LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24366, 19 September 1944, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Veritas (Greymouth).—lnformation not . available locally. Suggest you write to New Zealand Rugby Union, Wellington, REHABILITATION OF SERVICE WOMEN Sir, —You recently printed a list of the women appointed to the sub-com-mittee of the Christchurch section. I would be much obliged if you could inforrirme how this committee has been passed; who nominated the appointed; and when wefe the various organisations asked to nominate their representatives. Some of those appointed have no connexion with the organisations mmUoned^Yours^efc^ September 16. 1944. [The Christchurch rehabilitation offi-* cer (Mr J. B. Pearson) said yesterday that the appointments were made by the Rehabilitation Board.] HOSPITAL EXPANSION Sir,—From the published plan of the proposed new hospital it appears Ahat the present beautiful grounds are to be badly mutilated. The seclusion is to be lost fofever and the gardens made hard of access to convalescent patients from about half the wards. Offhand mention was made about an extra entrance to serve ambulances from Riccarton being provided later. Is the hospital to be encircled by a- roadway for ambulartces and doctors’ cars instead of restful gardens? Further, with the increased bed capacity provided by the new blocks, extra accommodation for nurses will be required, Will this entail further encroachment on the reserves later? A rebuilding plan is urgently required, but a modified plan should meet the Immediate need, and the Cashmere plan proceeded with later as the,need of progressive Christchurch wilT dictate.—Yours, etc.,, PUBLIC GARDEN. September 18. 1944. [This correspondence is now closed.— Ed.. “The Press.”] FARMERS AND A SALE Sir,—l must apologise to the correspondents who answered my letter concerning “poor” farmers. I admit there are some genuine poor farmers, .who work from daylight to dark to, keep the money-lenders in golf clubs, etc.; but what I really want to know is if the farmers, and the rich city folk; were or were not buying furniture at the sale, what \yere they doing, there? If 3000 workers (including miners): were to drop their tools to go to see some of their products sold, just when, they felt like it, they would be fined for striking or absenteeism. Why always pick on the workers? Every day, one reads of miners stopping work but never the bosses. To “Fair Play” *may I suggest he read the Dean of Canterbury’s book, “The Socialist Sixth of the World,” before he talks about “love and unity.”—Youts. etc., BE CONSISTENT. September 18, 1944. . / [This correspondence is now closed. — Ed., “The Press,"] D.D.T. Sir,—A good deal of publicity has been given to the substance dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane—more commonly known as D.D.T. This chemical is credited with the power of destroying practically every insect pest which hinders the production of clean (but not necessarily healthy) foodstuffs. The matter has been discussed by the committee of the Compost Club and it is felt that a note of warning should be sounded. It is wise to remember that no amount of mere treatment will lessen the incidence of disease. The only way to produce healthy crops is by restoring health to the soil. It is only from such soils that disease-resist-ing foodstuffs can be produced. The use of D.D.T. is an artificial method of “treatment”—not a natural method of “prevention”; therefore, the results of protracted experiments should be awaited before its use becomes universal.—Yours, etc., CHAS. E. St. JOHN. September 18, 1944. VICTORY LOAN ADVERTISING Sir,—While wholeheartedly sponsoring the current Victory Loan, and endorsing the appeal after the war news, I do think that the powers that be have erred grievously and shown little taste and no sympathy whatever, for those parents, relatives, and intimate friends of those who have paid the supreme price, when they allow to be put over the air: . What use is the dough If someone you know Won’t come marching home. Possibly I’m supersensitive but it does hurt to be blatantly reminded that one’s flesh and blood have mingled with a foreign dust. Willingly they have made the supreme sacrifice. Let us remember them lovingly in the silence df our hearts, for they, Wearing wounds like stars, shall rise again, Joint heirs with Christ, because they bled to save, His weak ones, not in vain. Thus shall the ever recurring memory of them console and not irritate.—Yours, etc., PRO PATRIA. September 18, 1944.