Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 930, 25 March 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say

“AGIN THE GOVERNMENT”

Sir,— Your criticism of the United Party in Tuesday’s Sun is very fair, but you deplore the absence of the head of that party. I don’t consider it would be any better if he were there. Where did the party get the idea of buying up high-priced land, to put a handful of settlers on and displace as many other workers? It seems almost criminal when there are thousands of acres of unimproved land waiting to be settled. Can we wonder at those three members leaving the sinking ship The only wonder is that more did not follow. No Government ever took office with better prospects before it, and no Government has so signally failed to benefit the country in any way. If Reform was bad, United is a long way worse. It would be very easy to write many sheets in condemnation of the Government, but as your space is limited, I must conclude. A.B.C.

"SWEET REASON”

Sir, — After deliberate consideration of “Patriotism’s” astounding outburst in these columns of the 12th last, I wish to delete his name from my honest (and humble! tribute to reason and kindliness which you were good enough to publish. In doing so I proffer no explanation other than to say that it is part of my daily creed to give (and expect) what. I consider to be a fair and just measure of appreciation. VISION.

RAILWAYS AND ELECTRICITY

Sir, Some persons are quite overlooking the obvious fact that the so-called present political chaos is not —as is so persistently stressed —due entirely to the present Administration. Whom, may I ask, has occupied the Treasury benches for the past IS years? Take railways. We know that they appear an unproductive proposition, and show results only in a few cases (not only in New Zealand, but in other countries

also) in the developmental stage. It should by now be an accepted fact that we must foot the bill for the assistance they render in this respect. I would even go so far as to suggest that the existing gap in the * South Island Main Trunk line be electrified from the start. In any case, track provision should be made to facilitate this. What we want is economy coupled with efficiency in operation. We are not gettipg this from imported coal, and the present crude methods of utilising it. What have we to thank Reform administration for in respect to its hydro-electric policy? Why should it, at this stage of development, be a moot point as to whether it is advisable for a farmer to change over from oil to electricity for the tion of his power plant? At the present price for electricity, any saving shown apart from that of convenience would very fine calculation indeed. We have now two major schemes in this island—one a worldrecord for capital expenditure; the

(To the Editor.)

MAORI DIALECTS

other, the satisfactory completion of which is most obscure; and both showing a combined visible capital outlay of £6,000,000. Is it any wonder our secondary industries are so strangled that competition In most instances with other countries is well-nigh impossible? Compare with, the above the super-steam station now erecting at Birmingham, and operating on pulverised fuel with a. capacity of 240,000 kilowatts, compared to the above 70,000-h.p. at a total cost of £3,500,000. That Reform has been openly hostile to any proposed fuel-steam station Is only too well known, and reflects little credit on its technical advisers. The time is fully ripe for the appointment of an electricity commission, with a personnel of qualified engineers, such as exists in Great Britain, who stand behind' their estimates. If the taxpayer is to get a fair deal, who will give us the legislation that will bring about such a desirhble change? K.V.A.

Sir,— It is significant that Mrs. M. B. Soljak has refrained from providing specimens of colloquial speech to support _ her contention that Nganuhi Maori, and not Waikato, was used as the standard for the native language in the Bible. Mr. Keiha Newton a member of a sub-tribe of the Waikato, was . in a position to comprehend the subject; he gave representative examples of W aikato colloquialisms abundant in the Maori Bible, and Airs Soljak has not challenged these. Mrs.' Soljak surely will not deny that peculiarities of dialect would sufficiently distinguish Yorkshire speech from Cornish. She has given no argument to support her claim for the Ngapuh i tribe. She is contradicting the opinion of the Maoris themselves What more to say than this? “He wahine, he whenua, e ngaro ai te tangata. Kua mutu te kupu. A tena'” THIKOMBIA.'

THE STATE AND PROFESSIONS

Sir.— con ) plaint of a- medical man that the state is competing” with the professions • m this country makes astounding reading. After refer? ring smoothly to the professions, he are ° ne or two lact’which militate against the “ideals” of those who follow them. To emote from your report;—The doctor men? waS e l eermi ° ne ° f these factors nas a cer.ain amount of agg—ssion departments, i'he law 5f, d the Public Trust, dentists had deni al „„ Cl “ lcs ’ and doctors were having t. eertam amount of difficulty with on-” be PUa d S h‘ How lons can that go frie bl d t Trust ee° r is vMnaSl t 1 ?i inlc , s are kind eniugi, to fin from 12s 6d I tn Un^ P ? y t o!k to w hom t*°m 12s 6d to £1 for half an hour's nork and a bit of amalgam, ha' f the ° f f pea—is as impossible as a t° the Lido. Finally that public hospitals are still of distinct use to