Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 702, 29 June 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

FREE PASSES ON TRAMS Sir. Not long - before the old tramway committee of the City Council went out of office it was criticised in the correspondence columns of The Sun for issuing free passes on the trams when the cars were not paying:. Mr. Allum denied this, saying: the only free pass issued was to the town clerk. Presuming then, that Mr. Allum’s statement was quite correct, it would be very interesting to know who is responsible for the other 1,349 free passes that have been issued during the short space of a few months. RATEPAYER. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF Sir, — In reply to the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates’s request for immediate action in regard to the relief of earthquake sufferers, the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, says that time is needed to consider the question. Surely money is more necessary than time and a financier who can borrow £70,000,000 at such advantageous terms can easily find one little million toward the relief of distress occasioned by the earthquake. MAKE HASTE. A QUERY Sir,— The protest of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce against the payment of 14s a day on relief works represents tlio dog and his bark, but if the members of that important body have read tlio week’s news budget they may have discovered the fact that there is an uncommercial body of men, over a thousand strong, who have not received payment of 14s a day for some considerable time past. Consequently the question uppermost in their minds is. where is the moon which is causing the baying? Perhaps the commercial body may be able to answer the question. PUZZLED. THE HARBOUR BRIDGE Sir.— Sometimes it seems a waste of time to write in defence of a Harbour Bridge, when the opponents in eulogising the advantages of the ferry service seem determined to ignore the fact that a bridge would be the means of opening up lands at present lying idle, and also of placing industry and trade on a profitable footing instead of allowing

it to lie as it is at present, in a dormant state.

Can any of these pessimists say that the Harbour Bridge will prove a failure to the North Khore in Sydney or that even the bridge across the river at Hamilton, Waikato, has not proved a boon? I remember when the latter was built how proud everyone was having such a grand structure. Now it is quite inadequate for the size of the population on the countryside, according to reports, but it serves as an example to show what wonderful progress can be made on the North Shore. Auckland, when a bridge is erected. I admit the service to Auckland from Takapuna and Milford is very good, but the certainty of better, simpler and easier transport should be the wish of the people. As far as the cost is concerned. let it be remembered that nothing worth having can be bought without payment, and men are every day putting money into various companies with uncertain chances of any return. Let them put their money into the bridge scheme. They will know it will be safe. FLORENCE WORTHINGTON Takapuna. AN UNPLEASANT HABIT Sir.— From the condition of Auckland’s tootpaths since the coming of winter (with its attendant heavy colds) it seems that men of this city ore developing a most unpleasant habit of promiscuous expectoration. There are by-laws against this sort of thing, but apparently the regulations arc honoured more in the breach than in the observing. It is a wonder the health authorities have not had something caustic to say. RHINITIS. DEVONPORT’S DANGER Sir,— I was glad to read in last evening's Sun that certain of Devonport’s residents—members of the Waitemata Chamber of Commerce—have become alive to the possible danger to the borough that lies in the Harbour Bridge proposals. No sane man would deny that a bridge over the Waitemata would be of immense benefit to the lands about its North Shore end, and to >fhe areas and resorts beyond. Furthermore. a harbour bridge would be a boon to motorists. On the other hand, if placed in the proposed position, it will kill Devonport: kill it as surely as any city shopping area is killed when traffic is diverted to another thoroughfare. The bridge proposal

resolves itself into a question of conflicting community interests, not conflict with the Ferry Company, as many imagine. On one hand are the motorists of Auckland, and those interested in the farther North Shore resorts, on the other is Devonport—admirably aud cheaply catered for at present—and the legion of North Shore residents v*no will be the chief revenue producers for the bridge. In return for their pa> - ments they will receive uncomfortable, roundabout journeys to the city, is time they took stock of the position. CO CANNY.