LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

1. Letters sent to the Editor i for printing should preferably be typed, otherwise they must be written in ink on one side of the paper only. A legible signature and full address are required, whether these are to be published or not. A P.O. box number is not a sufficient address. 2. Writers must say clearly whether or not their letters are being or have been sent to other papers. 3 The Editor cannot return or; keep any letter which, for any reason, is unsuitable for - printing; nor can he ac-; knowledge unsuitable let- ■ ters. although this will be 1 done where it seems to be needful, or enter into anv i correspondence. 4 Letters must not be of more! i than 150 words Smoker—Correspondence closed. | ’ A.M.—No space to discuss birth ; control now. jTrue Friends.—You do not make' I your point clearly. |W. B. Bray.—Better to wait fori a reply to your earlier letter. ,N. Fox.—See sketch and de- ; scription of the fly-trap in today’s issue. 1 Veritas.—Major Thomason has the freedom of our [ columns. Foreign Films Sir.—Since there is some’ controversy at present over the extent of public demand for foreign and other minority films, the following facts may be of interest. "The Leopard," a superb Italian film, has just been withdrawn after a run of one week at the Savoy. On the last two nights, after the announcement of withdrawal, there were queues of ticket-buyers! stretching out into the! Square and along the pave-! ments. They were not enough ' to fill the cinema—if cinemas are normally filled by any' type of film—b t they suggest the existence of a minority to whom a small and specialised cinema could very well cater.—Yours, etc.. J. G. A. POCOCK. | February 14. 1964. Flies I Sir.—Most of my neigh- ! hours use fly sprays, and it! seems the more they spray' the more they have to. I banned the use of fly sprays in our home several years] ago. The result? Our home is almost completely free from flies all year round and ithe odd one that puts in an (appearance is immediately I swatted. I think that after a (louse has been sprayed, the sickly odour which lingers in the warm air only attracts the flies.—Yours, etc., J.L.B. February 14, 1964Sir, —One of the obvious and disgusting causes of the fly menace is the excreta deposited by our citizens' canine pets. A by-law should be passed compelling all dog-owners to keep their pets off file streets unless leashed. The owner, or holder of the leash, should then be compelled to clean up the filth if any is deposited against other people's property, especially food shops and private dwellings. There are far too many large dogs roaming the suburbs on the fringe of the city.— Yours, etc., DOGGONEM. February 13, 1964.

Elie* Sir.—New- Zealand does not Itnow the meaning, of hygiene. The handling of food in this country is disgusting. 1 I went into a butcher’s shop in Christchurch the other day to buy some meat Hie shop was full of flies and blowflies. I jiave seen the same thing al>o»rer New Zealand. In other"t-ffiin-tnes. food shops are forced to have screen doors and to keep them closed. New Zpaland can send any amount.*>f money to help other countries but cannot afford to spend the money on the first essential, proper sanitation. Twothirds of New Zealand is unsewered. Just four or five miles from Christchurch is unsewered. One day tfiey will have a nice old epidemic.— Yours, etc., HYGIENE February 14. 1964. Traffic Problem!* Sir, —In a succession of 60 cars coming out of the city along Fendalton road about 5.30 the other evening, no ' fewer than 42 had only one occupant, the driver. Hiree of the rest had three and i the remaining 15 only two ' occupants each. Thinking of traffic congestion, parking difficulties, and so forth. 60 cars to carry some 80 individuals, taking up perhaps half a mile of road space, seems a bit extravagant Then there was that remarkable photograph recently in some illustrated paper of a traffic jam on Sydney harbour bridge—cars bumiier to bumper in every traffic lane. I and so far as could be seen i not more than two people |in any car. Goodness knows i what can be done about it. but there is obviously something wrong somewhere.— Yours, etc.. I LAM. February 13. 1964. Trees Sir, —Since my last letter, I have had a look at the trees in Riccarton avenue and I found it plainly evident they , have taken considerable time —possibly years—to get to I their present condition. For that reason it is hard to understand the Director of Reserves when he said: "The department is conversant with the condition of the trees and attention will be given when opportunity permits." It would seem the time has arrived for better supervision of city trees and a revision of the reserves department’s inspection procedure. —Yours, etc., TREE SURGERY. February 13. 1964. Take-Over Hit! For Newspaper | Sir, —Through your columns, could you inform me jif overseas companies established in New Zealand are allowed to send out of the country the profits made. I note in an American publication that Brazil limits the export of profits to 10 per cent, of invested foreign capital. With the Thomson organisation proposing the take-over of the “Dominion.” I believe my question may be of some public interest.—Yours, etc., INQUIRER February 7, 1964.