Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 758, 3 September 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say —

• (To the Editor.)

A CRITIC CRITICISED Sir,— In your Saturday’s cabled messages 1 was surprised to read the indictment of a business woman in Perth in regard to domestics coming out from England. Having had nine voyages between England and New Zealand, 1 consider my bumble opinion should count just a little. The girls sent out are under the charge of a matron and any complaint should be made to her in the first instance. If she cannot do anything in the matter, the purser should be notified. With two exceptions, in all my voyages I have never been shocked by the behaviour of women. Most of the emigrants are very nice girls and have had a good training before leaving Home. Perhaps the Perth critic was just a little jealous of the lovely complexions and general physique of the girls; also their geniality and affability. TRAVELLER. THE UNITED PARTY Sir, — Ardent supporters of the United Party maintain that in the event of another election taking place the present Government would be returned with a very substantial majority. Personally, I do not feel optimistic enough to entertain such speculative notions, because the Government lias up to the present time absolutely failed to fullil its election promises. Even schoolboys realise that the “will o' the wisp millions” were either an electioneering trick, or a politician’s nightmare—probably a mixture of both. The United Party's land policy is another ign is latuns —the more you search for satisfactory results, the more the practicability of the scheme vanishes in the distance. The increase in primage duty is another blunder, and, regardless of what Sir Joseph says to the contrary, the burden must fail upon the shoulders of those least able to bear it. Although a system of mutual insurance against unemployment is urgently required, the Government is wasting time in setting up a committee of investigation, although the late Reform Government has handed down the necessary information. The Government has made a “raid” upon the highways allocation, although railways are already ancient history, and the time more than opportune when the main highways should be constructed as a national undertaking. instead of casting the respons: bility upon s:ri-'ix: i— i bodies, already overburdened with debt. If the

Government was only progressive and farseeing enough to construct a main highway in concrete to the North Cape, most of Auckland’s unemployed would bo absorbed, and thousands of acres of existing idle land settled, thereby increasing production. Judged by his own standard and capacity for governing, the Prime Minister’s colleagues sadly lack vision and statesmanship, and in the absence of any brilliant effort upon their part, Sir Joseph contents himself with criticising the past political sins and mistakes of the late Government. And to add to this deplorable state of affairs, the Reform and Labour members occupy most of their time in heckling the Prime Minister. This may be strategy, but it is far removed from good government. JOHN GU IN I VEX. Takapuna. THE PALESTINE MASSACRE Sir. — The massacre of Jews by Bedouins in Palestine reminds us that the peoples of the Near East generally recognise no law but one—that of force —and the sooner adequate protection in the way of permanent force to meet force is installed, the sooner peace and the right to live will be maintained. The Bedouin aims to deal with bis victims in detail, selecting isolated villages or parties which he can overwhelm by force of numbers. This can only be combated by training the inhabitants in outlying areas to protect themselves till such time as reinforcements can arrive. The Bedouins will show no mercy, and their bloodthirsty nature can be gauged by the fact that the bint, or female, appears to delight in cutting the throats of wounded and robbing the bodies after a battle—of which first-hand evidence is available.

The grim massacres in Palestine are a complete answer to the claims of conscientious objectors and the •peace-at-any-price” party, whose womenfolk, if not protected by other women’s husbands and brothers, would bo left to the tender merev of marauders like the Bedouins. But the Jews in Palestine are on quite a different plane. They constitute a very small minority, which must be protected till they are more firmly established, and this Britain i> doing. Had Britain adopted a peace-at-any-price policy, the Jews in Palestine, and other small nations, would have ceased to exist. In short, we as a nation should be ever ready to repel an attack on ourselves, and our Navy and Army authorities. who are really our protectors, (Continued in next column. j

should be assisted whenever possible. This brings to mind an objection by a close-by borough to the movement of munitions which may be required for the defence, not only of New Zealand. but of the Empire. The few pounds at stake are surely more than compensated for by the spending power of the large personnel of the arm of the service involved. It is unthinkable that even a portion of the people of Portsmouth, a big naval base in England, would object to munitions stored there, for the reason that a navy without munitions would be of little use. We as an outpost of the Empire have a duty to perform, and no doubt misdirected zeal on the question of munitions will be overcome in the cause of efficiency. ALEX H. WILKIE. DAYLiGHT SAVING Sil\ Many citizens still seem to have hazy ideas about the operation of summer time. One sees, from time to time, ridiculous arguments from farmers and even politicians. They say that the dew will be on the bay, the cream will turn sour, the roosters cease to crow and the hens stop laying. The farmers will miss their trains, the children will be late for school and, in short, the man on the land will be* ruined. On October 21 clocks will be advanced. According to our present method of computing time the sun will rise at 6 n.m. on that date. If farmers are able to survive a six o'clock rise on September 21 they should b© able to do so on October 21. when the sun rises about the same time (but according to summer time). If dairy farmers are able to find their cows on September 21 with the sun rising at 6 a.m., they will not require a torch to do so on October 21 (summer time). Every day the sun rises earlier until midsummer, December 21. There is seldom a word uttered by our politicians stressing the economic advantages of daylight saving. In England I believe they save, in gas, coal, oil and electricity from eight to ten million pounds a year. What would Vie saved in a similar period in New Zealand I could not say, but I am sure it would relieve quite a number of our unemployed. A. J. ROBERTS. Rotorua.