Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 936, 1 April 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

RECOUNTS Sir,— Can anything be done to ensure a more reliable system of counting in assessing national scholarship results? If the examiners could only realise what it means to a child or parent, I think more care would be exercised. I realise that there are thousands of papers to correct, but that does not help the individual. As a parent whose boys have, at various times, just missed both scholarships and matriculation, and did not get a recount, I feel very keenly about a paragraph I read recently announcing that a recount of one candidate’s marks in the senior national scholarship examination had revealed that she had nearly 200 more marks than were required for a pass. A MOTHER. CHURCH SERVICES ON THE AIR Sir, — Now that we have to pay our licences for services over the air, can we air our grievances? Why are we cut off in the winding-up of a church service? This repeatedly happens. To be cut off as soon as the last hymn is announced —at just 20 minutes past eight—is disappointing. Surely we might be allowed to finish the service unless it is past time. The folk who understand Russian grand opera are not the folk who listen to it. Surely we might be allowed a good church service once a week. There are six days to hear other kinds. The Sunday services are very often disturbed. A HIS SATISFIED LISTENER. “TE PORORUA” Sir,— Mrs. Soljak again indulges in that failing of "circumlocution” which she unkindly attributes to others. She will not come to the actual issue: Can she produce the evidence again asked of her in proof of her contentions? If not, she should admit so, and discontinue her diatribe. As to myself. I am of the Arawas. . Why Mrs. Soljak should assume I am a Waikato I know not. I possess no Waikato, and no Waikato prejudices. But I know (and therefore am willing to admit) that Bible Maori is in the Tainui dialect, and is also accepted as the standardised form of Maori speech and spelling. Heoi: In continuing to assert to the contrary, and in the absence of all authority, Mrs. Soljak pursues an unprofitable task. There is the proverb

of old in respect to the foolish woman who returned with uneatable herbs she was sent to gather: E kui, e katokato kau ana koe i nga rau-kawa o te pororua!” (“Oh, madame, thou art unprofitably collecting the bitter leaves of the pororua herb!”) HORI TAIAWHIO. N.Z. TIMBER Sirin the article in Monday’s Sun, on timber available for the construction of Rotorua bath-house, I am reported as having said that “if the tariff were increased by 5s a thousand superficial feet it would mean that New Zealand heart timbers could be reduced by 10s.” What I said, or meant to convey, was that, if the tariff were increased by 5s a hundred superficial feet it would mean that New Zealand heart timbers suitable for weatherboards, flooring, etc., could be reduced by 10s a hundred superficial feet. I should be obliged if you will correct this. Thanking you for airing the sawmillers’ troubles. TAMAKI SAWMILL CO., LTD. G. L. Knight, Manager. THE COCKTAIL HABIT Sir, — I have read with interest letters appearing in your valued paper in criticism of Mrs. Phillips’s remarks on drinking among Auckland girls. Many letters have been typical of those usually written when any worthy person has the courage to condemn wickedness in high places or low places. The following Scripture quotation seems to be peculiarly applicable. Luke v., 33: “And in the Synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone, what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destrov us?’ ” Mrs. Phillips has brought a hornet’s nest about her ears. The spirits are squealing, “Let us alone,” just as they did when the commissioner or police had occasion, some time back, to call attention to the crime rampant in Auckland. Hands went up m holy horror. That anyone should suggest there was crime in Auckland was the unpardonable sin. Sir I noticed you quoted the opinion of two lady principals of girls’ colleges. I do not think Mrs. Phillips suggested that the young ladies attending these schools were other than they should be. Why quote them? Neither, I fancy wou!d their principals claim any knowledge of the drinking practice. I

think, in honesty, you should have quoted the opinion of some of our leading social tvorkers who knows Neither could you expect the Ferry Company to cry “stale fish.” But it is none the less a fact that there is a very great deal too much truth in what Mrs. Phillips said, and it behoves every right-thinking person to place this weight of influence against these evils, which Will undermine the life and stability of our country and nation. PRO BONO PUBLICO. UNEMPLOYMENT Sir, —• We shall never be able to solve per* manently the unemployment problem until it is generally recognised that everyone who receives wages or relief must produce as much or more, either directly or indirectly, than he consumes. Provided this is the main object kept in view, there should be no talk of taxing the community to support the unemployed. The unemployed must be compelled to support themselves, and thus should be able to iepay ultimately out of goods produced, any money they might in the first case have to be provided with, as capital, by the State or by private contributions. So long as we have a Government which persists in borrowing money from one class to purchase land from another class, and then, after cutting that land up, in effect, says to the unemployed, or those seeking land: “There you are; there’s the land, now go and produce wealth,” we shall never get anvwhere. For there are three factors in the production of wealth —land, labour and. capital. The Government has the land, the unemployed have the labour, and that is needed is capitalstock, implements, seeds, etc., and food while the new wealth is being produced But the State ignores thi* last but most essential factor, hent* the failure of so many on the lanT’ who would have done well had th< been provided with the necessary capital. _ C. P. W. LONGDILL, WhangareL

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS “Oil Surveyor.”— Anticipations of the likelihood of finding oil are based, it is stated, on reports made by Professor R. Speight, of Canterbury Uni«o’ er ?, ity c< ?llege.—Ed.. The Sun. is a legitimate enterprise Politicians have not raised th€is voices against it.—Ed., The Sun,