LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22936, 5 February 1940, Page 11

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

TO CORRESPONDENTS Owing to the necessity for conserving space, no letters of more than 200 words can be accepted for publication.—Ed„ “The Press.

Invalid.—Advise you to apply. direct to Social Security Department, giving details of disability. CONSCRIPTION ' TO THB EDITOR OT THE PRESS Sir, —The issue of conscription is one which is much in debate to-day, and those who oppose it seem to hold me view that it can only be advocated as a measure of military expediency. While there is no doubt that from this point of view it is ,the only really satisfactory method of fulfilling our duty to the Mother Country, this is not in fact the core of the matter. _ Dissenters, from Mr Savage downwards, seem to hold the view that it is a Hitlerist method and therefore 1191 one to be employed by . a democratic country. Individual freedom, they say, may be allowed in this matter. Yet if one looks the question logically m the face, this is clearly a' ridiculous argument; there is no such thing as an absolutely free country, and only under conditions of anarchism would it be a possibility. In a thousand ways the wish of the individual is subject to the authority of the State, and clearly it is the good of the people as a whole which the Government must look to. Did the Socialist government of France under Leon Blum repeal conscription? No, of course not, he realised, as must we, that it is patently ridiculous to put the wish of the individual before the g?od of the people when the very existence of the nation is at stake. And this, let there be no mistake about it, is what we are facing to-day. No, the question everyone must answer for himself to-day is this, Is it a just, admirable, and democratic system whereby in one family of sons, all four go to fight for their country, while in another the four sons sit back and enjoy life, letting the former do their duty for them? Yours, etc.. FAIR pLAY> February 3, 1940. PETROL RESTRICTIONS TO THB EOITOB or THB press. Sir, —We must .all admit that as regards petrol restrictions the Government is doing the right thing, and u remains for us to back it up and see that the restrictions work and not pul the Government in an odious position by slavish adherence to the letter of the ref Litions. It is up to the country doctor to save petrol where possible—he can often bicycle for short distances when things are slack, or even walk when things are very slack. When there is much sickness no garage or bowser proprietor is going to refuse a doctor petrol for necessary work. In the event of an acute abdominal or other urgent case arising, the petrol will be forthcoming so that the patient can be sent at once by private car to Christchurch without the delay that waiting for an ambulance would entail. , , . Of course we. can only speak for our own district. If the Government objects to our interpretation of the regulat&ns it is up to it to say so. Yours, etc “ COUNTRY DOCTOR, GARAGE PROPRIETOR. February 3, 1940. REFUGEE PSYCHIATRISTS FOR N.Z. MENTAL HOSPITALS TO THB EDITOR OT tflt PRBBB Sir,—lt transpires that five psychiatrists who, under 'pressure of Hitlerism, were forced to leave Austria, made application in recent months for positions in the mental hospitals department in this country, and that, notwithstanding that these experts had won for themselves high reputations, particularly as regards treatment of delinquents, the Director-General of Mental Hospitals rejected the applications. The reason, according to a report in the official organ of the Labour Party, was that it appeared to the Director-General that psychiatrists who lacked British blood in their veins would be unable to ,gam t|ie confidence of patients who did not lack British blood in their veins. •This view is not that of certain of the highest official authorities in Britain. In,the report of the Board of Control of British mental hospitals covering the year 1937, which is the latest repo'rt to hand, the members of the board, referring to Maudsley mental hospital, London, said: “One of the most striking features is the varied nationality, training, and outlook of the many doctors attached to the various departments in one capacity or another. This makes the Maudsley Hospital a place where doctors seconded for work or studying for examinations can come into daily contact with new ideas and gives them an opportunity of acquiring breadth of knowledge, not only of the technical side of their work, but also of the many ways in which it can be approached and handled, to the benefit of the patients here and in the hospitals to which they return.” , , That new blood is urgently needed at the administrative side of the mental hospitals of New Zealand, the official reports of the Director-General himself afford proof. These reports show that, notwithstanding that during the last 30 years the science of treatment of mental illnesses, has pronouncedly advanced; the percentage of recoveries, calculated on admissions, in the mental hospitals of this country has, during these years, pronouncedly declined.—-Yours, etc., ‘ LEONARD H. BOOTH. Decenfber 13, 1939. [Commenting on this letter, the Minister in Charge of Mental Hospitals (the Hon. P. Fraser) states: "Mr Booth is in error when he states that five refugee psychiatrists who have won high reputations have applied for positions in New Zealand mental hospitals and have been rejected. We have had a few applications from refugee doctors,‘but as our medical staff is at full strength, we have been unable to employ'them. In no such instance has the s r -t>licant had the qualifications or experience possessed by most of the present members of our medical staff. The position of the Maudsley Hospital is not analogous to that of a mental hospital. The Maudsley accepts only voluntary boarders, and much • of- its activity is devoted to the instruction of short, term assistants and to research work, in which differences in language would present no difficulty. In his final paragraph, Mr Booth illustrates the need for the warning issued by the Direc-tor-General in his latest report against drawing erroneous conclusions from statistics because of unfamiliarity with the facts. The recovery rate of the mental hospitals of this country is as high as it has ever been.]

THE CALLING OF PARLIAMENT TO THE EDITOB OF THE PBB3» 'Sir, —May I back up your leading article asking for the assembly of members of Parliament in the near future. Recent periodicals from England show that though emergency regulations and other legislation were passed without question on September 1, by the middle of November, when the House assembled, numerous members had other ideas, and vigorous criticism was forthcoming, leading to

amendment and moderation. 1 feel that such is dtie also in New Zealand: members now know, or should know, what their constituents think and feel, and there should be a chance tor them to give expression to this. There is also the more serious question of the whole attitude of the country to the war: it is not by any means proven that we are not needing an election as In Canada, to see where we are. The community is divided into three sections: those that want a more serious war-effort. involving. conscription; those that wish things to carry on as heretofore: and those that wish we should pull out from the war. Mr Frosts’s article in "To-morrow” indicates that at least one member thinks the last. Let us know where the others all stand.—Yours, etc., ' JOHN JOHNSON. Sumner, February 4, 1940.

CASH CYCLING TO THE fiDITOB OT TUB PB*8«. Sir,—Since writing on the above subject, I notice the officials ‘at English Park have somewhat sat up and taken notice of some of the doings at their meetings, but last Saturday night there were some rough house tactics which ought to be severely dealt with. Now,, on next Saturday, when the championships will be held, the riders will all be on their toes and some rough stuff may be dealt out. It is up to the officials to prove their worth. I would suggest that all the riders receive a short address from the master of ceremonies before they go on the track, and that they be told where! they land if found guilty of unfair riding.—Yours, etc.. . CYCLING FAN. January 30, 1940. Mr J, H. Parsons, secretary of the Canterbury Carh Cycle Club, made the following comment on this letter: “At the last few meetings the riders have been addressed by the referee before racing and warned against breaches of the rules. Several riders have been dealt with. The public can rest assured that the officials will take every step possible to ensure that the rules are observed.”

SOLDIERS* PAY TO TOB EDIT OB 0« FSB PBK33. Sir,—lf the Minister foi Defence is reported correctly in “The Press’* of February 2. the New, Zealand soldier on overseas service will only receive Is 6d a day for pocket money. This, combined with restricted remittances, will not make their life on active service any more pleasant, especially if they are in company with their Australian comrades who are more liberally treated. In the last war. with our 2s a day and no restrictions on remittances, we were always in a state of penury. A soldier on active service should have every consideration given to him, which would conduce to make his life more livable. Will this Is 6d a

day be in New Zealand currency?— Yours, etc., i s t CIB. February 3, 1940.

TRADE UNION PROPAGANDA TO THB EDITOR Ot TUB PRESS Sir, —Do you consider it fair play to hold one man’s hands and allow another man to hit him? This, is what y-u are doing when you print letters similar to that written by the individual who signs himself “Country First.” Let them have their patriotic jingoism printed by all means; but in the name of fair play refrain from printing their attacks on men who are denied the right of reply, by the emergency regulations. If it were not for these emergency regulations, any enlightened person could effectively dispose of the absurd and puerile argumerit stated by “Country First* in his attack on Mr Black. In a leading article this week you favourably compare the attitude of Britain to that of Germany in the matter of listening in to foreign stations, and rightly so; but it is all very well acquiescing in something it is impossible to prevent. Why not go one better and extend that freedom to speech and publication. —Yours, etc., g.l» February 3, 1940.

CITY COUNCIL STAFF PICNIC TO THB BBITOB O* TSCB PBEBS» Sir, —Could you tell me why the City Council staff picnic was held on Friday instead of on a Saturday this year. As a ratepayer, I object, and think our burden is heavy enough. All those men working only four days for their pay envelope looks as if they are overstaffed. —Yours, etc., SUFFERING RATEPAYER. January 31, 1940. EWhen this letter was referred to the Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville), he said that the award under which the staff works provided for a picnic day. A suitable day was selected by the staff, and approved by the works committee of the City Council.!

BAND DISPLAY TO TBB tDllOfl Of ran tatfis. Sir,—This last week, from our commercial station, we have heard numerous announcements of a band display to celebrate the coming out of our camp band from Burnham; also an announcer’s plea for more flesh-and-blood talent for our commercial station. As a bandsman (at present an invalid) I waited alongside the radio, together with three old bandsmen, all over 70 years of age, to have an opportunity of hearing our champion bands, together with our new Burnham cotnreceived on a frequency of 1430 was a repetition of canned music we can hear during the week; this sometimes becomes boring 18 hours d£ Why should a’ broadcast a week ago such as Stewart’s Gully be given ua. where only. one attending the gala could appreciate what it was all about when a musical treat supplied, by pur own flesh and blood, champion bands at that, could have been broadcast by one of our three radio stations? ' Couldn’t the country listeners, together with the unfortunates who were unable to attend, be catered for? Ashburton Band was to contribute to the programme, yet not one from that district could tune into his own band’s performance. Why not use the fleshand blood for broadcasting (as desired by the authorities), especially when we have the New Zealand champions, A grade, B grade, and pipers?— Yours, 6tC CORNET PLAYER. February 5, 1940.