IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 243, 14 October 1929, Page 6

IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

MEDICAL -"RIGHTS." THE HUNTLY DISPUTE. (To the Editor.) The Huntly Medical Club proposes to accept two pounds yearly from each member. Tfa e Hospital Board is to supply, i n return ' {Qr ® contribution, one or two doctors who will attend the members and take charge of the little lo ca i hospital. Members are to pay no medical fees. The British Medical Association declareß this arrangement to be "an encroachment n „ the rights of qualified practitioners, and 2 interference with private practice." There n7 no "rights" of private medical practice a medical man is legally free to make any'con tract between himself and prospective patient that may pleaso him and them. A fX qualified man has accepted sixpenny f ees win," medicine (not tho bottle) included. The BM A could do nothing. A doctor can—and often does—give his services. In this particular the Medical Club is making an offer. It i open to any doctor or doctors to accept W Neither the board nor the B.M.A. has anv legal right to interfere. ' There is at this moment a medical club in the north, m v W £250 towards £500 provided by the local hos pital board for the resident doctor, who attends and visits without further fee. Dr. Valintine seems not to know this, as he has asserted the idea to be new. There are still a few inde pendent spirits in the profession, and if the Huntly Committee keeps to its declared deter mination "not to be dictated to" it will ga i n a " doctor or two, if not the good will 0 f the B-M.A. WATCHMAN.

INDUSTRY IN NEW LYNN.

As I live in the aristocratic end, the West End, of New Lynn, I naturally did not know of any trouble in connection with the industrial development of the borough until 1 read your report of it in Tuesday's issue of the "Star." A delicate delegation opposing the establishment of a tile and pottery works (at the very gateway of the borough), the horror of the middle classes, seems to have overlooked the fact that even now when one arrives in The Village by train one steps almost directly from the station platform into a brickyard. Considering the price of bricks, nothing could be more calculated to impress a visitor with the wealth and distinction of New Lynn than this intimate and immediate contact with solid riches "dug from the bowels of the harmless earth" (Shakespeare). A tile and pottery works must be an even more ravishing sight than a brickyard. It should not, therefore, be opposed on aesthetic grounds. A point was made, in a most disinterested way to be sure, that the value of land in New Lynn would decrease by twenty-five per cent. This means at the present time that, in spite of the astronomic imagining of the officers of the Valuation Department, one would have to pay handsomely to get rid of land in New Lynn. So, again, we have an argument in favour of the proposed industry, for the more la.nd is dug up and sent away as tiles and pottery tlie less will remain for distribution among the (anticipated) middle classes and the value of properties can be stabilised at zero. Except in my own exclusive district, of course, I used to be under the impression that New Lynn wg,s altogether "a j working man's paradise" (see London Office literature). But we are progressing, I find. We now aim at the establishment of a resident middle class. The workman, with or without work, is not wanted, it seems, especially if his needs demand the establishment of tile and pottery works. I believe some of this alleged middle class who disdain to do their shopping locally are already honouring us with their presence. It was possibly with a design to squeeze out the workers that we spent eighty thousand pounds on sewers which may be wanted fifty years hence. We have to live up to those sewers, you know, like Du Maurier's young couple who hoped they might be worthy to live up to the cracked "art" teapot. From the ratepayers' point of view I think it would be cheaper to establish an. industry offering employment than to impose upon them without their consent loans for local works on the specious plea of relieving distress, as was done some years ago and very likely will be done again. EAU DE NIL DESPERAXDUM. '

DEVONPORT FINANCES.

Mr. J. Hislop, in his capacity as DeputyMayor, is reported in your issue of the 10th inst. as taking particular exception to the criticism of tlie Devonport Property Holders' Association that a loan of £132,000 had cost the borough £4000 to raise. The figures quoted ( £4502) were fupplied to me officially by the town clerk under cover of a letter from him. This should effectually refute any suggestion that the association is endeavouring to misrepresent matters or mislead ratepayers regarding this item. None of the other figures are challenged, and as all are taken either from the municipal accounts for the year ending March 31, 1929, or from data supplied by the council itself, I suggest that even Mr. Hislop might be well advised to peruse the borough accounts before attempting to discredit a body whose sole object is the good of the borough. D. W. McLEAN, President, Devonport Property Holders' Assn.

MUSIC IN THE COMMUNITY.

Perhaps the writer of the letter "Music's Future" in Wednesday's issue is not aware that a small but representative lending library —containing music and musical literature is housed in the free Public Library building, and that the reading room attached is open daily. Also a recent demonstration of "group teaching" proved that even the most restricted income would permit thorough musical instruction for every child. The schools should seriously consider the adoption of some such method. AD ASTRA.

MILITARY TRAINING.

I am surprised at "Ex-Imperial Private, for he ought to know that the good name o| "volunteer" is of no use here, and I woulu. like to see the result of the volunteer system in New Zealand. It also may interest him to know that I was horn in Glasgow. Scotland. Oliver Mason would perhaps care to know that army officials have been highly amused at the attempts of local correspondents to condemn conscription, and not at the efforts of statesmen in the cause of peace. The sentiments of "Mere Cadet - ' can be easily summed up, ' ,l 3 we can see that he is suffering from the general grievance against having to give i'l' one night in the week. "A.E.C." has sarcastically informed me that I know nothing of the real state of affairs. It is obvious that anybody who has not actually been to war can never imagine its realities. To correspondents who write about "teaching our boys to kid. I say please remember that the Department is "New Zealand Defence Forces" and not "N Zealand Challenge Forces." One correspondent mentions that the whole thing should be abolished in every British Dominion. He should, remember that New Zealand is only a verj small country with a very small population, in the middle of a vast expanse of water, ana is easily accessible from all directions. I Sll 'd before, and say again, war is the old code; it is in mankind's blood and alwavs will be. CADET N.C.O.