LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 16

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

(1) Letters to be considered for this column must not exceed ISO words. They should be on only one side of the paper; preferably typewritten, otherwise clearly written in ink; and ample margins and space between lines should be left for convenience in sub-editing. (2) A legible signature and full address—not a P.O. box number are required, whether these are to be printed or not. (3) The correspondent must say whether the letter has been or Is to be submitted elsewhere. (4) The editor cannot return or keep any letter not accepted for printing; nor does he undertake to acknowledge or enter into correspondence concerning letters, although an acknowledgement will be made where this seems to be necessary or helpful. <5) As a general rule correspondence on news Items in other publications. or carried on radio and television, is not acceptable. Pro-P.V.M.—Closed. Yeoman.—Not now open. The Walrus.—Not now open for discussion here. Varsity Student.—The point has been made and win no doubt be taken into account in future. C.—lt was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion, we think, that hardly needs to be taken seriously. No-one else has done so. Abused User-—No space lor lay discussion here. Our news columns are open to persons or organisations qualified to discuss drug problems.

Steam Locomotives s Sir,—During her visit to ’ New Zealand the Queen ex-! pressed to toe Minister of 1 Railways a hope that her ‘ younger children might one 1 day have the opportunity of ‘ travelling on a steam-hauled ‘ train. 1 have questioned a , large number of people on J this subject, and have been, amazed at the number who would like to give their child-, ren this experience, regardless' of cost Mr Gordon has sta-, ted that he is prepared to look into the question of pre-' serving a couple of steam locomotives in running order if there is a showing of public support. Could not the railway enthusiast organisations ar-1 range for and circulate i through their members a< public petition to save one 1 engine for use in both islands? - It would receive massive l support One locomotive soon 1 to be withdrawn from service ] is only 14 years old. Steam 1 has been gone from the North 1 Island for three years.— l Yours, etc., F. L. HILLIARD. ' Tokoroa, July 24, 1970. i ' ' . i

Education Week

Sir,—For the last 20 years 1 have had doubts about our sense of direction. Technical institutions suffer prefabs while universities spend millions. We have fast become a nation headed towards all chiefs and no Indians. Our present conditions point to the outcome. My children receive through toe State what I consider a good sound start to life. They don’t expect Christmas Day every day of the week, and if they have the need to partake of this so-called higher education they will do so with a sense of purpose. It won’t be a matter of form. Certainly It is a more technically advanced and competitive world they enter, but higher education will never replace good sound common sense and a national sense of purpose. Maybe we have overfed, overeducated, and have expected far too much for far too long.—Yours, AN AVERAGE KIWI July 26, 1970.

Sir,—This special character attributed to Merivale Lane lies in the fact that it covers several periods of building styles and has some very beautiful old trees. In the eight years that I have lived in the street the Education Board has made little or no effort to improve the appearance of Ferndale School, which must be depressing for the staff and children alike The “waste land" opposite has always been just that—a place for storing old timber and completely neglected. There are a number of residents who do care, as your correspondent will have noticed when she walked down Merivale Lane. I am sure that, with a gentle nudge, the residents would do their best to 1 reverse this process of decay.—Yours, etc., NO. 81 • July 28, 1970.

impracticable." (Mr Skinner.) How little he knows of the coordinated organisation controlling drafting loading transport and delivery of stock, or how suddenly supplies can be stopped! Again: “pay rates too low to suit costs,” when inflated wages have caused inflated costs. Then, after denigrating the ability of the Government to reach logically sound decisions he states he will make proposals to the same responsible Minister who just quietly resists organised bulldozing. “An industrial dispute cannot be settled by force,” says Mr Skinner. What tag does he put on strikes, walk-outs, downingtools, organising general hold-ups of transport for goods and people? Has he ever advised one of his many unions to offer more services for more pay, or is he content ‘with “mob rule”?— Yours, etc., S. E. VENTY. July 27, 1970.

Sir,—May I ask if it is legal for game-shooting to go on after 7.30 at night? Surely the recent swan slaughter should have appeased these gunmen. After the recent heavy rain a few swans and geese and two lovely white swans took shelter in the flooded paddocks. They have now gone. Still the shooting goes on, well into the night Who know* what is being shot at? It could be ducks or pukaki. Recently I saw what appeared to be two men with torches searching about the paddocks referred to. Are there no rangers?—Yours, etc.. CLEAN SPORT. July 20, 1970., [Mr H. B. Barker, secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, replies: “It is not the policy of this council to acknowledge anonymous correspondence.”]

cannot see, but gets in too. The third gets in by riding the white line, and the fourth forces all oncoming traffic on to the shingle. The traffic officers haven’t a hope of catching them unless they are incognito. In the present state of flux, when new lights and one-way streets are appearing everywhere, are visitors expected to career through the city at 30 m.p.h. regardless of their own or anyone else’s safety?—Yours, etc., COURTESY AND COMMON SENSE, PLEASE. July 26, 1970.