LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24546, 20 April 1945, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Don Quixote.— Complain to advertiser. Keep Racing Clean.—Exceeds space limit (150 words). 2 Confused.—Mr S. E. McGregor, officer in charge of the Department Of Labour, says that the workers you mention are entitled to annual holidays. "Whether or not time off at week-ends 'ls Included In the annual holiday period is a matter for personal agreement between the employer and the worker, he said. WHEAT Sir,—The leading article in "The Press" to-day is excellent, and it is to be hoped everyone has read iL With starvation staring the world in the face we have all to put out our most resolute efforts, New Zealand is known at present as the best country in the world for, food and the comforts of life. Yet every day we see in the newspapers some section of the citizens greedily clamouring for more —more food and more wages. One section of the community does not strike for its rights—the farming section. It feeds us all and those fighting for our freedom. But costs of production and of the necessary machinery are steadily rising. When the farmer points this out, a deaf ear is turned to his petitions. The Government asks him for more production, but is adamant against him—Yours, etc., NOT A FARMER. April 19, 1945. Sir,—l have read Mr Sullivan’s speech urging growing more, wheat, with your leading article and the reactions of the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union executive, in this morning s papers Though shocked by the tone of the union speakers, as I am sure most of their womenfolk must be, whose hearts have been wrung by the suffering of starving women and children in Europe, I, as a farmer’s daughter, fully appreciate the trials and injustices that have roused their bitterness. But we women expect of them —a finer attitude than that of, say, the coalminers, who keep us short of coal. SUrely the solution is the rationing of bread? If the Government prepared the way for bread rationing by enlisting the help of the women’s organisations, I am quite sure • 'the measure would soon have general acceptance.—Yours, etc., A FARMER’S DAUGHTER. April 19, 1945. PAYMENT OF M.P.’S Sir,— Perhaps your readers will understand what has been done and the injustice of the action if some comparison! are made plain. Inus. the salary of a member of Parliament is increased by £6 a week, a tradesman gets 11s Bd, and our soldiers, who are expected to make any sacrifices aim wear a good proportion of secondhand clothes and boots, and finally go overseas on boats so overcrowded that they are only to be allowed On deck for two hours each day, will get 7s.— Yours, etc., SOME JUSTICE. April 18, 1945.

CELEBRATION OF PEACE . Sir,—The consciences of “A Farmer,” “Red X-Worker,” and V. Wilkinson are ardused, as they feel that slew Zealand does not realise her responsibilities in a hunger-stricken world. Apart, from a feeble reminder from the Meat Board telling us to destroy unused coupons, there has been no condemnation of the luxury eating here. Meat coupons scrounged, cream scrounged, illicit cream from the milkman, extra milk set for'cream, morning and afternoon teas, suppers—what right have we to this luxury eating? It is a pretty thought that we import wheat when our shops are full of cakes bnd buns and there is no limit to the food consumed in restaurants and teashops. How right, when we are told that rationing in New Zealand is “an imperial gesture”!—Yours, etc., GWENDOLINE S. L. JELLETT. April 18, 1945. Sir,—Most of us have read in “The Press” the fate of most babies bom in Holland during the last two years; they died before the age of 12 months, died slowly of malnutrition, simply because their mothers had no milk with which to feed them. Let us start acting on the day of peace celebration.' What is required is a lead from organisers of peace celebrations —just a matter of an idea catching on. People i ill want to turn out and do something. Well, let us turn out and make the biggest piles of tinned food yet seen. There would be no lack of volunteers to pack and transport the food —not In this district, anyhow.—Yours, etc., ’ . FARMER. Amberley, April 15, 1945. Sir,—Mr Sullivan made’ a strong appeal to farmers to grow more wheat, and V. Wilkinson suggests as a peace celebration that we could do without importing wheat from Canada and so let the starving peoples in Europe benefit. Isn’t it up to us citizens to do what we can? One has only to look into dust-bins, week by week, to see how much flour could be saved if people would only buy bread and cakes that are absolutely necessary. Rationing of meat and butter has helped wonderfully. Why hot stop waste and help?— Yours, etc., * DON’T WASTE BREAD. April 18. 1945. RACE, REGION, AND RELIGION Sir,—The great hates of the past, Christian and Moslem, Protestant and Catholic, filled many graveyards and ended with the haters and the hated dominant in separate zones. Approximately those different religions are preferred by different races. If those zones had been agreed to before fighting instead of after, much suffering would have been avoided. Now there is an opportunity to do what was neglected then. The political inclinations of Slavs, Latins, and Goths cannot be reconciled without time; and space is the equivalent to time. Respective and respected zones might prevent another hate harvest.—Yours, etC " H. J. .BUTTLE. Darfleld, April 10, 1945.'