Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 959, 30 April 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

SELF-HELP Sir, — When preaching the gospel of selfhelp to a meeting of Narrow Neck residents recently, Mr. E. Aldridge* Mayor of Devonport, said when his council heard a noise like the rustling of a £1 note it was prepared to help. After spending an afternoon clearing weeds from the footpath, which the council should keep clean, I am wondering if I made a noise like a weedkiller if the council would tar the footpath. OLD LAKE ROAD. RATIONALISM AND DOGMATISM Sir,— ‘‘Socrates’* considers that the opposition of the Rationalist Association to dogmatism is incompatible with the title of a recent address under its auspices, “The Myth of the Resurrection.” In the first place the association gives its lecturers a free hand both as to the titles and subject matter of their addresses. Hence the responsibility of the title rests solely with the lecturer concerned. Secondly, it would appear that “Socrates" did not attend the lecture. A wise man does not criticise the sufficiency of a lecture title without hearing the address. It places him in the un-.Socratic position of not knowing the other side, and the necessity of X-SJns such unnecessary questions as VV ho said the Resurrection was a myth?" when obviously the lecturer had said so. I am glad that “Socrates" is interestedly watching both sides. The more who study both sides with open mind* the more are likely to attain wisdom. As another plain man, I should be pleased to give some plain facts about the Resurrection pointing to the myth conclusion, either through your columns or by personal correspondence with “Socrates," should he so desire. r A.E.C. INFANTRY IS SULL USEFUL Sir,— - I read with surprise the letter by “Joystick,’’ and unless he intended it as propaganda in support of increasing our air forces. I think he has reversed facts. Without doubt he knows nothing of the very modern cooperation training that has been perfected since the late war. I think that it is general military knowledge that infantry is the arm that in the end wins battles, and I think that this will apply to all future wars as well In the case of this isolated Dominion! I might point out that we have not vet seen the aircraft that could cross the Tasman with the surety of carrying out a successful attack, and yet we had raiders round our shores In the last war that proved the possibility of invasion by sea. All the expenditure on I our territorial forces is distributed in

this country, while the main expense of aircraft would be overseas, with costly fighting planes becoming obsolete in a very short period. So the expense of an increased air force can be a greater drain on the country’s finance than any other branch of the service, with less results. The infantry and other ground units in the late war found that they had the task of holding through recurring periods when the Germans had command of the air. By all means encourage civil flying, to give our public its sense of air safety. Train our airmen with the R.A.F. in England, where need keeps the Air Force right up-to-date. Then, in the case of invasion of this country, I think it will be found that our territorial ground forces, with the assistance of our civil planes, will be quite able to cope with the position. If we can afford it, let us have an air force, but not at the expense of our main defence. And we are dealing with a defence scheme. SAFETY. MR. DAVY AND THE UNITED PARTY’S POLICY Sir, — Considerable publicity is being given at the moment to the disparity between a “policy for the United Party" evolved at the conference in September. 1928, and the policy of the United Party as declared and put forward by Sir Joseph Ward as the selected leader of the party on October 16 following Notwithstanding the fact that at that time there was an ever-growing desire for a change of Government, and in the light of what is known now as to the real financial position of the county. in the closing days of Reform’s regime it looks as though most of the policy designed at the conference (but never published, even to its triends, till now), "would have been just about as effectual in bringing about a change of government as a toothpick would be in removing a monument. The election of 1928 was fought, and the victory for the United Party won, on Sir Joseph Ward’s policy, and not on the ideas of Messrs. Davy and Co., and wliat is required at the present is time and opportunity to carry that policy out- Much has been done, and admittedly much remains to be done and inasmuch as everv United Partv candidate returned to Parliament probably owes his success to his association with the policy, plainlv, definitely and boldly declared by Sir Joseph Ward and to his leadership, there wh°a U e 1 "“ Misunderstanding about what that policy is or ever has been —or what to do about itr. As to the suggestion running through Mr Dan’s comments, that Sir Joseph usurped the powers of the conference in replacing its policy with one of his own the writer has been In this country over 40 years, taking a keen interest in things political over a. great part of that time, and has yet to see politi-

cal policies declared by any other than the leader of the party, who must be prepared to stand or fall by his policy. One can scarcely imagine, say. Mr. Massey being dictated to by any conference as to what his policy should have been. J. REA.

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENT

Pisa*— (1) No. The bag of coal woulti reach the ground before the feathers. The force on the hag is the difference of the weight-force acting on the bag. minus the resistance of the If the bags were exactly the sain® in the two cases the resistance the air would be the same, but since the weight force on the coal is greater than the- weight force on th* feathers, there is a greater force acting on the coal. The rate at which it gathers speed is given by the force, divided by the mass. Thi» gives a greater rate of dropping f® r the bag of coal than for the feathers, even though they are of equal rnass. (2> Yes. (3) Sam* as No. 1. — The Sun.