Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

THE SCHOOL YEAR Sir, — At a meeting- of headmasters of the Auckland secondary schools held on Friday, June 13, it was resolved to express strong disapproval of the projected scheme to commence the school year in March of each year instead of February, as favoured by the recent meeting of the Council of Education. Tlie headmasters of the Auckland Grammar School, King’s College, Sacred Heart College, Mount Albert Grammar School, Seddon Memorial College and Takapuna Grammar School were unanimous that tlie proposed alteration would seriously interfere with the efficient working of the schools. C. M. LITTLEJOHN, Hon. Sec. Auckland Sec. Schools Principals’ Association. “HENCE THESE TEARS” Sir, I feel I must splinter a lanqp with your “.Look-Out Man” anent his paragraph, in your paper headed “That "Whirring Drill.” Either he speaks from the depths of a profound inexperience (lucky man!) or I detect the sinister influence of vested interests. 1 ou have only to drive a saw’ rapidly through a wet piece of wood for a minute or two and then feel the heat ,of it, to know that it is the heat engendered by that high-speed demon, the electric drill, which causes most of the agony of tooth-filling. The foot-drill, on the other hand, can beturned over ever so gently at the soft spots and stopped instantly, the caries being rather coaxed than blasted out of the cavity. The powerdrill will turn out more completed jobs m a given time, hence its popularity with the profession, but at what a cost to the patient (who notoriously. on these occasions, matters least of nil). I have just deserted a power-drill devotee (I look to you here to preserve my alias) and sought out a foot-drill operator, and have found peace. No, no, Mr. “Look-Out Man.” Hands off the foot-drill: HIXC ILLAE LACHRDIAE. WILL ARAPUNI BE SAFE? Sir.— This almost national calamity has come suddenly upon us and calls for deep thinking on behalf of the people as to future prospects of the scheme. According to Mr. Holmes's report, test bores of 200 ft were put down through the soft rhyolite and pumice seams formation without coming into contact with any hard rock. And, here the serious matter comes in: Supposing the huge proposal of concreting is carried out. The question then arises: is

there any danger in this soft, porous formation, with the great water pressure behind, of the water percolating through underneath and undermining the whole structure? If so, will it not be better seriously to consider the advisability of any further experiments and to abandon the whole business? Of the dam itself there it little or no doubt as to its stability, and should Arapuni prove a great failure the dam will remain intact as a monument for future generations to gaze upon. Wliat then is the remedy for or alternative to Arapuni? It has been suggested that as there are vast quantities of coal in the/ AN aikato and King Country, which can be cheaply mined and utilised (without waste of slack coal) for the purpose of generating electric power that we establish a power plant in the W aikato and another in the King Country which in time may prove this unfortunate affair to be a blessing to humanity through the increased development, without waste, of our great coal deposits. SETTLER. Swanson. NURSES AND MIDWIVES BILL I have watched with interest the references in the Press to tlie proposed amendment to the Nurses and Midwives Registration Bill, and it has struck me very forcibly that the Trained Nurses’ Association is fighting alone against what it is very firmly conyinced is a retrograde step. Sir, I should like to have the answers to the following questions: 1. Are the medical men who are so anxious for this Amendment past working for it in the interests of the nurses concerned? Are they altogether uninfluenced and unbiased? 2. Are they in any way interested in private hospitals, politicallv or financially? | 3. Are they influenced because the | boards have failed to give them the community hospitals thev have asked for? 4. Are they certain that owners o*’ j the private hospitals who want this j legislation are only interested in tlie I gaining of the State Certificate for their V.A.D.’s? 5. Are they certain that the trained staffs of these hospitals were trained m private hospitals and promoted? <L Would the B.M.A. be satisfied to allow the Trained Nurses’ Association to take a hand in its affairs in like manner, and insist, through legislation. that medical students pass examinations and take their practical training in private hospitals? A medical man. speaking to a Sun representative, said: ‘The State examination would decide whether or not a nurse is sufficientlv trained ” Would he be cont€ nt to cal profession depend upon an exam-