PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20272, 14 August 1937, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents ace requested to write in ink. It Is essential that anonymous writers enclose their proper names as a guarantee of good faith. Unless this rule is compiled with, their letters will not appear.

A FINE ACHIEVEMENT. (To the Editor.) Sir,—l noted with interest the local racing statistics for the past season in your i-ssuo of Wednesday, and while realising that they constitute a record for Te Rapa I was wondering how these figures compare with other tracks in the Dominion, the main centres included. I feel sure that Te Rapa’s record in the season Just closed compares more than favourably with any track in New Zealand. This fine achievement, of course, ha-s been made possible only through the splendid training facilities afforded at Te Rapa, a course that has few equals In the country. It is rapidly becoming one of the leading North Island tracks, and It is to be hoped that, with a continuation of better times, the Waikato Racing Club will be in a position to provide better public facilities—facilities that the importance of Waikato meetings Justifies. —I am, etc., INTERESTED SPORT. Hamilton, August 12. RENTS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The writer Is fully aware that conditions still determine rent, Interest and profit; hence the only sequence, antagonisms and conflict. Condition's then determined, yet another conflict between myself and the landlord class, ’i The question which was centred round an increase of rent .'s of a -secondary importance. The New Zealand price level is a highly artificial one, traceable in the main to hostile tariffs and many other stupid unnecessary impositions. The price of commodities, goods, including labour and rent, is only relative to local conditions. Consequently 1 protested against paying a rent on a dwelling which reflected an artificial value, with the result that 1 am now paying a rent on an actual value absolute, and not on a value that is relative to and peculiar to New Zealand’s artificial prico le\'cl.—l am, etc., 11ARRY WOOI)RUFEE. Auckland, August 11. WAKE UP. HAMILTON.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Like some at least of mv fellow-citizens, I have travelled all over the North Island, and nowhere have I seen a town so richly endowed by Nature as ours. We have plenty of land available for playing areas with a minimum of improvement, an ideal High School site, and right in the heart of our "city of the future” we have a Garden Place, which I admit must go later. While we are wrangling over this “garden,” and our oltizens with “vision” hope to demolish It and oontinue to make Hamilton “a city of shopkeepers," earthquake-stricken Napier Is building a modern municipal theatre costing £23,000. The people of Napier have changed their town from a soeno of desolation to one of marvellous beauty. Their playing fleld-s and parks were reclaimed from swamp, river and ocean at a great outlay In labour and money. They have model factories, employing thousands of happy, carc-freo people. But we must not have factories; they would lower the “dignity” of Hamilton. In the past, proposals were advanced to build a woollen factory, and later a sweets factory, but the promoters got the “cold shoulder” and went elsewhere. one opened in Christchurch, yet, in spite of the factory's presence, Christchurch Is, I think, a very beautiful city, and at the rate they are winning art union prizes will soon have a large number of wealthy citizens. But what of ourselves, and what of our future? Our town Is full of Rip-Van-Winkles and King Midasses (is that the correct spelling?). Rip woke up just at election time. Let us do likewise, and in the interim let us get together and show some of the grit and faith In our home town that the ‘•Ray" people show In theirs. —I am, etc., JUST A DREAMER. Hamilton, August 12. LIVE PIGEON SHOOTING (To the Editor.) Sir, —Allow me to add my protest against the proposal to use live birds at the contests to be hold soon at Morrinsville. I well remember what a wave of horror swept over this district a few years ago when the contest was held at Ruakura. The Times, in an article, described the meeting as “an orgy of blood and feathers." Arc we. really living in a Christian country? If so. how can such things take, place? Mow can human beings who call themselves "mm" turn Iheir firearms and shatter in fragments these boa ill i fill “children of the wind" and call it spo-l ? To my mind, it is ilie antithesis of all that is manly, progressive, social, moral and spiritual. Australia advertised for eaplive birds for a shoo lin g contest. The Society for Hie Prevention of Cruelly io Animals seerelary wrote protesting, ret ary of Hie elub repliod that they society and use only clay pigeons. I ilia I elub ami greet 11mm as true sportsmen and chivalrous British gentlemen, not too proud to aeknowIcUe and immediately to right a ' I have .in-: been reading in a journal the person who will deride. Ilm right comfort. Will be branded with eontempi." May Cod speed the d.iv! Let me appeal Hi aH who are loxers shooting club at Morrinsville. ami' p, for live birds. It Is Mot. too tale. [ n. A. Si: \I.. Tc Kuwliui, August 12.

government and producers. (To the Editor.) Sir,—As your correspondent “Kulak" still seems to think that the dairy farmers, as primary producers, are the only ones that count, I should like to remind him that at the time of the Great War it was the working class that stood the brunt of it. The working man had to go and tight for his country, leaving home, friends and high wages behind, whilst the majority of producers and dairy farmers were allowed to stay at home in security and reap the benefit. Of course that is gone and bye, and need not bo taken into consideration now, but in the event of another war the worker would still be in the same position, so why try to make out that the worker or labouring class is only a secondary consideration? Now that the workers are coming into a little of their own it is only natural that the “stay at homes" are the first to squeal. The present Government may not have come up to all expectations, but the country has not gone to the dogs yet, as many of the Opposition expected, or predicted it would have gone long before now. There seems to be plenty of money for the importation of motor cars and luxuries, and dairy farmers do not seem to be a bit behind in that respect. No one seems to grumble about the excessive importations of luxuries in a time of plenty, although some of the working class seem to find it hard enough to make both ends meet. However, that does not seem to count so long as the primary producer has got his whack out of it. Hard up as some of them profess to be, very few of them would change places with the ordinary working man. As to “Kulak" saying my remarks a&vto the subdivision of the larger dairy farms are irrelevant, that may be so in his case, particularly if he really is what his foreign nom de plume implies. However, it has got everything to do with the subject. When dairy farmers have got more land than they can profitably work without the aid of share-milkers (which is really j the thin edge of the wedge of a vicious i form of landlordism) it is high time something was done to alter the position. As to the guaranteed price: If the i export price warranted an advance of j Is 5d per lb butterfnt I am sure no j one would grudge it to the dairy farmer—not even the wharf labourer, ; | who is not expected to work free over- | time by his employer “Kulak" ought to remember that the dairy farmer, essential as he is, is only part of a whole, and as such he will no doubt get every consideration from ttie pre sent- Government. My advice to all grumblers or “Kulaks" is to do as we were so often advised to do at the time of the last war—pack all their troubles in their old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile.—l am, etc., ALEX. BOYD. Auokland. August i2.