PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20504, 21 May 1938, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents are 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 complied with, their letters will not appear.

TAURANGA ELECTORATE (To the Editor) Sir,—l trust that none of your readers will be misled into thinking that the Country Party is solidly behind the Nationalists/either in Tauranga or elsewhere, because two of its ex-members appeared on the same platform with the Nationalist candidate, Mr F. W. Doidge. and spoke on his behalf. The two gentlemen concerned withdrew from the Country Party some time ago; one of them even notified the public of the fact by advertisement in the Tauranga paper. Both before and since then. Country Party supporters have signified their intention of running a candidate and no fewer than three men have been asked to stand—viz., Mr H. J. Angus, of Tauranga, Mr A. E. Robinson, of Auckland both prominent Farmers’ I'nion men—and Mr J. H. Penniket, of Hamilton. Coloney Closey, Dominion organiser of the compensating price campaign, has also been approached. —I am, etc., LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP. Hamilton, May 20. COST OF LIVING (To the Editor) Sir,—As one who heard the Minister of Finance say the other night that the increased wages, etc., had been much more than the increase in the cost of living, I should like to point out that that does not answer the question. There are hundreds of people who had their income restored by the return of the 10 per cent, “cut.” and they have had no increase since; but the cost of living has gone up all the time. Surely it cannot ho said that the restoration of a “cut” in 1930 meets the position to-day? T am told that since 1930 the percentage increase in the cost of living over the 19 1 i ]ovcl has moved from 33.8 to 50.8, or an upward move of 107 points. And what of the people who had a fixed income, and no “cut” to have restored? It cannot he said that they are in a better position. The increased national income has meant nothing to them, but the increase in the cost of living has reduced their purchasing power. The position as I see it is that the process of raising wages or salaries came to a stop very early in the day, but the upward move in the cost of living has been continuous. Ask the housewife for confirmation on that point.—l am, etc., MICKLE. Hamilton. May 20. ANIMAL DISEASES (To the Editor) Sir. —I have read a great deal about the terrible toll of facial eczema rampant. in'the Waikato districts. After studying this menace and its results upon the stock I am firmly convinced that the direct cause is mineral deficiency in the soil, and incidentally in the animals feeding on such pastures. The tremendous drain of the mineral content can only be realised after one has considered what it takes to produce butterfat, fat stock, etc. Consider the amount of minerals shipped from these shores in the produce exported each year. One small example ; With every 500 gallons of milk sent off the farm there is being sent away 91b of phosphoric acid, or the amount which would be found in half a hundredweight of ordinary superphosphate. This Is but one small item. What of the others? The minerals that Nature requires, and is now wanting urgently, can be replaced by two methods. One, a direct return to the soil, and, secondly by being fed to the animals, and thence from the animal to the soil. The first method is one of great difficulty on account of the quantities of certain minerals, that would make it nigh impossible to return as Nature requires it. The second method is the only practical way of returning that which is required, and the man on the land is getting first-class results from his slock, and they in return are assisting Nature as she wants to he assisted. Let us take these minerals and see just what they are and what they do — sodium, calcium, phosphates, potassium (iron and copper), sulphur (lodine and cobalt). Of these, sodium Calcium and phosphates are the chief in large quantities by the animals. Calcium and phosphates are the chief essentials of the bone and blood of the beast, particularly In the pregnant animal, which has a two- fold duty to perform. If calcium is lacking In the blood the beast will be sure to go down with milk fever. Magnesium Is another necessity for the blood and muscle. Iron and copper must always go together, and without these the animal would soon become sickly, anaemic and die. Sulphur—here lies the growth of hair, wool, etc., and the general health of the animal. lodine and cobalt —-These two Important mirerals are the mainstay of the animals. The thryoid gland is well known to stock people and the action of the lodine on such is also well known. Cohalt has a similar action to iodine, besides helping the copper to prepare the iron for the blood. These minerals can be had by making them into a lick thai should always he in the paddock so "that the stock has access to it at all times. Several farmers in this district have a loose lick in the paddocks, and although there is a great flush of green feed they have not had any trouble with the so-called facial eczema.—l am. etc., E J. KELLY. Hastings, May 19.

N.Z. HOWARD LEAGUE FOR PENAL REFORM. Auckland, May 19.

REDUCING THE DEBT (To the Editor) Sir,—l was not the only person puzzled by the reported reduction of the National Debt, but I could not see how it was done. A friend In the south has sent me a copy of a letter that must have been printed in some paper down there, and the thing is made quite clear. This is the way it was done: “Mr Dub owes £lO to various people in shops and he has a mortgage of £IOO on his car. In the following year he increases his shop debts to £ls, but the mortgagee takes over the car and extinguishes the debt. Mr Nash then cheers Mr Dub in this fashion: 'ln the first year you owed £llO, and in the year following you owed £ls, so clearly you are £95 better off.’ ” Not having a car now, I suppose Mr Dub could stay at home and think that one out.—l am, etc., FIRST COUSIN. Hamilton, May 20. PRESS REPORTS (To the Editor) Sir,—The attacks being made on the newspapers by members of the Government will not carry the weight they did before the last election. In those days Labour speakers said that they could not get fair publicity, although there was usually ample in the way of reports to read. In order to get over this difficulty the new Government arranged for the proceedings in Parliament to he broadcast, and ever since any number of us have been satisfied that we got a fair review in the papers. It- was not until I heard that row—called a debate—that I realised how difficult the work of making a fair report was, and sometimes, after what I call a scrap in the House. I have looked in the papers next day just to see how it was reported. They make a more connected story than one could pick up over the air, I suppose, because they do not pay so much attention to the interjections. And while I am on it, why should all the national stations have to broadcast a speech by the leaders? Why not have one station on that work, with the rest keeping to their usual programmes? In that way, if we did not want to listen to politics of the party variety we could tune in to some other station. In* these days most people have sets good enough to pick up Wellington, if they want to, so let Wellington broadcast the speeches and the other stations could then get along with their own work. —I am, etc., NON-PARTY. Hamilton. May 20. FLOGGING NO DETERRENT (To the Editor) Sir,—England recently set up a committee to reconsider the question of corporal punishment. That committee has now reported, and it reoommended the abolition of corporal punishment except In one exceptional case—the maintenance of prison discipline. After a careful examination of the evidence the committee concludes: “We have been unable to find any body of facts or figures showing that the introduction of a power of flogging has produced a decrease in the number of offences for w’hich it may be imposed.” The London Spectator, in an article headed "The End of Judges’ Flogging,” points out that this conclusion leaves the approval of “the barbarity of this form of punishment in the hands of those w'ho believe purely in retributive punishment without any deterrent or reformative value; and even they must logically make an exception in the case of juvenile offences.” The committee further considers the effect of the report upon English public opinion, and sees no difficulty in the immediate and general application of the principle. It is interesting to note in regard to our own country that we have, in all our backwardness, one thing to teach England. Flogging as a prison punishment has long been abandoned. The Controller-General of Prisons, in his annual report of 1935, says: “Following the adoption of more humanitarian methods, the reduction in the number of Infractions of penal discipline m recent years has been most marked.” Now' that the whole matter has been threshed out by experts in England, the path seems clear for reform in New Zealand. Until we have reached [ the stage of abolishing physical torture it is possibly an exaggeration lo call ourselves civilised. Are we, as a people, sadists? Do we really still, as a people, find a satisfaction and outlet to our own sense of self-righteousness by the contemplation of useless suffering?—We are. etc.,