Indian are of a common racial stock. Now this is very improbable. A study of the respective languages and mythologies, and the general ethnological aspects of the question rather go to disprove any such theory. Such resemblances may be conceived to exist cannot be other than accidental. If scientifically examined, there appears to be no racial connection whatever between the red man and Polynesian, and therefore none with the Maori. For Polynesian man—to which human family the Maori belongs—is undoubtedly an Aryan, of the same racial identity as the Caucasians of Europe. The common cradle of these Aryan people was probably North-west India. Thence the Polynesian ancestry migrated to occupy the island groups throughout the Pacific Ocean, for oceanic environment made them a race of skilful navigators. On the other hand, the American Indian is certainly a Mongolian. Migrating from Northeastern Asia, he crossed the Behring Straits into Alaska, and thence, in the course of time, populated the whole American continental area. Those vast land areas available for his occupation did not impel him to become an ocean rover, and he ventured not on the Pacific’s wastes. Hence, if there is a possible trace of racial contact at all, it is very slight. Occasional Polynesian migrations may indeed have arrived on the American coasts, but these were on too small a scale to have in any wav ■ ethnologically affected the red-man. It | is also just as certain that there were

no migrations into the Pacific from America, for ocean navigation was (for the reasons above given) foreign to the genius and incentive of the people of America. The red-man’s ability as a navigator was confined to his rivers and lakes, whereon as a canoe man he developed a high skill. He, however, kept clear of Tangaroa’s domains. GEO. GRAHAM. SMALL BOYS AND CANOES Sir, When walking along the beach last Saturday afternoon 1, among scores of others, witnessed what might have been a sad drowning fatality. Two small boys about 10 years of age were out at sea in a small canoe about 150 yards from shore, at full tide. Without any warning the canoe sank and they were plunged into eight or ten feet of water.. One boy could swim and soon got safely to shore, but the other could not swim and was quickly in a dangerous position. His frantic struggles for help attracted the attention of several passers-by, among them being Mrs. Richardson, who was just going in for a swim. There being no one else among the crowd who could swim, she, with a remarkable presence of mind, hurried off to H. Bray and Co.’s stables, where she sought the help of Mr. Stone, who was at work at the time. He at once went to the rescue jf the boy, without waiting to remove his clothes. Mrs. Richardson accompanied him in his efforts to save the lad, but after a hard struggle she became exhausted and had to return, leaving Mr. Stone with the unconscious boy, whom he succeeded in bringing to the shore. Dr. Kirkwood was soon in attendance and after half an hour succeeded in restoring consciousness. In the interest of other children. I think the above should be published as a warning. ONLOOKER. SOCIAL PROBLEMS Sir.— In a recent address, Sir George Fowlds declared that the Christian Church had not for some time provided any great social leaders. At a subsequent public meeting other churchmen gave expression to their belief in a highly technical theology. Do these discussions tend at all to promote the solution of present-day problems? Do they create any stress of common weal in the minds of the people? Much crime and the commercialisation of sport are attributable to our failure to adjust ourselves to the economic determination of this mechanical era. We are still hidebound by a selfish individualism—the persistence of a barbaric past—when physical labour and strength were the only known means of production. Nowadays a plethora of almost all necessary commodities can be produced, and this supply, instead of being distributed over the mass of the people, is used by a few to deprive another portion of the people from participating in the common weal. At the door of our educational system much of the blame can be laid. Compare our individualistic competition training with that of the old-time Maori. On the testimony of our friend, of Te Kuiti, and others, the Maori lad of 16 years was made gradually to realise that he belonged to the hapu and the tribe. Our system leads our young people to an exaggerated sense of their own importance, and then leaves many of them to a gradual disillusionment and a place among the unwanted—-the unemployed. When professional church 1 workers study the effects of inventions upon the social and industrial life of the people, they may possibly be of some assistance in promoting a sense of common weal, bLit until then I think i they will remain high and dry above i (Continued in next column)

the human tide, and consequently of little service to it. Unfortunately the average trade unionist is not much better informed and is satisfied if clamouring fo*r more wages, but not anxious to see work spread over all hands, and alt sharing in that community production necessary to health and happiness. In justice, I must exclude those splendid people who are devoting their time fen mitigating the suffering involved m our selfish outlook upon the object of production. end.

MODERN METHODS Sir. — The letter in your columns commenting on open-air schools and signed “Old School” leaves the reader somewhat in the air. The writer says that modern children are too much “fussed over.” and concludes by remarking that under the old conditions it was a wonder so many of us lived to maturity. Which is the better, to be too fussy or to take no interest whatever in the health of our growing children? Surely the former, if the results/of present-day methods are any criterion. One has only to take note of the splendid physique of the present generation in New Zealand to be reassured on that score. Surely no one with any knowledge of the laws governing health will contend seriously that anyone, child or adult, can have too much fresh air and sunlight. I have four children of my own and they practically live in the open air, save the eldest, who is of school age and, like her comrades, is kept for a specified number of hours in a more or less stuffy classroom. T am perfectly sure it would suit me if her school life could be brought more into line with the breezy existence of our own home, whatever anyone mayremark about fussiness or otherwise. What happened in the old days was simply this: The weaklings were killed off and only the toughest and strongest survived. Under modern methods even the weakest ones have a fair chance of survival and sometimes prove equal in physique at maturity to those most physically equipped at birth. J.M.J. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENT “Soft Snap”—Your satirical letter should have been sent to the newspaper which noted that the success of an issue of industrial debentures was “a proof of the readiness of local investors to support a sound industrial proposition.”—Editor, The Sun.