Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1040, 2 August 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

TRADE UNIONS Sir. I should like ■to ask this question: What are the several trade unions doinf: for their unemployed members? Week by week, and year by year, during all the good years, members of the unions pay their weekly fees, ana now that hard times have come surely it is the duty of the several unions to help thd members who are unemployed? I notice that some trade union leaders have expressed opinions as to what the Government should do, so it would be not out of order for them to tell us what thev themselves are doing. EMPLOYER. AGAR-AGAR Sir, —- I read a letter in this column written by “Cactus” in Saturday’s issue, and noted that the writer said that “agar-agar,” according to an eminent educationist, was ,a compound for removing ink from celluloid collars. Another prominent man said that it was a substance used on bread and. butter in lieu of sugar, etc. They may be quite right. lam not going to argue over the matter, as it is only a trifle. As “Cactus” does not know the meaning of it, I venture to say that I have an idea that it is a word originating from Malaya. It is a kind of seaweed, largely used for human consumption, for the making of jellies as delicacies or sweets, etc. It is much used in the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements, not only by the natives, but also by the Europeans. I came from the above-mentioned places not so very long ago, and the word is still familiar in my memory. Thank goodness, again, as a consolation, that agar-agar is still free of duty. SORAT MALAYU “THE SUICIDE CLUE*’ Sir,— Doubtless your readers will be surprised to learn that, here in Auckland, there is a Suicide Club, the members of which are, for the most part, quite unknown to each other. It is composed, mainly, of the SO per cent, of cyclists who ride at night time without the rear reflector prescribed by law, plus another ten per cent, who use reflectors, but place them on top of the mudguard, where the only light reflected is that of the moon and stars..' Should one of the latter type of cyclist be bumped on some dark, rainy night, by some luck-

less motorist, the unfortunate driver would doubtless be “socked” for heavy damages because he failed to see what it was impossible to see; that is a non-existent reflector, from his angle of view. To guard against such cases the motorist could, of course, arrange to carry a “look-out” perched upon a platform such as the tramway repairwagons use, equipped with a powerful searchlight pointing down at the correct angle to catch the reflection from the incorrectly-placed reflector. I hope that you get the idea. Mr. Editor. Try and imagine a car creeping cautiously along the concrete road beyond Point Chevalier, going toward Avondale. Presently the look-out, from his 20-foot elevation, sights the red reflection of a lone cyclist. He straightway sends a warning to the driver seated below: “Hello, hello! Cyclist ahead, 23yards r in centre of road!” The driver, who wears radio headphones clamped over his ears, picks up the message and simultaneously reduces his speed from ten to five miles an hour until Avondale is reached. Thus he makes “Safety First” his principle while the road is made safe for fools. Trusting that my suggestions will be accepted as being “pro bono publico,” that is to say, “for the bone-headed public,” I remain, that rara avis, A RARE REFLECTOR. P.S. —There is another alternative; the police might take steps to see that all cyclists carry reflectors that comply with the requirements of the law. A.R.R. AVONDALE TRANSPORT Sir,—On August 6, 1930, the ratepaverr? will bo asked to sanction a: loan for an extension of the tram service from Mount Albert to Avondale. I would like to know how this service is going to assist Avondale, seeing that the route to be traversed does not embrace 20 houses from Mount Albert boundary to the bottom of Brown Street, Great North Road. Avondale. It is. therefore, quite evident that the people living between Brown Street and Albert Road, and Brown Street and Blockhouse Bay will still have to be content with the present very unsatisfactory feeder bus service. This bus business, as the board operates it. will still be a charge on the ratepayers. as it does not seem possible to make, bus services pay, while private enterprise appears to run successfully Further, the residents of Avondr?e and districts have no confiden c* operations of the Transport Board. In the first place, the residents o. l. house Bay, at a public meeting, decided

by a majority that pr-li.-ate entwpnS'! b« allowed to take over the, Later on. the people of Watervi Avondale passed resolution, t® effect and delefeatlons approaenea board, but without effect One has only to to*at of the tram track b ? t y h “ n , lt , a nd Albert and the city, and the city the Zoo U cannot speak for but. no doubt, they are all inthe condition— absolutely a <^ Ls ?^. o ' na bl» if these had been put In j—u order, there o . talnly would **»• e ro . no profit as represented in the tra® way undertaking, but a No doubt the Transport Boara again present its usual appea* for this loan to assist ployed This may refer to navvies out of employment, wnici such a great relief to those out £ work during the Point Che\alier tensions. _ . , hat it In conclusion, I might add *h . would be wise for the ratepaj Auckland to note the k*residents of Avondale and dls . trl V. vour fore committing themselves in i of this useless proposed tramway tension. raTEPATE:

“The letter appears to hav« written by a disgruntled ratepayerr. _ proposed extension will be a secreadvantage to the district, *aid“* e tary of the Auckland Transport *** i 5 when this letter was referred to him t morning. “Those between the ver Albert terminus and Avondale win otherwise receive a satisfactory < t o the service. The present bus service* t _ outlying districts will, of course, be tained. To say that the tracks a r absolute disgrace is untrue. track* maintenance staff v nrks on thein regularly, renewing end imprc\ mg as they are abb The have been written i one claims to represent the filing whole district.”. —Ed., The Sun.