Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 943, 9 April 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say—

(To the Editor.)

DR. BUCK’S LECTURE

When a lecture is given, at the University Hall, under the auspices of the New Zealand Institute, all the seats are generally open to the public. At Dr. Peter Buck’s lecture things were different, three-quarters at least of the seats being reserved for ticketholders Cprobably members of the institute). In that case, it seepis to me that it was the duty of those responsible to add a few words to the notice which appeared in the newspapers, in connection with Dr. Buck’s lecture, stating that only a small number of rows at the back would be kept for the public. Better informed, many pei-sons would not have taken the trouble to go to the university just to see all the front and middle rows of chairs protected by ropes and then go home immediately, the lack of consideration shown to the general public having been thus stressed. NO MEMBER. HECTOR GRAY IN AUSTRALIA Sir,— During the months of February, March and April of last year, I was in Sydney engaged as an official in charge of a racecourse in the metropolitan area of Sydney. I was also a sworn special in the Metropolitan Police. I had trouble with a trainer licensed by the Australian Jockey Club. This trainer held a permit to train and race his own horses. I caught this trainer one evening; he had broken into the ambulance room on the course. I put him off and reported the matter at the nearest police station. I had further trouble with him and also learned that he (the trainer) had a bad criminal record. In my capacity as an official, I reported the man to the secretary of the Australian Jockey Club (Mr. C. \V. Cropper). I was sent for by Mr. Cropper and I gave him full particulars of this trainer’s criminal record. Some of the convictions were in New Zealand, where the trainer went under another name. He also had convictions in Australia. Mr. Cropper said that he would write to the secretary of the New Zealand conference (Mr. Sellars). This Mr. Cropper did and was told the trainer’s record. Mr. Cropper rang me up and said we have the record from New Zealand, but the committee will give this man a chance because it is nearly 10 years ago since he offended. When this trainer applied for his licence to train last July l he was among those to whom ! licences had been granted. In New | Zealand this same trainer was warned off every course, and on one occasion some years ago he was on a New Zealand racecourse when a sergeant of police met him and asked: “How long have you been here?” The trainer referred to, replied: “Just came in, sir.” The sergeant said: “There is a train leaving at live minutes to eleven; you be on it!” And the trainer went | away by this train all right. Now, | sir, the Australian Jockey Club has

refused, a licence to H. Gray, a man who was never in a Court in his life, and the trouble he had over Wallalo was nearly 14 years ago. They licence a man with a permit to own and train his own horses and one who has a long criminal record and should not be allowed on any racecourse. The man referred to with the trainer’s licence trains horses for the strongest combination of punters in Australia. Hector Gray went over as a battler to get a few pounds, but having no friends. And still the game goes on! W. G. ABBOTT. Ponsonby. “MUSIC WEEK” Sir,— Inadvertently I made a faux pas in the concluding stages of the meeting i held at the Lewis R. Eady Hall on Monday evening last. Prevented from attending the earlier stages of the meeting, I was unaware that a letter had been read by the chairman, Mr. George Baildon, from Mr. Frank Egerton, stating that representatives from the executive of the Musicians’ Union would attend. During the evening I heard much talk of the suggested cooperation of musical societies, schools and sundry organisations, musical and otherwise. It seemed to me that the Musicians’ Union, an organisation embracing many seasoned and experienced professionals, was forgotten. I have the assurance of Dr. Phillips that the passing reference to Mr. F. Egerton was made not so much in a personal sense as in the capacity of representative and mouthpiece of the Musicians’ Union. As an executive member of that organisation, and one deputed to attend on its behalf, I regret having placed a wrong interpretation upon Dr. Phillips’s words ARTHUR O HALLO RAX. SOVIET GOLD Sir,— The "\V elf are League does scant justice to our intelligence when it persists in attributing our troubles to Bolshevik influence. It Is a mysterious thing, this Russian gold. It has been poured out like water in China; it is undermining the moral of Australia; it has been instrumental in stirring up the natives of South Africa to a form of disaffection with the Government: it is the cause of the unrest in India; it is t ® IJT?;tins' 1 J T?; tins ' the Empire. But where aoes ail the money come from? 1£ the the 1 2ei?°T e - rnment has actua hy spent the gold it is accused of spending for the subversion of the world, it would be a bataon so rich that it would certainly not bother its head about the fate of other nations. Actually Russia has not got the gold accused of spending and Russian paper is so utterly discredited in the* exchanges of the Western world that not even a Labour leader would accept It is a blind and idiotic fiction that all modern movements of a radical nature in various countries are started bv Russian gold. People will always seek

any reason but the right one for an thing that is opposed to the idea life to which they have been acc tomed. .. t It is very much more probable t so far from the troubles in China, in or South Africa having been by Russian influence, they are oU f re about by the fact that P^P 1 ® h ' n thinking for themselves. And an ignorant and hitherto inarticu people begins to think it thinks with more vigour than d JSC tion. R. C. SIMMONS.