ABUSE OF PLEASURE

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 97, 26 April 1922, Page 11

ABUSE OF PLEASURE

(To the Editor.) •~rlr.—At a time when all in this country are deprecating the stringency of money, especially with regard to the requirements of the Xew Zealand Government in financing the public services, one is led to lock around for the cause of this difficulty. Now, to mc, s'.r. one of the primary causes of this financial trouble is the precedence given to pleasure over business by the inhabitants of these islands. Take for example the recent Easter festival. Jn most countries it began on Good Friday find ended on Easter Monday, the following Tuesday being the start in business, not omitting the banks and #olic:tor-.«. Not *o in Xew Zealand; the banks and solicitors did not open on Tuesday. The former opened on the Wednesday an.l again closed on St. George's Day, which is not a holiday in England, while the New Zealand solicitors have not and will not resume business until Wednesday, 26th inst., thereby most seriously delaying business and putting the community to a most unnecessary trouble, inconvenience and expense. The pleasure seeking proclivities of the New Zealand population far exceeds that of most other countries, while 1 : ts craving for gambling is so great as to call for immediate legislative action. If this spirit of pleasure before business isnotchecked Xew Zealand will soon be, if not at present, a bankrupt State.—l am. etc., HORACE SMITHSOX.