Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 737, 9 August 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

A PROTECTING FORCE Sir, — As a resident of a distant suburb, I should lilt© tlirough your valuable paper to support those already advocating the appointment of women police. The boys and girls from outlying districts attending night classes in the city often have long waits, either in the streets or at railway stations or bus termini. The appointment of women police to patrol these places would safeguard the young people of both sexes, and relieve the anxiety of parents whose children, though well under control, are forced to be out at night unattended. Friends recently returned from abroad have spoken to me most enthusiastically of the preventive work being done by women police in the Homeland. SUBURBS. HELPING THE MAORI Sir, — , Economic conditions appear to be forcing Maori women to work for Chinese and the obvious remedy for this state of affairs is to employ landless Maoris in bringing some of our waste land under cultivation by placing them, as State tenants; to work for themselves at market gardening. The gardening knowledge acquired from the Chinese should prove a great help to them at the start. There is ample land available and probably many Maori landowners would be found willing to assist in carrying out such a plan. A chieftainess of the fighting tvlikatos, Te Puea Herangi, has well earned the aroha of both Maori and Pakeha by striving for her people's welfare, and we can show appreciation of her efforts by following her lead. WILLIAM PERRY. Great Barrier Island. THE PROBLEM OF PERSONALITY Sir, — In requoting that part of Hume’s discussion on personality which states that the idea of self cannot be derived from any one of our rapidly succeeding impressions, “An Armchair Dabbler” makes it plain that he has not digested the argument, which immediately thereafter points out that if we endeavour to discover “self” at any particular moment, all we find is some one particular perception. “Whence, then, is this sense of self derived?” asks your correspondent. It obviouslv represents the sum of the activities'or per-

eeptions of the organism. Your correspondent evidently believes that the “seif” is an entity added to man in infancy, but let him state just at what stage and in what manner he conceives it to be added. The organism starts as a single cell. Does “An Armchair Dabbler** ascribe personality to that? If not, where and when does it enter? The answer of psychology is that personality only manifests itself as perception (i.e, environment) reacts on the organism (hereditary conditions) after birth. Finally, on the basis of my argument that self is the sum total of the perceptions of the organism, it follows that on the dissolution of the organism “self’ will disappear. All the facts of medical science point to this conclusion, but it is not for your correspondent to ask me to prove that there i 3 no life after death. As the promoter of that idea in this discussion it devolves upon him to produce the proofs. I would suggest that he first clear the ground by defining in an intelligible manner “self as an entity,” and ‘life without organic basis.” WOMEN POLICE Sir,— I am intensely interested in the correspondence now appealing in your valuable paper on the subject of women police. No thinking person, having the welfare of young New Zealand at heart, and knowing the exceedingly fine work carried on by the women police in the most enlightened countries of the world, can be indifferent to the absence here of this effective force in the prevention of offences against women and girls. New Zealand women view, with extreme concern, the marked increase in the number of sexual offences. It has been Proved over and over again that the establishment of women police is the most effectual agency in the prevention of the victimisation of young girls. There was a time when New Zealand led the world in legislation of a progressive type. If we deplore that she has fallen from her high estate, the remedy is obvious. An overdue, progressive step would be the immediate setting up of a carefully selected force of women police to safeguard our women and young | people. The Minister of Justice is reported to have said that, as long as he holds his present office, he will not introduce this reform! What do the mothers of New Zealand think of this utterance by a Minister of this pominion? lam convinced that if they knew what a safeguard women police would be to their daughters, who have .(Continued in next column.)

to traverse lonely roads, or be out late a t night, they would not be silent on this question. It is not women and girls only who would be shielded. Our youths need guarding from temptation, also. The women police in other countries—notably England and Canada—have proved most tactful. A word of kindly advice at the psychologic;.! moment from one whose word might not be disregarded has saved many an inexperienced and undisciplined young citizen, who has lived to bless the timely interference which meant safety. If the women of New Zealand combine to urge the establishment of a force of women police; if the fathers unite with the mothers in pressing for what will safeguard their sons and daughters from sorrow and infamy, how can any democratic Government withstand their demand? nemo. PRIMAGE DUTY Sir.— The news that Mr. Coates intends to move an amendment to the Customs Amendment Bill will be welcome by thousands of workingmen through* out the Dominion. The average mail about town does not understand tna* the United Party’s leader has, by ra ~* ing the primage duty, increased t». cost of living, but it stands to that the price of everything—including the ordinary breakfast tables must be increased accordingly- ** Joseph Ward says the increase be so small that it will not affect tn. prices of goods to the consumer; when you investigate the position, an find out that in Auckland 6 ° n,e the large firms will have to P tween £2.000 and £5.000 extra umv per annum, it is not likely that j.«retail prices will not be increased. * the Labour members do no*. Mr. Coates’s amendment, thes wIU 2: bo protecting the interests of workers. It is to be hoped that tr.id unions, chambers of commerce, business men will combine to dei-sa this increase in the cost of wage-eabmw