Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 816, 9 November 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

OPEN AIR SCHOOLS Sir, — It is to be regretted that the Education Board lias- departed from its promise to build a Fendalton type of classroom at Avondale South and has instructed its architect to erect a building according to his own plans. Mr. Miller’s statement that if the matter is left in his hands he will not build a school of the Fendalton type, as he does not agree with the principles, is surprising inasmuch as Mr. Miller has had no opportunity of personally investigating this type of openair school which has proved so successful in Canterbury. Eminent visitors, notably Mr. Sampson Handley, who are familiar with open-air schools abroad, regard Fendalton as the best type yet evolved. FRESH AIR. WORK ON SUNDAY Sir, I see that Mrs. Grundy continues to stalk God’s Own Country. The latest is that an aviator has been fined for “following his occupation on Sunday within sight of a public place” or something like that. Which means that the wretched man has dared to carry out passenger flights on Sunday. When, sir, is this nonsense going to cease? We live in a land where we cannot read a book that calls a spade a spade, where we cannot view a motion picture unless it has been officially pasteurised. Now this. Why, tram way men follow their occupations in public on Sunday. So do milkmen and railwaymen and photographers, and certain shopkeepers, and bus drivers, and gate-keepers, and clergymen, and ferrymen, and telephone people, and launchmen. What’s the difference between taking passengers on a Sunday launch excursion and a Sunday airplane trip? No wonder they call New Zealand “the place where you find out what the other fellow enjoys, then ban it.” ANTI-TOMFOOLERY. THE CENOTAPH Sir, — If it is not too late, may I quote a paragraph from the appeal issued by the War Memorial Museum Committee to patriotic citizens: “A notable feature of the building will be the War Memorial Section dedicated to Auckland’s soldier heroes. The names of those who fell in the Great War will be emblazoned in this great hall and the meritorious deeds of many heroes will also be proclaimed on its walls. Conceived with true dignity and sirp-

plicity the Hall of Memory will become a sacred shrine. . . . And as they gave their all, so shall we as freely give." In the accompanying illustration the cenotaph occupied the centre of the front court, instead of being placed on one side as if of secondary importance. It seems to me that the memorial aspect is being rather subordinated to the utilitarian. BE JUST. LABOUR AND THE WORKER Sir, It seems that some of the workers cannot dissociate the primage duty increase from the land super-tax, simply because both of these proposals were embraced by the same Budget. Your correspondent, “Labourite,” for example, seems to have succumbed to the general feeling among the misguided workers that the increase in the primage duty was justified. It has nothing to do with the present issue whether or not the Reform Party imposed the primage duty in the first place. It was a war measure, and has been retained ever since. But this fact does not justify its doubling now simply for the purpose of grabbing revenue. Nor is it sufficient in my mind to console myself with the fact that the super-tax is going on to the big farmer. Bid Labourite realise it, both the super-tax and the primage duty are distinctly contrary to the sworn planks of the Labour platform. Yet the workers do not seem to realise it. To say the workers are on a win is, of course, merely shutting one’s eyes to the obvious. That is how the ostrich lost its tail feathers. WORKER. PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES Sir.— There is very considerable anxiety at the present time in the Public Works camps at Purewa and Orakei. The womenfolk, especially, are worrying as to what the future holds in store for them and their families. Never during the past 10 years at least has there been so much cause for these worthy toilers to worry as to their future prospects. The employees are sadly missing their old friend Mr. Coates, who did so much during the past 10 years to make the lives of these toilers happy and contented. Only those who really belong to the camp life can have any idea as to the depth of this mental disturbance produced by the apparent instability and insecurity of employment. The workers are asking themselves the question: Why should the Public Works be selected out of all other Government standard works to

be reduced to a relief basis, and they one and all resent the action of the present Liberal-Labour Government in this respect. Many men have been discharged from the works already, which, of course, is only to be expected, but the "dischargees” are being put out to join the great army of unemployed and forced to register with the labour bureau and seek relief work. Another batch of 160 is likely to be discharged very soon, consequently the womenfolk are very seriously disturbed. A number of the women have requested me to make an appeal through the Press to the Auckland members of Parliament, and to the Hon. Minister of Public Works, that a guarantee be given that these standard employees of the Public Works shall be transferred, without a loss of service, to other public -works, and that if this is found impossible and the men folk are forced to accept relief work, that tiie families khall be permitted to retain their present accommodations at the camps until such time as permanent work can be found. Thanking you on behalf of the workers. CHARLES LAWRIN. P.W. Canvp. Purewa. PUKEMIRO Sir,—I shall be pleased if you will allow me a small space in-your letter column to correct a statement in The Sun* It has given rise to a wrong impression concerning the stop-work in Pukemiro on Tuesday, 15th inst. The implication was that owing to the xn<3 being unable to agree among selves about the distribution of the mine could not work, and that thflj management had nothing to do witfc this. The true state of affairs is thist That there is a clause in the miners agreement which states that “boxes throughout the mine shall be evenly distributed.” However, for some considerable time, this clause has been abused and has been the cause of son)© deputations to the manager, who had temporarily adjusted matters. But lately the system has degenerated again, into a method which favours a minority. And so owing to the advent of slack time this makes the position more acute. However, on Tuesday last, after having permission to do so from the management, the men held a meeting to adjust the inequality of work. The meeting began at S a.m. and finished at 8.25 a.m.. aftef wTiich the men prepared to enter tb© mine. But for some unaccountable reason, the manager denied the men the right to resume w'ork for that day. WM. CHAS. HODGE. Secretary Pukemiro Branch, Coal Mine Workers’ Union.