Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 889, 5 February 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

BROADCASTING HEAT Sir, The wish has been expressed many times that electricity might be placed in the home at a cheaper rate. Perhaps it could be “wirelessed” to us. if no other way can be found of providing 1 cheaper electricity. In Berlin the Germans are already experimenting with wireless heat sent out from a central station and engineers from Paris have gone to Berlin to investigate the practicability of the scheme. Why not send some engineers from New Zealand immediately? WIRELESS IT. PROSPEROUS AUCKLAND Sir,— I note with amazement the information published that Auckland is shortly sending to Wellington, for Shipment, 1,400 cases of Gravenstein apples, grown in this district. What is wrong with the port at our doors? Why is it deemed necessary that Auckland produce should be sent to be loaded from the Wellington wharves, to swell the revenues of Wellington, and help employment in Wellington? Are our waterside workers so overladen with work that it is deemed better service can be given in Wellington? This is only a small matter in itself., but it suffices to show a certain mental attitude which has developed in certain quarters in Auckland whereby no attention whatever is paid to the desirability of having Auckland money circulate in Auckland, if reasonably practicable, as against patronising out - side interests. A careful investigation would, I feel confident, show that this attitude is responsible for a good deal of our present lack of prosperity, evidenced by unoccupied commercial buildings and untenanted houses. I trust that there will be a better spirit of reciprocity among those whose concern it is to see our city restored to itstrprosperous state of a few years ago. AKARAXA. THE CAUSE OF CRISES Sir, — In the leading article in your valuable issue of 3rd inst., you say; “This Dominion is in the grip of a period of stagnation.” But it appears to be not only this country. Many others are in the same, or a worse, position, including the United States of America,

which, in spite of the natural fertility of that country, the inventiveness and energy of its people, and the wonderful stream of gold annually pouring in from foreign nations, in settlement of war debts and payment of interest, seems to be in a very bad way, which, I prophecy, will become worse before it gets better, if the remedy is not applied. The cause of this present (for want of a better name) “financial stringency” is, I contend, the same as that which, has caused periodical (socalled) financial stringency and bank crises ever since a gold currency and the lending of money at interest, on the security of property, first began, which is about as old as history, certainly as old as the Bible, for we refid there of a certain man who wanted to know' why they “did not put his money in the bank, that he might receive back his own with interest When I was a young man I set myself to solve this great problem, and to find the true reason why periods of prosperity were invariably followed by periods of financial stringency and trade depression, and I have been working on that problem, more or less, ever since. I now claim to have discovered the true ► cause. It is due to the perpetual compounding of money, and until thisdefect of our monetary system is remedied these periodical financial crises will continue to occur. Can any of your readers tell us what that remedy, necessary to cure this chronic disease, is? C. P. W. LONGDILL. Wliangarei. THE NEED FOR A BRIDGE Sir, — I was pleased to see Dr. Craven’s remarks in The Sun on Saturday evening calling attention to the inability of the present ferry service to cope with the vehicular traffic to Northcote and Birkenhead. It seems strange that the D.S.F. Co. can ignore its time-table when it suits it to do so. Surely the 13 cars waiting on the town side and the cars waiting at Birkenhead warranted another boat being put on? Even the much-abused Transport Board puts on extra cars at rush time to cope with the traffic. Many of us who have occasion to travel by vehicular boat could give instances of “exasperating delavs” and some of us instances of damage to our cars through being closely packed together on the boat. On Sunday, January 19, about 7 p.m.. I was on North - cote Wharf when the vehicular boat from Birkenhead came in nearly full. Three cars were waiting at Northcote

to get on and after a little squeezing and packing they were able to get. t-vvo of them aboard, the driver of the other car having to turn and go rou P" to Birkenhead so than he might be early for the next boat leaving there. On Sunday, January 26, about the same time in the eveming, 1 was informed on good authority that abou.. twenty cars were unable to get on the boat leaving Birkenhead about that time. What the exasperated motorists who were expecting to board that boat at Northcote said I did not hear. Tne treatment of the Ferry Company to the travelling public, many of whom were from the back country, wished to board the: vehicular boat at Birkenhead on January 29 was quu« a good argument in favour of the Harbour Bridge. Just after 10 o’clock on that morning while waiting at the wharf I saw a heavily laden lorry come to Birkenhead Wharf and the driver, after being informed by a gentleman who was passing, that the vehicular boat was only running as far as Nortncote, had to turn round and go to tne latter place to get a boat for townNo sooner had he gone than another car came down and no doubt through the same performance. Tnt gentleman who was so good as to> form us that the boat was not calling at Birkenhead, when asked why notice was not posted up so that mo" torists would know', pointed to a sma i white paper plastered round a while post, on which was a typewritten notice informing all and sundry the boat would not call there after 9.30 a.m. , The doctor calls these “exasperating delays,” but in many cases (.the doctor’s included) they prove to be serious delays, causing unnecessary inconvenience to the travelling public between Auckland and the North. * notice that the Birkenhead Borougn Council decided at its last meeting write to the D.S.F. Co. protesting against the boat being taken off. * trust the council will make public tne reply received. May I suggest, sir, that the service run at present is no the best that could be provided eV<?n by one boat? Would it not be bette to run alternate trips direct from to**® to Northcote and Birkenhead? so doing a 30 or 33 minutes’ serVHJ* could be maintained and shuntinafjf’lj" erations at Northcote eliminated. Tha the vehicular ferry is not the method of crossing the harbour «i n that a bridge is urgently needed 1 the opinion of many. ... Ti , FRED MORRIS x Birkenhead.