H.A.R.T. membership

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33775, 22 February 1975, Page 14

H.A.R.T. membership

Sir, — I have often had misgivings about the news coverage given to Mr Richards's pronouncements. As ihis personal views seemed; ito me of no more sign-: ificance and certainly no ■ more valid than those of any other man in the street, I assumed that he was reported as the spokesman for an organisation whose membership comprised a significantly large part of the

population. It now appears that he speaks only for himself and I would suggest that the space and time afforded him by the news media in the future might be reduced accordingly in the interests of giving a wider representation of New Zealand opinion. — Yours, etc., D. M. February 20, 1975.

Sir, — If as M. Cuneen claims, Mr Richards is H.A.R.T., then he is a person of incredible mobility, as I know of H.A.R.T. branches from North Cape to Bluff. Neither Mr Richards nor any of our supporters are members of H.A.R.T. H.A.R.T. has no membership, for security reasons, as was clearly. spelt out in Mr Richards’s statement in “The Press” on February ' 15. Any money H.A.R.T. has received from the Students’ Association, has gone to H.A.R.T., not Mr Richards. I am able to vouch personally for this, as I worked for some time as Mr Richards’s secretary. One of my duties included the banking. H.A.R.T.’s finances come I from donations received •from a wide cross-section of the New Zealand public. — : Yours, etc., PAULINE F. McKAY. ! Christchurch H.A.R.T. Area Officer

February 20, 1975. Sir, — M. Cuneen indulge in the morally sterile pursuit of knocking the protesters rather than what they protest about. But even so his (arguments are somewhat ; puerile, as he states that as there is not a calculated ■ membership, therefore I H.A.R.T. must be a one-man j organisation. Does CORSO ’or the S.C.F. have actual • lists and numbers of memibers? Surely they have supI porters and contributors. ! The fact that there is no actual record of H.A.R.T. membership kept, does not invalidate either its wide support nor the justice and morality of its cause. In this small town, H.A.R.T. has one of the largest mailing I lists for any group or club, i— Yours etc., TOBY TRUELL. | Blenheim. • February 20, 1975.