Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 918, 11 March 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

‘TORT OF DREAMS” Sir, — I notice that the Rt. Hon. Ramsay MacDonald says that the Disarmament Conference has now got back to working order and that we may expect “full steam ahead.” It is possible that the conference will end before April 14. I wonder if, after steaming fullahead, the Conference will find itself anywhere near its Port of Dreams. Personally (and basing my opinions on the information that has been cabled us) I do not think that it will come within even radio range of that Utopian haven. XXX. PRICE OF BUTTER Sir, — I have always thought that the price of butter to the New Zealand consumer was governed by the wholesale price ruling in the Old Country, which price at present is 140 s a cwt, or about Is 3d a lb. We are still paying Is 6d or Is 7d for our butter, and have been doing so for some time, in spite of the fact that the price has been much lower in London for some months past. Our retail price is very slow in taking the downward trend, but the same week as there is a rise we have to pay increased prices. Butter at Is 3d a lb would be a godsend to the thousands who are out of work, or are working on low wages. TOILER. “BRUTAL CLIPPING” Sir, — Why is it that we Aucklanders persist in the murdering of Maori placenames? We hear Waiook (Waiuku), the Mowk (Mauku), Papatoey (Papatoetoe), Otahoo (Otahuhu). In the South Island, too, there are indications of similar ignorance or laziness. There is Wakatipu, for instance, which might never have had a final vowel according to the Southern pronunciation. and Tai Tapu, which is known by the thirst-provoking name “tietap.” I was always taught that all vowels in Maori had an equal value and that the pronunciation of a word like “pohutukawa” was a poem in itself. But I have been forced by painful necessity to revise my views. Can the Akarana Association not issue a set of simple rules for our guidance? WAIPAPAKAURI. WHY THEY LEAVE HOME Sir, — I quite agree with “New Zealander” that there has been a large number of Yugoslavs migrating to New Zealand, but his figures would have been different had the emigrants from other countries been permitted to enter New Zealand as freely as Yugoslavs. Migrations have been taking place all over the world in the past ten years. People have been leaving their countries in search of something. . . . they don’t know what . . . something different I suppose. Signor Mussolini has been trying to keep everyone busy within the boundaries of Italy, and yet what do

we find? Italians leaving their country in swarms at every opportunity. If any land has ample room for its inhabitants it is certain Yugoslavia has, with its area of 96,000 square miles. Yugoslavia has -a population of 13,000.000 compared with England’s 44,000,000 on about the same sized territory, while Italy has 40,000,000 on 117,000 square miles. Yet, why do Yugoslavs leave their country? It is a problem yet to be solved, though there may be many reasons behind it. Many Yugoslav's who are to be found in the United States among the leading industrialists, inventors, educationists, athletes, actors, etc., would perhaps never have achieved what they have had they stayed at home. Their experiences in other lands and their contact with other peoples must have taught them the virtue of success. Such is, I believe, the bait that attracts an emigrant, no matter from what land he hails or what his descent. MARK A. MAHINOVICH, Oratia, FORECASTING Sir.— Because of the importance of the work —not from any selfish considerations—l am grateful to your correspondents for w-riting, and to The Sun for publishing, letters upon the above subject. In addition, I have received many private expressions of congratulation and good wishes from Sun readers in other parts of New Zealand. Notable among these was one from Sir Charles Pergusson—apparently the last letter he wrote before sailing. Well might I regard this as an honour and an encouragement. In reference to the current earthquake season, etc., I shall within a few days beg you to accept a, few explanatory notes such as your readers seem to desire. In the meantime, please let me say that I ought to have mentioned the present time as a likely period for ’quakes in the southern part of this island, and I might just point to the gratifying fact that official records of shocks of February 12 again show the intervals of about 5i minutes, and Multiples of 51 minutes, corresponding with the sub-crust pressure waves of which I have so often spoken. By showing at least five methods of detecting these waves I shall certainly satisfy scientists of their existence. I expect also to make their cause and their direction clearly understood. But it is not likely that I shall ever make it clear how I man-a-gea to compute the various lengths °* wa ,ves in this and other parts of the world. F. R. FIELD. RELIGION IN RUSSIA Sir,— I thank the New Zealand Welfare League for its information supplied to your readers in answer to my letter dealing with reports of the Soviet’s altitude toward religion. However I am still sufficiently interested in the question to be dissatisfied with the answer. The League admits that it disbelieves those atrocious atrocity stories which have been broadcast latelv from Russia. Very well. How far, then, does this disbelief go? In other- wc-a= if

the League refuses to accept the atroo* ity-monger’s version, why does it accept the statement of the rnai wjj reported the speech of Lou natch arsKi, referred to in the League’s letter. 7® put the position more plainly still, now does the League pick and choose it* information about Russia? My pnn- , cipal point, and one remaining unanswered, is, why should we be oblige* , to pick and choose our news about Russia? Why is the Empire being with transparent “cautionary tales * Assuming that the information and extracts in the League’s letter are I would point out that there is a of difference between mere propsig against religion (however distasteful this may be to us religionists) and awful tales of atrocities against P ries :~ and churchpecple generally. Again, Russia is not the only place where antj.God journals exist. I know of one, ac» mittedly milder and less openly aggressive to religion, but nevertheless antagonistic—definitely antagonistic w the word of God. It is published in elf Zealand. T.r.rrßTCtT.lll. ( J