Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 740, 13 August 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

STREET ACCIDENTS

Sir,— The reference in your sub-leader of Monday’s issue regarding the unfortunate tram accident to a woman in Queen Street on Saturday must surely serve to awaken from their soninov lence the officers and members of the Transport Board to the responsibility for the safety and humanitarian treatment of the public they represent. The shocking accident which occurred on Saturday in our main street is to be deplored, but that it should take 12 minutes (official time) to procure a jack and release the unfor—tunate lady, suffering frightful agony, is beyond comprehension. The officials of the Transport Board state that jacks are situated every halfmile throughout the whole of the tramway circuit and it is inconvenient to carry a jack on every car owing to inconvenience and lack of space. Every motor—car on the road carries a jack, yet a huge tramcar has not space to accommodate a. similar implement. Good God! Is it possible that any elected body of the people can be so mercenary as to outshadow Inercy by refusing to provide space for an im—plement to save life or limb? Let the Transport Board today, not to—morrow, have a jack on every tram. or for ever let it how its head in shame, sorrow and regret. SCOTT COLVILLE. Remuera.

THE ENGLISH TONGUE

Sir.— The English, as a. nation, never have been accused of being past masters in the use of their mother tongue. And not without reason either. \V’here on earth does the English language experience any rougher passage than on its native health? It is buffeted as severely in Park Lane as in Poplar. too. )lany New Zealandcrs, for reascans hy no means clear to all. declare that the people of this country lead in correct. English speech. But. to anyone "listening-in” it is \soon evident that. at least. in Auckland. speech gener—ally, is by no means “English pure and undefiled." Seated behind me in a local picture, house the other night, I|. woman frequently. and in unnecessarily lnucl tones, disclaimed about what she called "Thet ocful Yenkee eccent." One may overhear. too, "educated" boys and girls leaving school of an afternoon talking about “gowin’ howml" Only the other day I heard a speaker announce. to a large audience his "pleashah" in being: “henh.” This latter sort of enunciution is, I know. with many people. the hall~mark of culture: or is it "culslmh?" To those who prefer their English plain. how—ever. it is an abomination. \\'e are hearing :1 lot these days about the alleged evil effect that the speech of American screen actors and actresses is going to have on our language. Such fear. it seems to me, is groundless; and nothing Americans. or any|other people may do. is likely to stop

the English playing “put and take" with their 11’s, swallowing Words, clipping syllables. etc. Anyway, the idea mat the speech of one section of the community must needs affect that of another is a. demonstrable fallacy. For instance. close and continuous Contact with the English has not ruined the apeech of either the Irish or Scots. BALLINASLOE.

F ARCICAL POLITICS

Sin—Would you kindly allow me space to enlarge on a. remark of your Parliamentary reporter: “If only a politician said something new.” Yes. "if only." If only an Opposition member would make some concrete suggestion to the party in power instead of this childish criticism. one might see some good in politics. But they never will! Why? Because the Government would be “stealing our thunder." They would get the credit for a. measure that “our party" suggested. So the disgraceful foolery goes on. The Labour Party is not one whit better than either of the others in this matter. Manufacturers maintain they cannot start infant industries without some sort of tariff protection. Why doesn’t some bright member thoroughly investigate the manufacturers’ case and then put the cold facts before the Government? Let us hear an eloquent analysis and summary of New Zealand’s entire economic structure. Our population increases at a. snail's pace. Migrants leave the country nearly as fast as they come to it. What is the matter? The Auckland Peninsula, New Zealand’s “California." admirably suited to growing sub-tropi-cal fruits, grows scrub instead. because there is no market worth growing fruit for! Home burns while Parliamentarians play the Neronic fiddle. ' BERT CHAPPLE. Swanson.

EXTRAVAGANT SPORT

—— ! Sir, ‘— ! Is there any greater fool than the! man or woman who is easily partedl from money for gambling on hors’e-i racing? For eleven months, up to the; end of June, there were 2.433 races. The stakes totailed £571,901. On the totalisator a foolish public invested £6,993,199. The Government commandeered £518,176 in taxes. and the clubs took £524.49}. representing 7% per cent. of the total investments, and secured also an additional £34,627, the unpaid fractions of alvidends which are retained by clubs. Since those fractions represented money which, 'n a perfect sporting world. should be paid to investors, Why not donate the «mole of it to charitable purposes throughout the Dominion? “'hen New Zealanders learn to realise the value of thrift. they will make an end to a. form of sport which takes over £1,000,000 in taxes out of their pockets. THRIFT.