Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 850, 19 December 1929, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

CANOEING DANGERS Sir, What a dreary place Auckland beaches would become if people likef your correspondent “Bather” were allowed to control sport and pastime there. In his complaint about the dangers of canoeing-, “Bather” ‘ seems to have overlooked the fact that the beach is patrolled regularly by officers highly qualified in their work—as shown by their prompt rescues on Sunday afternoon last at Milford Beach. Canoeing is one of the healthiest and most exhilarating sports that could be practised. Its dangers are comparatively negligible, and at places of the description of Takapuna and Milford there is hardly any danger of serious accidents so long as reasonable care is exercised. Why should we restrict the healthy sport of youth? Heaven knows, sir, we are sufficiently bound by regulations and restrictions now! Let us have open-air sport, and more of it. CULTURE. EVOLUTION ¥ ir -— - In reply to your correspondent, “Claude,” regarding evolution, he says that one of D,r. Oliver’s most crushing arguments was his avowed distaste for a belief that bestowed upon us a relationship to the brutes and beasts of the jungle. Now, sir, do a man’s distastes for a theory prove it wrong? If so, the same law should apply to our reasoning powers. Supposing it does, liow much more reasonable than all others is the theory of evolution. For my part, I would infinitely prefer to accept all the results of scientific investigation than the inspiration of Moses. HERBERT. * CHRISTMAS SHOPPING Sir, In my mail every morning I am reminded that Christmas is upon us, presenting the same buying problems. Why should it present buying problems? This farce of Christmas presents is a relic of. an age when there was a symbolic significance to the giving of pVesents; today it is a mere matter of form, and a custom that is regarded almost universally as a bore and a hardship. It is a feast for the shopkeepers who exploit every avenue possible to encourage the people to buy

more presents for their friends. But what do my friends want with, presents from me? If I give them something, they feel obliged to return it. And that is the spirit which actuates the great majority of Christmas givers at the present time. Christmas presents should be abolished, because they are a mere waste of good money—an unnecessary and unequal transfer of good funds which are frequently earned at heavy cost throughout the year. Christmas should be reserved for the children if there is to be any treat, and the adults should practice the true spirit of Christmas, which is devotion to the Child of the Nativity, Who alone is represented by the Christmas festival. If this outlook were adopted by our people there would be less dissatisfaction and more peace in the hearts of men. SENSIBLE. TRAGEDY AT MILFORD Sir,— Kindly allow me to reply to Captain Man’s statement publisher, in The an<l other papers of Friday last with respect to the alleged “good deal of cheering and some laughing and gay talk,” and the rough and unruly crowd on Milford B. ach last Thursday night after the frightful tragedy. Laptam Man qualifies his statement by blaming the children for most of it. I would like to state that I, also. wftue o s«aH iu° rd Eeach that night, and e proceedings. I can only state that Captain Man has greatly io a ?^ “r ’ m ffirness i® the Milford residents, I say that from the time of the tragedy till the time practical help arrived by the Haibour Board launch and the police tr cl v h r d th ? undhs « ** the p vie: tims. the crowd was very quiet lawSn l Mil1 Jld *»“W*hcUc. y When ct' - tain Mill arrived in his Moth the crowd was so elated and thankful for the second plane’s arrival to give remlde that" iV*® wonderful landing he welcome T, BaV6 him a t-'ieer ot when the , ; a ? generally believed the e " ll1 t C p l ane nC Lmg’ Um'planeleiLum'wa'er " h ’ " could not see that people had boon stretched rou“S ff c °b r "A P „ C Plane from the time it left the water

until it was being pulled up on tne beach. This reply also applies to tno cruel letter written by “Tharous*w. Indignant” published in Saturday s issue. I may say that these critics would be well advised to take a lesson in good feeling and sympathy in considering the minds and feelings oi the shock-stricken people and cnn<*ren of that night and the relatives o* the victims. S TMi?ATI 1 STIC RESIDENT. SPORTS BROADCASTS Sir, — Members of the Management Committee of the Auckland Cricket Asso* elation were very ready on Tuesda,* evening to criticise the Saturday sports broadcast from the local radio station* and the chairman, Mr. E. E. Nalder, a burst of weird logic, failed to why the A.C.A. should assist tne Broadcasting Company in the tion of information for disseminatwto the public. Well, if the Cricket Association is not going to facilitate t arrangements of IYA, who is cxpectca to do so? Let us send a dei >utat *° n t the Girls’ Basketball'Association or to the Ice Cream Vendors’ Union, if they will see that the cricket scor are rushed up to IYA for the evening broadcast. Perhaps the £ ar ' age collectors would like to undertax* the responsibility. To all right thinking and minded people, sir, the responsibility upon the Cricket Association to the Broadcasting Company in work. If satisfaction is not bems obtained, why should not the of the Management Committee P their shoulder to the wheel insteac sitting in their arm-chairs an( * ing protests for publication. K is the spirit which actuates those • charge of cricket in Auckland. " no wonder that things are un satis* tory. It is time that the cricket c appointed someone who will help, give the public some early news a*** their doings, instead of complainm* pettishly about it. WSTE NER i