Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1034, 26 July 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

“THE UNPOPULAR GIRL”

Sir. There is another side to your advice on “The Popular Girl,” in Saturday’s Sun. What of the unpopular girl? Why not look for the cause of her unpopularity. Is she the foil to the popular one? That makes a big difference. How many deeds of real kindness does the seemingly unattractive girl do. unknown to those around her? Usually the unpopular girl holds her self-respect too dear to lower her standard of right-thinking, and has too fine a character to give in to unjust treatment. She is the one who will do things for others at great inconvenience to herself and never mention the fact; but she refuses to tolerate injustice. She will respond giadly to those who treat her well, and when they know her value she will prove far more attractive and interesting than the so-called popular person. ONLOOKER.

WRESTLING

Sir, — I am sorry to read that Wellington is trying to tell Auckland how to run the sport of wrestling. Auckland started its revival and this has been going for three years now. I believe that no one can say that those in control have not done their best. I know nearly every man in the association and they are all men I would be proud to shake by the hand. If the boxing authorities can keep others out, I can’t see why the Wrestling Association can’t do likewise. L. LEWIS. Onehunga.

FAT MEN AND THIN

Sir, — Again and again Mr. J. A. C. Allum, chairman of the Transport Board, has implored his subjects to make suggestions for the better functioning ol| his transport kingdom. * As a long-distance rider and inveterate straphanger to boot, I bow myself into the throne-room with an idea: not, of course, that tram users ought to have ideas. I enter the presence mindful that an unkind .sceptre may “crown” my unoffending pate, but I humbly place this in the suggestion box: Sir, my idea has to do with stout conductors in thin tram cars. We all like to see people looking prosperous. and no one takes exception to rotund conductors as such. On the contrary, they’re jovial fellows. You can tell that from the altogether delightful way they say they’re sorry when they descend on your favourite corn. Another pleasantry is their way of begging pardon when. in scrabbling for change, their wellfavoured person causes you to jostle that sweet young thing who lias got

on to the workers’ car with the impedimenta of Felice in one hand and fish and chips for her husband in the other. The good transport people have been giving us wider trams of late, and my suggestion is that wide trams should be staffed only by wide men, thus relieving the congestion in the thin cars, which should be used only by thin conductors. I understand the responsibility for the manning of cars is in the hands of a roster clerk. If this official could do things more scientifically by putting the tape measure round the middles of the conductors before he assigns them their daily task, I think a great deal would be accomplished toward the solution of the transport problem. Thank you very much. SIMPLE SIMON.

THE STAFF CORPS

Sir. — Although our territorial system is to be abolished the Defence Department’s military staff is to be retained. May one ask how 78 members of the New Zealand Staff Corps are going to earn the £39.000 a year that is divided among them? What is the country to receive in return for the £45,000 to be handed each year to 133 permanent staff men, and how are 118 artillerymen to earned £37,000? Is the commandant to continue drawing £1,200 as the head of a phantom army, £•. lieutenant-colonel £765 as the commander of non-existent batteries, and a major £615 for the control of mythical supplies? (I mention only three cases.) Let us, in all conscience, put an end to such nonsense before a Sullivan appears to set the situation to music. ANTI-HUMBUG.

THE EPISTLE OF JAMES

Sir.— Don’t you think at the present time all political parties are sadly in need of spiritual and physical regeneration whenever they are considering taxation or the alteration of the tariffs, and should read the fifth chapter of James, as an inspiration beforehand —verses 1,2, 3. 4, s—so5 —so as to do justice to the people as a whole or from a democratic point of view? Take, for instance, the Unemployment Bill. It* seems to be a cjtse of the poor keeping the poor. J. E. CHAMBERLAIN.

WOMEN AND THE POLL TAX

Sir.— Some persons seem to be surprised that women are not included in the new scheme for unemployment relief. There is no mystery about it to me. (Continued in next column.)

The Government may be a little bitMlful. but it is not so silly as some may think. It would be impossible to provide jobs on any wholesale scale ter , women and therefore the rush on the funds would soon break the Further, it would be against public policy to have large numbers o* women on the sustenance funds, ao the fact of the matter is their omission will have the indirect effect of sending up the marriage rate, aatber can start a “correspondence marriage school” with the bachelors getting nih* shillings a day. get married and then they will get 12s. So everything be all right.

SHORTER WORKING DAT

Sir,— After reading the debate in House of Parliament and the discussion of the deputation of railwayman in the same place upon the acute unemployment question at present inflicted upon this country, it makes one despair of the future. Each and every one of these persons seeir(s to have adopted 'a spirit of abandon and is prepared t® fall into this conscription of willy-nilly. The deputation discus*®* all sorts of things, but the main a*pc« was never touched. In Parliament tot* was also the case. The nearest *£? proach to it was made by Mr. H. Holland. M.P., when he said the Bnusa 1 svstem grew out of the post-war conditions, and had it not been for as system of unemployment insurmnee. England would have found hursclT w the throes of revolution. L’nless, I have official data at hand sbowin* how unemployment has been agf»* vated in America. In brief: bteer-' seven men do the work of 60 in ca**w pig iron; two men do the work of - in loading pig iron. Railway worksuP* —one man displaces five machines. Where at one time it _ 30 hours to turn one pair of * motive tyres, now it takes eight * to turn six pairs with the s*® 6 n aro . ber of men by the use of modern

cess. . , _4, T I have quite a list enumerate? In New Zealand.** other countries, the same U ro< T labour saving through the adopt* machinery is going on. This cau competition to be set up employed and unemployed. The o of this competition is lowered What can wo do? The dole. . » self-respecting man but instead wants the right to and live with dignity. It is not rating sight to see one person hand to mouth and Ins neighbour ing overtime. The right to p f be adjusted by regulating J* 6 labour in accordance with tne ment of labour. A w- tried dav. with no overtime, should ** first. If that didn’t meet could then try a five-hour : than we could try a four-hour ! so on until doles and doss things of the past. .TTi above will be inclined to them recommendations, but let ixoo. their minds back to the la*c * R. J. Seddon. If he could | Eight Hour Bill in years *B°- 4 I the methods of production w I great deal more primitive ca n v® | are today, how much ea *** r overbring: in a six-hour day and n pj, time? Quito a large number ot £ : fail to understand the hesitanO Labour leaders in not advocating | most i,ni>or.ant i namame iL . iiDOCa '