Letters to the Editor

Press, 19 June 1976, Page 12

Letters to the Editor

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Throwaway society Sir, — Upon questioning an N.A.C. hostess, I was dismayed to learn that all the plastic orange drink cups used on aircraft are disposed of after each flight — thousands every day. The answer of the age prevailed, “it’s cheaper to throw away than to wash and re-use”. An advertisement in “The Press” yesterday had the same overtones, “It costs more to wash a crockery cup than to

dispose of a Lily cup.” Our youngsters are constantly confronted with this throwaway philosophy; so indoctrinated in fact towards similar practices that many now believe it to be the normal and proper way to go about daily living. — Yours, COLIN MONTEATH. June 17, 1976. Corso Sir, — I read your unfair editorial article on Corso with astonishment. As one who has been closely involved with Corso over the last four years, I can categorically state that, since the annual meeting in Wellington recently, Corso is now united and no longer divided. The idea of splitting Corso was strongly rejected, as you should know. The opening of membership to individuals and equal representation of the regions (where the work is done) on the national executive, will mean an organisation which will speak with one voice. So far as administration costs are concerned, last year they were 17 per cent and since then Corso has worked hard to cut back —for example, the staff is down from 32 to 18, locally much more is done by volunteers and the head office has moved to cheaper premises. To me anyway, its main objective of helping the poor overseas is still quite clear. — Yours, etc., A. R. COTTRELL, Chairman, Friends of Corso. June 18, 1976.

Sir, — We members of the Westland region of Corso found your editorial less than positive, where people with such good will are looking for direction on how to contribute to the undoing of the world’s ills. We fully support the new aims and direction of Corso, and believe that if people read for themselves these directives of Corso they will be happy to support its aims and objects with their own support of finance and time. — Yours ,etc., JOY JOHNSTON. J. F. KEENAN, MARY COSGROVE. LESLEY SYRON, PAT WELLS, BILL MIDDLETON. June 18, 1876.

Road trans]M«-t Sir, — It is all very well for the Minister of Transport, already road transportoriented, to claim that this is the most efficient mode of cartage. He, presumably, does not live in a suburban street where people are deafened and houses shaken apart by noise and vibration from inconsiderately-driven heavy trucks taking the most efficient, for them, route to their destinations. Engineers have stated that one heavy truck can cause as much road deterioration as 10,000 cars. All costs of providing the railway system are charged to the railways. Who pays for the roads used by carrying firms? When heavy road transport pays its fair share of reading costs and conforms to realistic noise, pollution and speed limits, it will be fair to compare efficiencies. In any case, surely today social and environmental factors and comparative energy usage should be considered. Juggernauts are not wanted in this country. — Yours, etc.,

E. B. CHISNALL. June 16, 1976.

Orchestra dispute

Sir, — Mr E. J. Bradshaw’s reply to Mr F. Stuart-Jones is revealing. First, it publicly admits that ail is not well with Orchestra Trust affairs. Second, it labels its opponents with the patronising and derogatory phrase “certain people”. My 15 months as chairman of Christchurch Symphony Orc h e s t r a Incorporated satisfied me that C.S.O. supporters are numerous, wellinformed and wide awake and that those in the forefront have acted moderately, sacrificing time and money in a difficult cause. Third, the trust claims efforts to “restore dignity.” If the trust departed, there would be restored overnight not only dignity but also open discussion of orchestral affairs in a new atmosphere. The

trust was imposed on our musical life against protest and with “Big Brother knows best” methods and its glamour and money have failed to win an audience. Our large musical public is now casting its vote — with feet, hands and ticket money. — Yours, etc., N. H. BUCHANAN. June 17, 1976. Sir, — F. Stuart-Jones fully vindicates his original comments (June 17) and the trust chairman, with specious comment, avoids the basic issue. The only people who expected the formation of the trust to restore “the orchestra situation in Christchurch” were a mere handful who failed to see that the matter was already resolved when the “interim management” was ended. The trust has apparently adopted the attitude that, despite the wishes of the musical public (made so clear in the last 12 months), there can be no other way to “restore dignity to the musical life of the city” than to join with the trust. The “undue wastage of time, effort and money” must in my view be attributed solely to the Orchestra Trust which has yet to justify its formation and its proposals to continue the “wastage” of public funds. — Yours, etc., D. R. BATTEN. June 18, 1976.

Sir; — It amazes me that Mr Bradshaw (“The Press,” June 17) still attempts to publicly blame “certain people” for the trust’s impasse, when the facts are blatantly clear. The majority of both musicians and concert goers prefer C.S.O. not C.0.T., but their voice, heard loud and clear at the January special meeting was prearranged, bv the trust, to be ignored, and could be smothered again by the trust’s latest manoeuvre to hold its A.G.M. during working hours when most of the general public cannot attend. If the trust’s motives are indeed being interpreted erro-

neously only by these “certain people,” then why is it necessary for the trust to have to adopt such tactics? Obviously, neither musicians, nor concertgoers, nor indeed ratepayers, would wish Christchurch’s symphonic potential to be reduced to an elite chamber: group, costing an estimated $150,000 a year, no matter what a Mr Hopkins miglat have schemed for the N.Z.S.O. — Yours, etc., E. J. BEUZENBERG. June 17, 1976. / Another language Sir, — I heartily agree with Steven Darnold, that

the time is ripe for Esperanto, as a step towards complete understanding between nations. Throughout the world, some millions of dedicated Esperantists voluntarily give their time, labour, and money, to further the cause for Esperanto, the aim of which is: that everybody in the world has Esperanto as his • (or her) second language, so that everybody would be able to communicate with everybody else. — Yours, etc., LUCIA S. BRUCE. June 16, 1976. [This correspondence is now closed. — Editor]