CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 31, 6 February 1925, Page 10

CORRESPONDENCE.

"FOR GOOD OR FOR ALL." (To lbc Editor i Sir,-—As one of the audience, I wish to state that Mr. Curamings did not. give the true fact- ni the address given by a member ni ihe N.Z. Labour Party in Quay Street on a recent Sunday afternoon, also that lie i-nllld ll"l have been a very attentive listener, ntherivi-e he would have known that the address xvas based on freedom "f speech lof which Mr. C'limniings declare* lie :- a lover). Moreover, the speaker xvns mil a Communist. The speaker dealt xvith llie subject ot territorial* Iwing deprived of their civil right for a term of years, while men who had committed unspeakable offences on little children, xvere on their release permitted to go at xvill amongs: respectable people, and also Ilßd the privilege of exercising a vote. 1 respectfully siigposi that if Mr. Cumminge has a solution to the economic problems of the day. ii is hi- boiinden duty to take the platform and give the" community the benefit of his superior knowledge in-toad of keeping it all to himself. I am. etc.. •T. M. MORIUS-.IKNKINS.

INFANTILE PARALYSIS. :To tbe I'd Hot , Sir. He infantile paralysis, I. too. knowing the wonderful results "rained hy the use of sea water and massage for treatment following what the disease leaves, fool that everyone who has the care of a crippled child should know. Given a good trial, in mild cases an alnio-t sure and complete cine results and severe cases must benefit accordingly. In the ll'lil epidemic my son. then two years of age. xvas one of the tirst eases in Auckland. He xvas left with leg drawn. .one. font dropped, ami slightly turned I eyes. Acting on advice of a friend whose i son. xvas treated many years ago xvith 'sea xvuter for another form of paralysis. .1 lost no time in Irving it for my boy. I pave n xvarm bin bath daily, xvith hand massage and xvarm olive oil to folloxvj for quite three months, then followed, six months' electrical massage. iHe runs around xvell and strong, the 'foot is hardly noticeable, and certainly there is no xveakness in the affected limb. —I am. etc., INTERESTED MOTHER. "Another Old-fashioned Mamma" I agrees with nn earlier correspondent in i thinking that this disease is only -n ■good old-fashioned sunstroke," and that , the thing to do is tn see tlint children ixvear proper bats and clothing. On the other hand, 'Worried" a-ks I why, if the disease is only sunstroke, it does not attack children every summer.

RE REFORM UNMASKED. iTo the L'ditor i Sir, —I read with a certain Amount of interest and amusement, the letter from that "sound" critic, Mr. Hall Skclton, on the re-valuation of soldiers' lands, which is being made liy the Reform Government in the interests of the settlers. Xow. sir. there are one or I xvo questions I would like to ask Mr. Hall ISkelton. In the first place, is il not n Ifact that the returned soldiers "vigorlously and ably supported hy the general j public." demanded that they should lie (placed upon tlie land: not un the backblock settlements, but on improved or partly improved farm*, irrespective of x.-lictiier the soldier xvas n farmer, baker, blacksmith, clerk, or any oilier trade or callin<r: nnd that the (.01 eminent, should financially assist him? Tlie cry xvent out. "gixe him n chance." and nn man in Vexv Zealand raised one Voice in protest. In the second place, did nut the Government's advisers, "practical farmers," advise the Government to purchase those farms, and in every instance xvns not the price below the then rulilil* values? We are all wise after the event, but xvould Mr. Hall Skelton "il" lie had been at the xvar for two or three years" have -een pleased xvith any Government who offered him a baekblock section, and expected bim to go into isolation and be a pioneer as a little compensation for what he had done in helping to defend this country? On the other hand, had jMr. Skelton been the owner of a proIperty xvhich the Government wished to I purchase for a returned soldier, and been I compelled to sell at a price lieloxv the I then ruling value, xvould he have been j satisfied or considered it justice? Is 'our "-mind" critic aware that the Government, on the advice of practical farmers refused to purchase very many farms, which the soldiers were demanding and beseeching them to purchase, 'because the price xvas in excess of (heir values? As regards much of the money being paid to known supporters of Reform, hoxv could that 'be avoided, unless a Government is compelled to purchase. Only from its political opponents? Noxv. sir, let mc ask Mr. Hall Skelton not to make vaeue insinuations, but to enlighten, "if he has the facts," the geno!ral public by stating the names of the !property oxvners xvho sold at fictitious prices to the Government; the locality lof the properties, the prices paid for I same, and the approximate date xvhen I the transactions were made. Surely Mr. jSkelton is aware that very many of our .practical farmers, business men, and lex-en solicitors, purchased properties somewhere about the same time, and have "been very heax-y losers.—l am, etc., H. CARTER.

(To tlie Editor.) Sir, —Under the heading of "Reform Unmasked" Mr. Hall Skelton once again attacks the Massey Government on the |purchase of lands for soldier settlement. 'After reading the letter one wonders I whether Mr. Skelton is really serious in his opinion or whether he is only ! seeking a cheap form of advertisement (for the next election. If Mr. Skelton's views arc the best argument the liberal party have against the Massey Government it is no wonder that "Bill" continues to hold the reins of power, as the great "silent vote" knoxxs perfectly xvell that the boom in land commenced before the Government bought one acre 'of land for the returned soldiers, and iwhen they did buy they bought at the lvalues ruling at tlie time, and in many instances in the Auckland province below the market values, thanks to Mr. Skect, late Commissioner of Crown "Lands. It is so very easy to be xvise and criticise afterwards, but had the price of produce continued as it xvas xvhen these lands were bought, the Opposition xvould have continued as dumb as they were when the land was bought . Anyone xvould think, from the tone of iir. ■Skeltons letter, that the Government ruled the law of supply and demand, and i that they were responsible for the fall in produce xx-hieh xvas the cause of the fall in land values. Noxv. sir. if the Gov ernment made a mistake and lost txvo •niilliong through paving too much for its land, can Mr. Skelton tell us how | many hundreds of hard-headed farmers, 1 and others also made the

same mistake iF could name a good many belonging to the Liliora.l party i ,'uui dreds of men wiih just as much and perhaps more bruin power than Mr. Skelton has. which proves that Mr. Skeltr»n"s tirade against the tiovcrnmenl in this instance is merely twaddle. I am. ele OXLOOK-Kl;, SCREEN TESTS. it,-, ihe Editor i Sir. I haxe been asked hv scleral friends if 1 think Mr. liuaumoiil Smith's ■ iiijf. iis in milk" unsuspecting screen aspirants appear ridiculous for ihe amusement uf the public. Personally. 1 think that the scheme is \cry unfair to the people who arc made In act foolish scenes, especially as i he actors are t,,ld In perl,inn "stunts" t ), :l t ~ro ~\. treinelv burl,.-quod. Some max sax- that if people wish 1., make fools of'(hem 'elves n is (heir nun limit : but the tost- arc s„ arranged Hull I lie performer- cannot help 1 heinselves. Many p,, ~, tbe I hen iiv cxpeciinp 1,, be m,",,1,, ~,, l"i- the tests and piven sonic kind ~f rehearsal. They are told to perform unnatural "-tunt." thai xvould be acted only in comic nicttires, and in the glare of the lights a,„l ,1,,. :,|ni,,.sphere that is created tbev do n,,l notice tlii- fact until it is all .nor. bin act as the directorin whom Ihev mil their l'aiili tells ilmm t". Docs i, man po down on his knes xvhen nropi.-ini' In a girl, in a "sennits" picture? Should the 1,,.,-,,, H f„. r his sweetheart his been chloroformed, return, and alto,- ,- |i„p tho label on a lion!,-, exclaim "Piusun.'" Is it natural for tv„ y, .line- loves who enter a draxving room. In gii/o al the root' and -ay. "Isn-t the ,„•„,„ beautiful?" 1 ,1,, ,„'.! believe that ihe iisniratiis have been piven a lair chance t.", show xvhai screen ability they posses-. If professional actors, were taken mi to the stape and made to net scenes about which Ihev knexv absolutely nothing they, in their uncertainty, xvould seem equally ridirii inns; so those xxlio feel ashamed at having been made to look foolish in their eagerness in become -tars may take comfort. I am. etc.. A PROFESSIONAL PERFORMER.