LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24581, 1 June 1945, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Inquirer (Ashburton).—We have no knowledge ol your rights in the matter. You should consult the Ashburton Postmaster. Fred Laws.—The chairman o t the - North Canterbury Hospital Board gave a lull explanation in remarks at a meeting ol the board reported in “The Press” on April 27. FARMERS’ USE OF PETROL Sir,—lt is a matter of astonishment to me that the oil fuel authorities have never taken steps to deal with the practice indulged in by many fanners of running their cars on tractor petrol. It would b,e interesting to know how much revenue the Government loses yearly as a result of this practice. It is no use those concerned denying it; actions speak louder than words. Some of these cars are never oft the roads, and this simply cannot be done on the licence and half coupon. One farmer candidly admitted that he always keeps one drum of petrol ahead of requirements.' Could not the position be met by colouring the petrol supplied for farm machinery?— Yours, etc., HALF COUPON. Ashburton, May 28, 1945. [The District Oil Fuel Controller, Christchurch, says he will be pleased to take the appropriate action if Half Coupon” will supply him with the full facts of the case, together with his own name and address, as a guarantee of good faith.] WAR SERVICES OF VARIOUS RACES Sir,—l did not question the “quality” of the Jewish war effort but the "quantity.” Mr Bernstein failed to distinguish this fact, but he has now reduced the number of Jews serving with the Allied forces from 3,000,000 to 1,000,000. He is still too high. The last sentence of his letter amuses me,—Yours, etc., ' RETURNED NZEDDER, May 29, 1945. POWER OF WATERSIDE WORKERS Sir,—lt is surely a startling commentary on the powers of the Waterside Workers’ Union that at a meeting of shippers held in Timaru the' Manpower Officer (Mr Winkle) felt constrained to obtain the sanction of the union (represented by Mr Ballinger) before being at liberty to make arrangements necessary for working the port of Timaru. “Would the Waterside Workers’ Union agree to Army labour being called upon when all other -sources had been exhausted? Mr Winkle asked Mr Ballinger. Obviously if Mr Ballinger' had said “Nol” to this abject query, then of course Mr Winkle would have had officially to admit (what we all know) that the Waterside Workers’ Union is the supreme authority in the Dominion to-day.—Yours, etc., AJAX. May 30, 1945. FIRST ECHELON MAN’S GRIEVANCE Sir,—l read “Greece’s” letter in today’s issue. His grievance is not only correct but moderate. The returned sick personnel were not only given 28 days’ leave against the furlough period of 90 days, but were given, and had to accept 3s a day subsistence allowance. against 4s 8d a day for the furlough personnel. The crowning insult to the volunteer members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. now comes by giving the conscripted personnel Is a day more for their service. One wonders if such treatment by the present Government means some special recognition of them for withholding their services until they had no other option. The 2nd N.Z.EJ’, members of the Returned Services’ Association should be able to look forward to the president calling a meeting of 2nd N.Z.E.F. members, and giving a hearing ear to their just grievances, even if it means sacrificing, for the' time, some of their social activities. Yours, etc., SUDA BAY. May 30,1945. A PATRIOTIC FUND APPEAL Sir,—l wonder what our menfolk left the comforts of home life for? It makes me wonder when I read in “The Press” this morning that the Ashburton Ministers’ Association has condemned a generous gesture by the management of the local picture theatre to show pictures on Sunday night to raise money for the Patriotic Fund. As a house to house collector I have walked miles and helped in other ways too, and know that it isn’t an easy job to raise the amount required. I hope the Ministers’ Association will make good the amount lost to the fund. Who elects the Borough Council, anyway?—the citizens or the Ministers’ Association. The ministers would still have plenty of empty seats to preach to even if the pictures were held, so what’s biting them. —Yours, etc., HELPER. May 29, 1945. HOTEL MEALS Sir,—Twice of recent times during business trips to the country with a friend, calls had to be made at hotels in widely separated districts to Obtain lunch. In neither case did we get any. In one case we were told that the rationing of foodstuffs was the trouble. In the other case the wife was away for a holiday, but she was Seen in the local store about a hundred yards away, where we purchased something to eat. What is the position about meals at hotels? The only justification for a licence appears to be the supply of meals and accommodation to the travelling public.—Yours, etc., . TRAVELLER. May 30, 1945.