Letters to the Editor

Press, 19 August 1978, Page 14

Letters to the Editor

(1) Letters submitted tor print ing in this column must not exceed 150 words. They should be written in ink or preferably typed on one side of the paper. Ample space must be left in the margins and between lines for subedit ing marks. •2) Letters written over pen names or initials will not ordinarily be considered for publication. A legible signature and a full postal address — not a P.O Box number — are essential. <3) The correspondent must say whether the letter has been or is to be submitted elsewhere. The Editor does not undertake to acknowledge, hold, return or enter into correspondence on any letter not accepted for publication. E.J.C.—See rules on pen-names. L.W. —A somewhat extravagant conjecture. A.J.S.—Too long. Anyway, we did not have the original letter. Visit by East Timorese Sir, — The Government’s decision to deny the entry of Jose Horta to New Zealand unless he undertakes not to discuss East Timor illustrates once again a marked lack- of principle in our foreign. policy. Horta is accepted by the United Nations as a representative of East Timor. Yet New Zealand, and also Australia, act to prevent us from hearing his words. The events in East Timor “constitute perhaps the most serious contravention of human rights facing the world at this time.” (James Dunn, Director, Foreign Affairs Legislative Research, Australia.) More important, it was done with the West’s acquiescence. The Government is staining our hands with the blood of perhaps 100,000 East Timorese men, women and children, they deny that a war still occurs there, despite the evidence, and now they seek to prevent New Zealanders from learning otherwise. Do we have any conscience left? — Yours, etc., HARRY BRUHNS. August 16, 1978. Sir, — 1 am writing to register my protest about the Government’s attitude to the forthcoming visit of an East Timorese representative. East Timor is suffering one of the worst injustices of this century. Mass slaughter mocks hollow dips lomatic niceties. Leaving aside this question of justice, the refusal to let this person “publicise Fretilin’s claims” makes us regress one step further by excluding the chance of informed debate. This may be consistent with tactics of smothering opposition in the mire Of governmental expedience and prejudice, but it is inconsistent with the demands of truth. Truth demands open discussion: this is an attempt to close it. Truth demands full discussion: this is an attempt to silence one side. I am saddened and angered that to seek the truth in New Zealand and to call unprovoked aggression unjust is dissent. — Yours, etc., ROBB NEWBERRY. August 11, 1978.

Sir, — This passage in. “The Press” of August 12 suggests that the Government has adapted, a new policy: “New Zealand had to act ‘very correctly’ when considering whether to allow political opponents of a friendly country to come to New Zealand for a propaganda tour, said the Prime Minister. ‘We have never been happy to have people who are not of their Government, or not of the de facto government, coming here and politicking,’ he said in answer to questions about the Government ‘gag’ on a leader of the East Timor independence movement.” Does this mean that in fut® ure people who came to this country to lecture or campaign ' against the Soviet

Union, as friendly to us as Indonesia, will not be permitted to pursue their activities? One recalls the Rev. Wurmbrand who toured New Zealand several years ago, and boasted of his smuggling of Bibles into the Soviet Union. — Yours, etc., M. CREEL. August 14, 1978. Courses for unemployed Sir, — I was fascinated to read that Robert .1. Frost (August 16) has suggested that we ‘give free courses in positive thinking to our 50,000 unemployed. There is no doubt in my mind that it would solve our unemployment problems as 49,000 would leave the country. The aim of positive thinking is the expansion of the ego, and the fulfilment of of self. The aim of the positive thinker is to create his own positive environment around him in which to expand, which is hard, or to move into a more dynamic environment—“to go where the action is.” Which is the easier alternative? Whatever way he goes, self expansion is the name of the game. Rather than have these vast traumatic stirrings in a country as small as New Zealand, I would suggest these free courses be given to just 87 people. With more self-ex-pansion, the birds may fly. — Yours, etc., T. WALTENBERG. August >B. 1978. Back-to-basics forum Sir, — I wish to register my disapproval at some of the extempore statements Mr C. McCready, of the Hotel Workers’ Union, voiced at the “back-to-basics” open forum on Monday. His personal observation that religious fringe groups are responsible for a move to improve basics is a pathetic deduction and so is his implication that ethical groups are involved in some underhand plot. Even to suggest that the people who show genuine concern for a higher attainment level for all sectors of the community are bent on discrediting teaching staff is deplorable. The whole purpose of convening the meeting was to examine suggestions of improvement by discussion and dialogue, hoping to achieve the prime purpose of improvement for the good of the students, teachers, the community and in the national interest. — Yours. etc., J. QUIRKE. August 15, 1978. i Safety course for electricians Sir, — Of all the idiotic conclusions our leaders have made, one latest idea must be near the top of the heap. To sav that our country’s electricians need a comoulsory safety course is highly derogatory to all. We, like those in many trades, undergo a five-year apprenticeship period, culminating in strict examinations in the areas of regulations, practice and th°orv before registration. The accident Compensation Commission must be naive if it thinks that it can cure the bad habits of some bv “re-educating” all. What do they think we are? We can get along all right without the “molly-coddling” of the A.C.C., thank you. — Yours, etc, D. J. CATTERMOLE. August 14, 1978. Water rates Sir. _ I feel 1 must ouery the Town Clerk’s comments in “The Press” on August 9. He says that an additional charge is made for extraordinary water usage. This is quite fair. But how can the council know when this

occurs when my meter, for one, has to my knowledge never been read. It has been covered with soil and left undisturbed for many years. — Yours, etc., S. J. HEGAN. August 9, 1978.

[The General Manager and Town Clerk, Mr H. J. Gray, replies: “All water meters in Christchurch city, with the exception of certain large consumers, dealt with more frequently, are read annually. Mr Hegan’s meter, although covered with up to two inches of soil and decaying vegetation has been located and a reading obtained in the past. A recent special reading confirms previous readings obtained. It is the council’s usual practice where a meter reader is unable to locate a meter in the course of annual reading, for a second visit to be made in an endeavour to locate the meter. Should this prove unfruitful, the waterworks yard is requested to locate the meter and obtain a reading accordingly. Although some delay is experienced, the meter is always located.”] Japan trade deal Sir, — I notice that every second thing you pick up to buy is made in Japan, and that the Japanese Government has been gradually phasing us down and going to bigger countries for imports. We buy far too much from Japan All the talk over the fish or anything else will never end. The Japanese Government representatives come here in their dozens and it looks like it’s just for the trips, not deals. They like our country, scenery, relaxation, lamb, beef, fish, good entertainment, Mr Muldoon, and the quieter pace of life — at the expense of the Japanese taxpayer. We should have a better deal from them than the present one. — Yours, I. E. DRABBLE. August 17, 1978. Community service grants [ln a letter under this heading from S. M. Wells, printed yesterday, several words were missed. The letter should have concluded: “While espousing freedom of choice for pregnant women, Mrs Wilkinson should consider that the ratepaver may also like to choose whether a portion of his or her contribution to the local authority concerned should be given to an organisation with which they totally disagree.”]

Restrictions on publications Sir, -— The proposal to make contraceptives available to girls under 16 with parental consent is a further advancement in this permissive society. Strangely, there is not. the same generosity when it comes to the Indecent Publications Tribunal. Before 1972 the tribunal functioned in the manner in which its instigator, the late Raich Hanan, envisaged. With the election of a Labour Government an efficient Minister of Customs in Mr Warren Freer meant that a narrow view was placed on what should be read by mature New Zealanders" The same policy has been carried on by the present Minister of Customs, for bureaucratic power is not easily relinauished. We now have the farcical situation where the contraceptive pill is now regarded as an essential piece of female confectionery, almost irrespective of age. yet adults are subjected to harsh restrictions when it comes merely to reading. — Yours, etc., I. J. STEVENS. Oamaru. August 15, 1978

Labour’s tax policy Sir, — It is quite incorrect to say, as Cedric Mentiplay does, that no-one seems able to assess the effects on the cost of living of Labour’s proposed foreign exchange surcharge. Labour has openly revealed the assessment made by its team of independent accountants and economists. They say a surcharge at 10 per cent on all imports would result in an increase in the cost of living, over a one-year period, of approximately 2 per cent. The Treasury, on the same basis, estimates 2-3 per cent. It should be pointed out that Labour has said the surcharge may be less, and that there will definitely be exemptions. It would therefore seem reasonable, even on a most conservative basis, to assess the impact at near 2 per cent, and possibly less. — Yours, etc., r. b. w. McCutcheon. AugustlB, 1978. N.Z., Ireland and the E.E.C. Sir, — I have just watched “Dateline Monday” and am convinced that Ireland is completely opposed to our trading with the E.E.C. Right? So I say, what is the worth of our exports to Ireland, and my answer is, Nil. Right? So I say, we should immediately clamp a ban on all imports from Ireland, and this should include people, products and priests. Right? And on top of this I would quadruple the postal and telephone charges to Ireland, right? Right. After all, if the country that harbours the terrorists who murder our kith and kin in Ulster wants to throttle us economically, we should retaliate in kind. — Yours, A. ROBERTSON. August 14, 1978. Language of worship ' Sir, — I thank Canon Machell for his semantics and observe from: A trespass is currently an offence, and “sin” is a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, fairly “archaic.” Many people would .be no wiser if an oboe was named instead of a shawm. I have on occasion had to explain that a chapter need not necessarily be a section of a book; nor is a canon a large gun. All of these words are defined in the Pocket Oxford Dictionary. Changelessness in a rapidly changing world has for many given a sense of security and strength, which is now lacking. — Yours, (Mrs) A. J. FLANAGAN. August 17, 1978. Drunken driver blitz Sir. — I am writing to congratulate Dr Morgan Fahey for his forthright and practical criti cisrn of the New Zealand public and of the loopholes allowed to drinking drivers. Our society is on the down grade financially. How about making people who drink pay more for alcohol. Where accidents are caused by the consumption of it. the culprit should be made to pay the cost of hospital treatment of his or her victim and to be refused a licence for a much longer period than is the case now. The only cure for this curse is total abstinence. If, as so often has been said, an epidemic assailed our citizens something would be done at once. This is an epidemic of huge proportions. Lives are too precious to be subject to a great curse which kills, maims, and disrupts family life. — Yours, etc., SADIE HAYMAN. August 17, 1978. Mr Muldoon’s attributes Sir, — 1 commend Mr J. F. Kennedy “Looking at Ourselves” (August 13) on his dissertation on Pope

Paul and fully agree with his remarks. At the same time I disagree with his statement that “there is no alternative to Mr Muldoon.” This statement is a complete negation of all that Pope Paul stood for, which was humility, compassion, tolerance, and concern for al! people. These attributes are most obvious in Mr Rowling but certainly not so visible in Mr Muldoon with his brash and intolerant attitude to all who cross him. It is of much concern, that Mr Kennedy, whose standing in the community is high and his opinions valued by so many should consider Mr Muldoon our man for the future. As for a plain speaking man, I am sure most appreciate the plain speaking of Mr Gordon, the Minister of Labour, but question the over-all support for Mr Muldoon. — Yours, etc., H. OLSEN. Rangiora. August 17, 1978. Road to recovery Sir, — The road to New Zealand’s recovery cannot be made with ptoductivity as it stands at present. Productivity is the output per worker. The total production of the country is divided by the number of people in the work force. Improved productivity is a cornerstone of development but productivity decreased in New Zealand in 1976-77 by more than 3 per cent. With unemployment still skyrocketing, the output per worker, including clerical, sales and managerial staff cannot be spread over the remaining few to sustain survival unless the corporate specu-

lators, investors and exploiters bend their backs in the team too. Forget net asset backings. dividend yields and percentage earning rates and ratios, average earnings etc. New Zealand’s torturous road to recovery will only be achieved by good, honest labour. — Yours, etc., GRAEME STANLEY. August 16, 1978. South Africa and sport Sir, — H. Williams (Aug« ust 17) may find opposition to apartheid a joke, but it is no laughing matter to the non-racial sports people of South Africa. For years, in such bodies as the South African Council of Sport (5.A.C.0.5.) or the Southern Africa Lawn Tennis Union, they have striven against great odds, including the might of the State and the indifference of overseas sports people, to play and foster truly non-racial sports in their country. For this they have been harassed, jailed, and banned. They have been in South Africa even longer than Mr Williams, and I am prepared to accept their view that until all sport is completely nonracial in their country, we should not be a part of any sham integration. These people are South Africans, and in supporting them we can hardly be accused of being anti-South African. Anti-apartheid, yes. If Mr Williams is also anti-apar-theid, he will surely reconsider his motives and actions. — Yours, etc., A. J. CAMPBELL. August 17, 1978.