PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20731, 15 February 1939, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but <or 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.

BUCKWHEAT CAKES (To the Editor) Sir, —Buckwheat cakes appear to be used extensively in the United States and Europe, but not in England. There they grow buckwheat only for poultry. ! Buckwheat honey is dark, similar to i tea tree, but there is a difference in the make-up, apparently. Tea-tree I honey may contain plenty of iron, but buckwheat less, with this marked difference: In the latter there is much more manganese and copper than in

| clover or alfalfa honeys. It is only in 1 ; the last three years that analysts have found out the part “copper” plays. ! What part the manganese plays In the natural economy is at present unWithout copper it is found that the beneficial effects of iron would not be , possible. It appears we need a certain amount of iron each day, and so people should take the honey as it ; comes, though dark, to experience the full benefit of iron. No doubt to some it is rather distasteful, like medicine, and the dark honey. As far as the writer knows, buckwheat is not grown in New Zealand for poultry. Why not? We appear |to be dependent solely on wheat, I pollard, and not even barley meal, j which was, in England, if not now, used solely for poultry and animals. ' It would not be putting “all our eggs into one basket,” as the late GovernorGeneral remarked. Another vital thing it would help to bring about, as one of the delegates to the importers’" conference at Wellington lately suggested, would be to give employment to more on the land and help to lessen unemployment, as there appear to be so many idle acres. | The buckwheat plant, I understand. is allied to the dock and rhubarb 1 species. It is planted in rows 18 ! inches apart, like maize. How much | room each plant takes up the writer cannot say, but there must be some readers of the Times who are well acquainted with the plant and possibly have tasted the cakes. Why | should not the North Island take to • growing the plant?—l am, etc., BUCKWHEAT, j Raglan, February 12.

BIRTH CONTROL

(To the Editor) Sir,—Mr Marcus James wishes the discussion of birth control to have an ! efhical background. Is birth control : right or wrong? Let us not consider expediency. And he says it is wrong, evil. I do not wish to express an opinion either way, but to see where the thesis of Mr James leads next. { It is an obvious fact, he says, I hat man is a spiritual being. (Many deny this, but that does not matter.) Man is a spiritual being because he is of and from a spiritual Creator. ?o are all created things, whether or not they are as conscious of the fact as is Mr .Tames. Man has certain appetites, including that toward reproduction. “The maternal instinct is paramount in woman,” says our friend. I deduce that the argument of Mr James is that this appetite, or instinct, having been implanted so deeply, it is our duty—one of our greatest duties—to revere it and do nothing to frustrate it or control it—within the bonds of matrimony. (We shall say nothing of other “instincts.”) Now Mr James knows, we presume, that most of us depend for much of our food and clothing upon the fact that man imposes birth control upon animals with exactly the same instinct, ( implanted for exactly the same pur- ■ pose. lie uses force to impose birth i control upon his horses, dogs, cattle, | sheep, all of which are anxious to j obey the law of nature, or the Godgiven instinct: | Is it more evil to choose to do : wrong oneself or to force an evil act, upon the life of those under one’s care* and without power to resist one’s strength? Has not one read somewhere about “offending one of those little ones”? Perhaps Mr James forgets that man arrived on this planet long after our : brother animals, and is one of those | who believes that animals were ! created for his use and comfort. ! Suppose that is Ills belief; there is j still that natural or God-given instinct j of theirs, exactly like ours, and presumably of like holiness. I This is not an argument for birth | control. I would merely suggest to | our friend that when one takes a stand ;on ethics one does not throw over • logic. The rights and wrongs of this | world problem are very, very comi plex, no matter from what point and ! along what lines one argues.—l am, i etc., 9 AGNES MAC. j Tuhikaramea. February 1-i. | (To the Editor) j Sir.—Replying to recent criticisms, ! from information received the debate ! on this subject is arousing lively in- ; forest in the North Island; therefore | the contention of “J.8.W.” is hardly j correct. The question of the Maori ; hostel has my support. | The reply of “Face Facts, Not I Fancy.” is along the usual line of i thought of this group. My contention i has not been “absolutely discredited.” and “Face Facts. Not Fancy,” has not j read my original letters, etc., or h?. I would not have stated that I have not j produced evidence. The answer to ■ my question is certainly shrewd and ingenious; the correspondent answers, “Yes." except in cases of murder. i The instructions to humanity are, “Thou shall not kill.” with no qualifications. We cannot split hairs with i ‘•specially-defined directions.” Where “Face Facts, Not Fancy,” | fails to convince is owing to his blindness of an obsession of biological , facts. He fails to see the greater fact i of the spiritual survival of man after deatli. That which is unseen is ; eternal: as against that which is seen, ; which is temporal. Further, we are i not discussing natural laws of birth j control, but a pernicious evil intention or motive in the modern mind of female humanity, of the superior type, the relined type, which springs from the selfishness of the species. My opponent stresses the welfare nr the individual, yet by supporting birth control he is supporting something whicli is destroying manhood ami womanhood, mentally, physically and spiritually. If it is a question of national welfare. Him to support universal race-destruction in the lonrun is a peculiar method of preserving the welfare of the race. The 1 logic and reasoning powers of "Face

Paris, Not Fancy." arc astray somewhat. Tt is like the successful medical operation that, kills the patient-: the operation was right. hut the patient collapsed and died, Strange.:—[ mi. MAH CL'S >T B. JAMES. Hamilton, February ii.

OUT OF THE DUST?

(To the Editor) Sir,—Much of the fine clay soil, etc., from the removal of the “Hill** is finding its way into the stocks of unfortunate shopkeepers in Victoria Street. I suggest that the borough employ a man to collect this soil, etc., and have it sent to the brickworks, whereby bricks can be produced to build our noble town (or rather city) hall, which will grace the desolate spot when the “Hill” is defunct. It may cost a bit extra, but it will help to solve a problem or so.— I am, etc., DIOGENES. Hamilton, February 14.

COMPENSATING PRICE (To the Erlitor) Sir.—The soundness of any policy is judged by its effect upon the living; standard. Mr J. Johnstone, however.

has conjured up for liis convenience a new definition of the word “sound” by that a policy which gives equal treatment to primary and secondary industries is “unsound,” while a “sound” policy is one which places efficient industries at a disadvantage for the benefit of inefficient ones. Since a high standard of living depends upon our efforts as a nation being utilised in the most productive channels rather than in the least productive, the “soundness” of Mr Johnstone's policy can be left to the imagination. I am sure that most, of your correspondent’s difficulties in understanding the compensating price would be overcome if he only took the trouble to study the official literature on the subject. He would discover, then, that the gap it is designed to close is due to tariffs and other charges imposed by legislation. If he would reflect upon the fact that freight and retailers’ profits are not generally imposed by legislation I should be saved the necessity of using much of your valuable space to answer questions. The burden of Mr Johnstone’s complaint against the farmers’ demand for justice is that it is both “unsound” and “impracticable.” We have already examined his views on “soundness,” and I regret to find a similar peculiarity in his use of the word “impracticable.” He fears that charges levied on the community to assist fanners will be passed on in entirety t.o farmers in the same way as the charges levied to assist manufacturers. It should not require much mental effort on the part of our legislators to devise a method of assisting farmers in such a manner that the cost will not be passed on to Ihem. A sixth standard schoolboy could do it. If Mr Johnstone wishes. I will outline for his benefit a number of ways in which this could be accomplished. As a further comment on the “impracticability” of the proposals as seen by your correspondent it may assist him to know that New Zealand is almost the only country left in which exporters do not receive substantial compensation for high internal costs.—l am, etc., G. HUNTER. Horsham Downs, February 14.

* MONETARY REFORM (To the Editor) Sir,—Of course I accept Mr Gallichan’s word that he did not stand officially as a Douglas Credit candidate. Everyone knew he stood as an Independent. This, however, is merely splitting straws. My proof that Mr Calliehan's address was pure Douglas Credit is not denied by him, and as regards this statement of mine, he in reply merely says that I am “a back o’ beyond,” “a never advancing dragman on the intellectual progress of economics,” which is simply abuse, and is ever typical of a weak and hopeless defence. How was T to know that Mr Gallichan had resigned from the Douglas Credit party? Anyhow, the fact that he recently was a supporter accounts for the “milk in the cocoanut.” He further said that he “cannot accept Mr Kenah's statement, as we have only his word.” This is choice, and I would remind him that among gentlemen it is usual to accept a man’s word. Presumably Mr GaPmhan is a leftwinger of the Douglas Credit: so there, has been a split in the party. The conundrum is, “When is monetary reform not monetary reform?” And the answer is, “When it is Douglas Credit.” Anyhow, I am very sure that Mr C.allichan had the blessing of the Douglasites, as otherwise he would have been slated by Messrs Hunter and Young. These two gentlemen have slated most of the great men of the British Eippire, but if anyone draws attention to' the ridiculous claims of Douglas Credit they get very annoyed. Just now they are striving 'to enlist the farmers for the compensated price, and as regards this the fact is that the farmers "must be compensated for their increased costs, but I warn them to beware of swallowing Douglas ' Credit, bait, sinker and hook. A few years ago Captain Rushworth lectured in New Plymouth, and his first words were: “I am to address you on Douglas Credit, but after the address I don’t expect you to know any more about it than you do now.” This is the most sensible utterance I have ever heard from a Douglasite. 1 see Mr R. G. Young has hi*d a brain wave. He suggests issuing £IOO.OOO Reserve Bank notes and buying food to send to Spain. If he j will take a tip from me, the best thing i to do with that swag of bank notes ; is to put a match to it. Mr C.allichan says 1 am “childish”: . be can bet on that, for ii is character- : istic of a child to ask questions that ‘ adults, and possibly Douglasites and monetary reformers, cannot answer.— I I am, etc., W. P. KEN AH. Baglan, February 13.