Citizens Say-

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 938, 3 April 1930, Page 10

Citizens Say-

(To the Editor.)

BIRKENHEAD BUSES Sir, — Some months ago the local body in Birkenhead, for the safety of the pedestrians, allotted a special stoppingplace for the buses at the wharf for the discharge of their passengers, and notified all bus proprietors of the regulations. After setting down all passengers, the buses were to turn from left to right and back into the positions allotted to them, to await the passengers from the incoming boat, instead of coming down on the wrong side of the road as they are now doing. These instructions were carried out for a while, but now the drivers have ignored these rules and go right down to the footpath on the wharf to discharge their passengers. For the safety of the people going to, and coming from, the boat, the council should enforce the rules made and see that the drivers use the stop indicated, before a serious accident occurs. SAFETY FIR&T.

ANTI-ROAD-HOG LEAGUE Sir,— In The Sun of April 1, under the above heading, it was implied that 1 had endeavoured to enrol members for this league. This was not the case. Having communicated with the promoter, I was endeavouring to find out further particulars about the formation of the league. It was while [ was engaged in such inquiries that I was interviewed by Detective Xalder. I. M. PEEL. RATIONALISTS AND WELFARE LEAGUE Sir. —* The reply of the New Zealand 'Welfare League evades the issue upon which we challenged it. The sequence of statements between “Britisher” and the league leading to the challenge were as follows: —“Britisher,” in The Sun of March 11, 1930, referred to the vital difference between the propaganda against the persecution of religion, and he continued: —“Russia is not the only place where anti-God journals exist. 1 know of one admittedly milder and less openly aggressive to religion. . . definitely antagonistic to the word of God. It is published in Xew Zealand. To this the league replied—The Sun, March 18, 1930:—“His instance of antiGod journals, elsewhere and in this country, is no argument to justify persecution in Russia. These journals are part of a world campaign against all kinds of religion. This campaign exists beyond question, and it is organ -

ised from Russia through many channels. . . (Itals. ours.) In your issue of 24th inst. we challenged this and asked for proof or withdrawn! so far as the only anti-religious journal in Xew Zealand is concerned. The League now replies on the 18th inst. saying that it accepts our disclaimer. This is sheer impudence in the face of their false assertion shown up as such. It is we who seek a disclaimer from the league—either its apology or proof. It says that its statement is “a general statement of fact, which is not in any way disproved by the existence of an independent activity.” Since the league obviously desires it to be understood that anti-religious activities in general are engineered by the Soviet it would seem more the manly thing to cease its campaign of assertion and give some facts. Let it consider the following and give definite answer: Anti-religious propaganda in Australia is organised by the Rationalist Association of Australia, Ltd.: in England by the R.P.A. and Xational Secular Society; in America by the American Rationalist Association and the A.A.A.A These organisations all issue anti-religious publications and practically control the anti-religious activities of the English-speaking world. The R.P.A. was founded about 1885 and the Secular Society by Charles Bradlaugli at a later date. Will the Xew Zealand Welfare League say definitely whether any or all of these organisations are either influenced by the Soviet or receive monetary support from that quarter? If they produce evidence of neither they are convicted of a deliberate and unworthy attempt to confuse in the public mind the political tenets of Bolshevism and the anti-religious propaganda of Rationalist organisation. G. A. RAWSOX G. CHADWICK 11. H. PEARCE Publicity Committee, X.Z.A.A*R. BROADCASTING Sir,— May I also express regret that broadcasts of church services are at times unsatisfactory ? Not only was last Sunday’s broadcast cut short, but the reception was not uniformly good. More than once the transmission from St. Matthew’s has been fauitv. Many people who cannot get to church appreciate and look forward to the broadcast of church services. Surely it would be worth while for the Broadcasting Company to make arrangements to have an emergency relay wire to another church, in case of some fault in the relay from the advertised service Records of various kind are a poor substitute. In v.ew of the great success on the

occasion of the broadcasting of the welcome to the Governor-General rroro Wellington, it was disappointing, to say the least, to learn that IYA would not report the welcome at the Town Hall. ANNOYED.