Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 968, 10 May 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

MUNICIPAL GOLF Sir, — I am glad to see the subject of a municipal golf course has been raised again in the Press. Wellington has enjoyed the benefit of a municipal course for some time, and though play at Berhampore has its excitements, as there is no such thing as courtesy between players, many good golfers have graduated from there to the better known courses. There is an impression that a municipal golf course must be rough and primitive, but the first half of Berhampore is extremely well kept, and the second half, with its tremendous slopes, is certainly entertaining. The amazing part about Berhampore is that, by converting a rubbish dump into a golf course, the Wellington corporation has provided itself with a highly profitable asset. The Auckland City Council is lagging behind the times in failing to see the obvious demand for such an institution here. DIVOT. RED LIPS Sir, — Your correspondent Mrs. M. B. Soljak is to be commended for showing members of the Civic League just how foolish they have been in one respect. Why on earth should a high tariff be imposed on lipsticks? Lipsticks are not made in New Zealand. If they were, by all means have a high tariff against their importation. Nor can the lipstick be classed as a luxury Ip most cases it Is a necessity. Better a rosy smile where rouge is than pale, flaky- lips where cosmetics are not! How are our poets going to function if their inspiration is thus removed? If our girls wish to apply a little carmine to their lips to obtain that cramoisi

effect the poets sing about why not let them ? Since the earliest ages woman has resorted to cosmetics to repair deficiencies that unkind Mother Nature has imposed upon her. They will be attacking the use of face powder next, and when they do I am going to appear before the members of the League and utter a firm protest. 1 consider that a woman who fails to powder her nose (not on all possible occasions and in every public place) is inflicting upon the world another horror. What could be worse, to be alliterative, than pinguid pores and an oteaginous olfactory organ. To my mind powder on a woman’s nose is as imperative as bread at the breakfast table and rosy lips are almost as important. BLACK AMBER. CUSTOMS CLASSIFICATION Sir, — May I, through your columns, call attention to a matter of interest to manufacturers? I refer to the method adopted by the Customs in classifying for duty those raw materials which are imported from overseas. The general principle adopted by Parliament seems to be perfectly fair. i.e.. that goods not made in New Zealand may -be imported free from British possessions. or subject to 10 per cent, from foreign countries, if such goods are to be used solely in the fabrication or repair of goods within New Zealand. It is the method of application that :s causing manufacturers so much i trouble. In order to provide a check jon the misdescription of imported goods a regulation was framed pro- ! viding that where articles were cap- | able of classification under more than j one tariff item bearing different rates of ; duty, the highest rate should apply. In I theory this regulation appears reason(Continued in next column.)

able, but the official mind, working along academic, rather than practical lines, has gradually reduced it to an absurdity. For example, British dyes are free, but British chemicals am subject to 20 per cent., and although it may be obvious that a tanner intends to use an article as a dye and is entitled to import it as such, being part of his raw materials, an impersonally unsympathetic official will coldly state that it could just as easily be called a chemical and will insist on 20 per cent. Again, a travel-goods manufacturer would laugh at the suggestion that a suitcase lock could be used on his front door; but a harmless lunatic might conceivably make the experiment, and some time ago a tall and dignified Customs officer quite seriously suggested the probability, and demanded duty accordingly. These instances may be multipled by hundreds, and are in fact occurring continuously, and causing much unnecessary trouble to harassed manufacturers. I suggest that this could be largely eliminated by the exercise of a little latitude and common sense, when dealing with manufacturers who are obviously entitled to obtain their raw materials on the best possible terms in order to enable them to build up industry and thus increase the country's wealth; and if this matter is put clearly before the authorities I have no doubt they will do their best to improve the situation, and remove the cause of the friction that exists at present between the manufacturers and the department. Q. M ILLS -1 ’ ALMER. “A.E.C.” AND RATIONALISM JSir.— “A.E.C." considers that I should not spend time noting the self -contradictory character of his argument, nor should l draw attention to his direct appeal to faith rather than to deductive logic. He requests me to concern myself with such matter as stands within quotation marks. - Nothing else is meant very seriously. I consent to the armistice he asks for. Let me repeat that the official definition of Rationalism strikes me ** being rather timid, thoroughly tame, and quite respectable. The ark of Rationalism has on board lawyers and university professors who. it is to be presumed, have given their blessing to the definition. Unfortunately, the definition does not intimate all that Rationalism stands for. If it did. then some enthusiastic Rationalists would cease to circulate inaccurate information about the origin of the Gospels and the history of the Canon. They \yould no longer try to give the impression that it is proved that Jesus of Nazareth never existed. They would become more reserved In their assertion that miracles do not happen because some people think that they cannot happen. W e are invited to bow to the supremacy of reason. It is taken for granted that Christians are afraid to do so. The official definition in question is singularly reticent as to what is meant by reason or the supremacy of reason. Professor Huxley declared that our reason had nothing to do with our actions, and that if a man made up his. mind that he should buy a pair of boots his reason had nothing whatever to do with his movements toward the bootmaker’s shop Is this what the New Zealand Rationalist* mean by’ the supremacy of reason? D. D. SCOTT. The Manse, Onehunga. NO HOMEWORK Sir,— - J I was more than interested in th* Rev. Mr. Mowbray-Finnis s article w The Sun dealing with the problem or schoolchildren and suitable punishment. and giving his opinion that ther© was too much reliance placed on th© strap as a corrective. He is right, wish he would go further and outlin# his views on the homework problem. Some time ago a number of opinions were published in your paper on this subject, many prominent men ana women stating their views. It "*** argued, at the time, that homework was not necessary* if children properly’ taught in schools. I the other day that the Fitzroy Committee, in Taranaki, had conduct such an experiment The annual re* port stated that the children had be<? informed that if they concentrated © schoolwork, homework would be a ~°,' ished. The experiment was successful and it was found, also, tna the staff, freed from the necessity correcting home lessons, was able devote the time saved to the thoroug organisation of the work for the ing day. Good for the pioneers! ” Auckland headmaster will be the n. to suggest a move along similar line s * ABACUS*