Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 776, 24 September 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

“THE MONKS OF THE WEST” Sir, — I looked in vain among the religious works in our Auckland Library, but could not trace one which critics say has the touch of a master hand. As the name indicates, it deals with the early settlement of Scotland by the Irish, but what appears to me more important is the founding' at lona of the Irish monks, with St. Columba as abbot or leader. From this holy isle went forth a band of missionaries who converted the Piets and Scots, the greater part of England and whose labours throughout the Continent deservedly earned for Ireland the name of the land of saints and scholars. Montalembert, in his great work, apd the Clearys in their “Annals of Ireland,” also Douglas Hyde in bis “Literary Ireland,” say that St. Columba came of a princely race, bis ancestor being Dalacb, King of TJlidia, now Ulster. EIRONACH. ORATORY OR ENTERTAINMENT Sir, A team c»C University debaters left Auckland today for America, where they will, in effect, be emissaries from Aew Zealand, inasmuch as they will represent the outlook of the young student in this country. But I suggest tliat if they are expected to debate upon subjects such as that discussed at the University last evening and broadcast upon the wireless, the most valuable element of their tour will be removed. Why in the name of all that is reasonable are liard-thinking young men asked to debate frivolous subjects when they are representing a seriousminded and intelligent people? Why do not the debaters choose subject matter which will make the debaters and their audiences think for themselves ? After all, what is the purpose of public speaking? It is educative rather than entertaining. It seems to me, however, that the tone of debating is falling to a very low ebb in this country, not because of the lack of material (though there is nothing outstanding in the overseas Varsity team as a team), but because of the manner m which their oratory is employed. If the subject matter chosen were at least intelligent and informative, upon something that really mattered, there would be a good purpose served: but who cares whether the girl of today.makes a better wife than did her mid-Victorian Grandmother - . It is the wives and mothers of 50 years hence about whom we should be concerned. And we will not do much for

them by directing our oratory into facetious and futile channels. Mr. Justice MacGregor is the latest to protest against the low standard of oratory in New Zealand. A better choice of subjects could do much to improve the situation, because it would sort the w-eeds from the grain and result in the survival on the platform of only the best. KEEN. STAMPING AT DANCES Sir, —• I crave your indulgence to register a gentle protest against unnecessary noise in modern dances. I am not old-fashioned, nor does my preference lie with, the graceful minuet and the once-popular valeta. I merely ask why must youth today imitate the Zulu war dance. Is this reversion to the primitive necessary in our muchvaunted civilisation? It was my misfortune to be ‘’among those present” at a typical modern dance a few nights ago. From afar I heard sounds reminiscent of a Maori haka. Its purpose was certainly similar. The dancers were working their spirits to a frenzy before an onslaught on the supper. At the last dying screech of the violin, as the plaintive bleating of the saxophone died into a strangled sob, they hurled themselves, a struggling mass, into the supper-room. They returned only to recomtnence their attacks on the building, the insistent battering °I P llunclreds of feet drowning even the efforts of an industrious jazz band. Perhaps some expert can tell me if stamping is really a necessary adjunct of the modern dance. A. LIGHTFOOT. NEWMARKET AFFAIRS Sir. • The Newmarket Borough Council proposes to borrow another £1 000 by its powers under The Relief of Unemployment Act. This Act, while very good in its way, was never intended to give local bodies power to borrow and spend moneys upon works that should m the ordinary course of municipal management, first have the approval of the ratepayer. Newmarket has aireadv raised three loans under this Act and questionable whether anv. other than the first, has been of public benefit.

In the present case the Newmarket Borough Council proposes to spend the bulk of the proposed loan, viz.. £750 to complete works for which. I understand, it has already borrowed the money estimated as necessary. Such actions as these on the part of

municipal administrators shake the confidence of ratepayers. Newmarket, with its 3.000 population, can have no serious unemployment problem. an<l cannot justifiably claim a loan under the Act. There are many matters of greater importance than those proposed to be dealt with by the loan. The council sifs dumb upon the many schemes put forward hv outsiders to circumnavigate the all carrying trade away from, instead of through, the town: dumb upon the fire protection question; upon the conservation of its concrete roads and development of locked-up areas. Newmarket ratepayers, who pay hundreds every year in rates, should wake UP and visualise the future. RATEPAYER.

A QUESTION OF SPEECH

Sir, — The present %;rfervid condemnation of American speech and accent strikes me as altogether too palpable an example* of the pot and kettle to be treated seriously. For generations English stage comedians have specialised in putting over jokes garbed in the language of darKest London. The same thing, too. ma> be said of that great English tution, “Punch,” and a host of otner comic journals: while the number writers betraying a weakness for introducing Cockney characters an vernacular is legion. And now. entg the “English” talkie, to carry on tradition. But has anyone ever been hear** protesting against this dissemination of an atrocious jargon? I think notYet today, in Parliament, and in tn» Press, on public platforms, even a Church assemblies, people are in indignant tones if our allegedly beautiful New Zealand speech is J® be defiled by the American talkiesThey do not explain, however, wn. the argot of, say. Hell’s Kitchen, Y"ork, is a greater abomination, aestne * ically, than that of Whitechapel ana Limehouee. That, however, is wl ": our heresy-hunting purists have S to do if they wish to be taken ser - ously. Myself. I do not believe tna<. the English are in any more dan*»£ of catching an American accent fj? the talkies than they are of acquirin a Scots burr through listening to Harry Lauder. , TiV ECCLEFECHA> •