Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1015, 4 July 1930, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

HUKA AND ARATIATIA Sir, —- The collapse of Arapuni as a supply station for electric power, a collapse so great that it will probably never start again, lias so paralysed the exports who advocated its construction that they can now only think of a steam plant as a substitute. If Arapuni is to bo ruled out for ever, what is to become of the turbines and their accompanying generators? Are they to be scrapped also? These generators are 15,000 kilowatts, equal to 18,750 mechanical horse-power, and there arc four of them. The Huka Falls have, at lowest river records, 33,000 theoretical horse-power, and the Aratiatia Rapids about 47.000 horse-power These figures nro from reliable sources taken over long periods some years ago. The Aratiatia Rapids are some six miles from Huka Falls, and both falls are close to Lake Taupe. To develop power from both falls no dams are required. This alone saves an enormous expense and docs away with the doubt which exists of the safety of any dam however well built.

Probably these sources could be developed in a time not much longer than it will take to erect steam plants, if the generators at Arapuni were used. The development of power a*, these falls would also save the cost of the power line now constructed to Arapuni, as it could be used if extended to Taupo. If it is not to be used again for Arapuni what is to become of it? Is it also to go on the scrap heap? This is a sounder proposal than plastering the river banks at Arapuni with cement, which will not benefit anyone but the plasterers. The Iluka Falls would have been developed as an electric station In 1897 if the late Mr. J. C. Firth, who was backed by £1.000,000 of British capital, had not been pic vented by the Seddon Government, which introduced legislation nationalising all water powers in New' Zealand. AZTEC. July 4. 1930. THE DEATH PENALTY Sir, As the representative in New* Zealand of the Society of Friends for The National Council for the Abolition of the Death Penalty (of which a past Lord Chancellor of England, the Rt. Hon. Lord Buckmaster, is the noted president), may I be permitted to place before your readers the reasons why Arthur Thomas Munn, now under sentence of death, or any other man so placed, should not be" called upon to suffer the extreme penalty of the law ? Enlightened Governments are fast realising that the death penalty does not check murder, but rather increases it. So much is this so, that 21 Governments of 13 countries and eight States, have altogether abolished it. while six other countries have made tho death penalty obsolete bv not usin~ to the full the power of "their law*. Jn 33 States of the American Union it is optional for judges to give a lifesentence, or the death penalty They have taken advantage of this in 75 per cent, of the convictions. There are I now only seven States of the 48 States

of the Union which retain the death j penalty absolutely. Again, from a psychological point of view, how does the death penalty j affect tho moral of a nation? It is 1 •well known that the preliminaries be- ■ fore tho death penalty is carried out , constitute a most distressful perforin- ; ance. Everyone concerned would joyfully do without these barbarian duties. There are many records of officials broken down in health, sliding into melancholia, and, in some cases committing suicide, through being associated with these gruesome proceedings. Some people. without thought, imagine that it is only the murderer who pays the penalty when the trap-door drops. But is it? Should wo not consider his close relations, if he lias any, that will bear the stigma j of the day until the day when they all die? Is this fair? I think not. As for the general public, they, too. do not escape. For evidence of this, listen to the conversations over the present case, on the streets, in the trams, in tho home, and elsewhere. Scratch civilisation ever so slightly, and we find the barbarian is there. Unfortunately school children are especially affected by the carrying out of the death penalty. Schoolmasters toll us that upon them it has a most unhealthy effect, in strange ways, both of body and mind. In conclusion, if the death sentence were done away with, and a life sentence put in Its place, would it not greatly simplify all trials for murder? A\ hat a relief to the troubled minds of the jury, judge and all concerned. ould it not enable the participants to bring out a much clearer and just elaboration of the whole case. Lord Buckmaster. one-time Lord Chancellor, the highest judicial position in the British Empire, evidently thinks this way. May our National Executive think the same way. ALFRED GREGORY. Dargaville, July 3, 1930.

BANKING PROFITS Your correspondent “P.S.” spends a long time barking up the wrong tree and snapping at the ghosts .of communism. class hatred etc., which he thinks he sees hovering around. I did not say that it was a heinous crime for anyone to make a profit out of a legitimate business transaction* I merely stated that the published rvp°rt of the Bank of New Zealand—n liich is only one of an association or combination of banks operating in Xew Zealand—indicates that tve are navin!°p ° for out banking facilities. B.S. knows, or should know, that retrenchment is the order of the day that those engaged in the agricultural industries are finding it difficult to make ends meet; that many of our manutacindustries are languishing for lack of capital; that many people are out of work for these reasons: and that most employees —all State employees—have had a sustantial cut in wages. Is this a fitting time for a great institntion which largely controls the finances ot this country to scatter thousands of pounds m bonuses among its sliareholders m add'tion to dividends, which ieien r».S. admits a ,e liberal?

Tourcorrespondent ways that good for trade: in other words bing I'eter to pay Raul. * is r; Peter a<s well as Paul? ”r ’ ’ wager that “P.S." is on Pauls **P.S." goes on to attack our JV ;9 and municipal undertakings blame them for our present nusli r He says that they are ■ inefficient expensive.” li he peruses the ’ , cantile Gazette” for a few m"®" will probably realise that T'ri v - i prise is not proof against in rT c ljij,r and mismanagement. On the . ins i hand many of our State and mu ? undertakings are efficiently cow Has ”P.S.” ever heard of the Wett» ton Municipal Milk Supply, the edin City Council Insurance ment, of the various power of the Auckland Savings Bank _ is really a co-operative institute | for the benefit of its depositor** - t Does “P.S.” honestly oor.siaer^^ 1 our Public Trust Office, State and Post and Telegraph Depart are monuments of inefficiency an w management? Can he ,i. [other country in the world penny postage is still operative manages its affairs more economically than our own Telegraph Department? aD 4 I have visited the United most countries in Europe and I to own observation and experience convinced that we have nothin* off ashamed of. I believe that e I Railway Department, if it from political interference. * other departments are, would ni creditable showing. . “P.S.” is quite wrong in our State departments are from the obligation of paying a /'. sI rs* toward the cost of public adm for tion. The State Fire years past been tho largest nre ance taxpayer in New Zealand- mfl 13.27 per cent, of the total fire P income it provider no lcs.- than «*■ , t cent. of the total incoin o(fl ?4 collected from all tire insurance ‘PS.” would be well advised siMMON* .