LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32902, 28 April 1972, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<1) Letters to be considered for j this column must not exceed 150 words. They should 1 be on only one side of the < paper; preferably typewrit- j ten. otherwise clearly writ- ( ten in ink: and ample 1 margins and space between < lines should be left for con- | venience in sub-editing. ( (2) A legible signature and full < address—not a P.O. box number — are required 1 whether these are to be i printed or not j (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 1 concerning letters, although 1 an acknowledgement will be | made where this seems to be > necessary or helpfuL (51 As a general rule, cones- 1 pondence on news items tn other publications, or carried i on radio and television, is , not acceptable. Country Music Fan.—We have space for only one critic. Ms C. S. Coulbeck.—We are awaiting Mr Elsmore’s comments. J.H.S.—We are not reopening the recent correspondence on seat belts. Frank Blake.—No space to discuss abortion again just now. Kathleen Johnson and others.— Correspondence on Anzac Day is not being reopened. Hank.—You should be safe in those colours. City transport Sir, —It is true that one or two cities in North America have been temporarily forced to abandon motorways (or expressways) because of an outcry from a section of the public. The outcry has resulted from a lack of public understanding of the essential function of the particular expressway in the city’s over-all traffic development. But these are all cities much larger than Christchurch. And sensible people in these cities are nonetheless confident that the expressways will ultimately go ahead when the wave of uninformed public feeling has died down, and when the public see what traffic jams will result, and what a reduced standard of service must be accepted, if proper traffic development plans, prepared by experts, are not followed. If Christchurch fails to take the advice of the experts (which has included the advice of Sir Colin Buchanan, foremost among international consultants), then we can only expect growing traffic chaos and a general resultant decline in the city’s growth and prosperity. South Island Promotion Association, and Canterbury Progress League, please note!—Yours, etc., PROPER PROGRESSIVE. April 27, 1972.

Amberley Sir, —Having lived in North Canterbury for many years I was interested in your article on the origin of its place names. You mention Amberley, named by Carter, of Seadown Station, after Amberley in Devonshire. I wonder if this should be Sussex. In 1922 I stayed for some time in Amberley, Sussex, then a small hamlet with cobbled streets, old-world cottages, and a relic of an old castle. Not far away a Roman villa was being unearthed and a beautiful piece of mosaic had just been uncovered. When I returned in 1964 the whole villa was reconstructed, a most interesting tourist attraction. Only a few miles away is Arundel Castle, home of the Duke of Norfolk. Perhaps there is another Amberley. I should be interested to know. — Yours, (MRS) ELEANOR COE. Picton, April 27, 1972. Teacher surplus Sir, — My blood nearly boiled when I read “Fair Play’s” letter. If the public were made fully aware of the (attitude, methods, and sheer

incompetence of many of the older teachers, and ' their qualities and qualifications matched against those newly trained, there would be no doubt as to who deserved the jobs. Those who left the dishes in the sink and went teaching during the shortage are not exactly in need of a medal; they did it for the money—-what else? My wife has spent the last three years on a subsistence salary while training for her life-time career — “the rewarding one.” Remember! Little did we know the waste it would be; too old to commence a new career and redundant in the one she has trained for. The wastes and inefficiencies of the teaching profession would be beyond the belief of those not actually involved, but it is about time a few facts were made public. —Yours, etc., GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND. April 26, 1972.

Arawa wheat Sir, —During the last three seasons Arawa wheat has averaged a baking score of over 34: lower than Aotea and Hilgendotf, but not too unsatisfactory. However, these were drought years, which, one hopes, will not continue forever. From 1964 to 1969 Arawa averaged only 31.4, the kind of performance we can expect from Arawa in more normal seasons. In these conditions only a small part of the Arawa crop would bo acceptable for milling and baking. T*- remainder would have to be used for feed. But in recent years considerable changes have taken place in the New Zealand feed grain market. Because of the great increase in maize and feed barley production, particularly in the North Island, wheat is supplying a much reduced share of the market. There is difficulty placing any considerable quantity of wheat for feed, whether it is Arawa or any other variety. Hence the need for some change in emphasis on varieties to be sown.—Yours, etc., GRAHAM NUTT. Motukarara. April 27, 1972.

Saccharine Sir,—Nine women out of 10 use saccharine in tea and coffee. May one ask exactly what saccharine is? The dictionary says it is a dirivative of methyl benzene, or wood alcohol.—Yours, etc., CURIOUS. April 20, 1972. [Dr L. F. Jepson, district Medical Officer of Health, replies: “Saccharine ' is a white crystalline coal-tar product prepared from toluene! The sodium salt is used in sweetening, and the tablet has a little sodium bicarbonate in it. There is no evidence that it is hazardous to humans, but large doses have been shown to have adverse effects on laboratory animals.”] Ranzau School

Sir,—Ranzau School, Nelson, will be holding its 125th anniversary celebrations over the week-end of March 24 and 25, 1973. All former pupils, teachers, and com-

mittee members are asked to forward their names and addresses to me.—Yours, etc., (MRS) M. EDEN. R.D., Richmond, Nelson. April 24, 1972.

Blowhard Track Sir,—For the last 20 years I have been in the habit of ■ now and again taking a : leisurely day’s stroll up the ■ Blowhard Track, in the : Mount Thomas region of ; North Canterbury. On SunI day, when I went to fill my I lungs with good clean couni try air, I was obstructed by i a sign which stated that I had . to have a Forest Service Peri mit before I could enter this i area. I had understood that ' this was a public track and ■ could be used by the public i as long as they stayed on the . track. Do the organisations which hire the two camps in the area also have to have permits before taking children on nature study walks up the Blowhard Track? Has the Forest Service closed off yet another area which has , previously been used by the • general public as a recreation i area? ■ — Yours, etc., I TRAMPING BOOTS.

April 19, 1972. [Mr J. W. Levy, Conservator of Forests, replies: “Mount Thomas was gazetted permanent State forest in 1898, and since that time an entry permit has been necessary as the public roads end at the forest boundary. For some time the Forest Service has been preparing plans for public recreational development and hopes in due course to establish a network of tracks and to have the land gazetted a ‘recreational area’ which will give full right of entry except with firearms. Permits will still be necessary for carriers of firearms. Farmers have complained recently of irresponsible and dangerous shooting, and efforts are being made to control this, but meantime the sole restriction on use is the necessity to obtain a permit.

I would be interested to know where the Forest Service has closed off any area. Our policy and practice are to open them progressively.”] Wrestling bookings Sir, — Last evening I attended the wrestling at Canterbury Court after having booked three seats at $2.50 each when the box plans first opened. Imagine my surprise to find that our seats were already occupied when we arrived at Canterbury Court at 7.45 p.m. An usher said that it would be impossible to give us the seats that I held the tickets for. The only seats left were $1.50 seats, which were very difficult to see from and the two elderly people were extremely upset as they were particularly looking forward to the wrestling. Eventually an official refunded the money after being pressured by several other irate fans to give them their correct seats. How did this shambles come about? There were practically no ushers on duty. Were seats sold that did not exist or were they just double-booked? Refunding tickets does not solve the problem for regular wrestling fans of many years standing who want to support wrestling and are prepared to pay for good seats. — Yours, etc., BOSTON CRAB. April 12, 1972.

[Mr M. F. Foate, secretary ■ of the Canterbury Wrestling Association, replies: “This professional wrestling match t was not organised by the as- , sociation, and we had nothing , whatever to do with the arrangements. I understand that i the bout was promoted by “The Big Time Wrestling,’ a

Wellington-based organisation, and that an apology for the inconvenience caused to some patrons has been published in the Christchurch newspapers.”]