Letters in Brief

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 32, 1 November 1930, Page 15

Letters in Brief

“I am a hotel worker —a barman,” writes “K.,” “and have been unemployed for six months except for a few days’ casual work. I have just done two days at Trentham races, and I found that quite a number of the men employed there were not union men or hotel workers, but waterside workers, carriers, etc. . . . I am a married man, and have a family of five to support. Is it fair that outside workers should deprive us of casual work at race meetings, etc., when there are so many honest and sober hotel workers unemployed?” "My answer to the statement of your correspondent “Reader” that the back date American magazine trade has been a boon to many small shopkeepers,” writes “New Zealand First,” “is that he may secure my name and address from the Editor of 'The Dominion’ and I will place before him evidence to the contrary.” In a general condemnation of this trade, “New Zealand First” maintains that 75 per cent, of the back date magazines imported into New Zealand are second-hand, and this trade, from a foreign country is, he contends, undermining the businesses of 1100 booksellers and newsagents in the Dominion, and is unfairly competing with the English and home products. Discussing the cry for wage reduction, “Billingsgate” asks: “Why so many suggestions to start on the £4 or £5 per week class?” and urges that a start should be made in the high salaries in the various services. Uniou secretaries, he suggests, could show their union spirit by making “£5 per week” their motto, instead of anything up to £lO or £l2 per week, which is twice or three times as much as their members get in wages. Retired Civil servants who are found advisory positions at up to £5OO per annum should, he concludes, certainly have their pensions revised. Exception is taken by A. W. Mahood to the following statement by “Loose Tapnit” in an article dealing with “City Parking,” published on October 27: — “There is a parking plan of the city somewhere, but nobody knows where it is, and consequently nine out of ten motorists don’t know where to park.” One of the features in an easily procurable “Guide to Wellington,” the correspondent points out, is the official city parking plan, and in this form the plan is readily available to all who inquire for it. Complaint is made by “Scotty” of the withdrawal by the Meat Producers’ Board of the Christmas Home deliveries of lamb. On inquiry it was learned that the Meat Board has decided not to make deliveries under its presents of lamb scheme during the Christmas season, because the supplies of this Dominion’s new season's lamb are not then available nt Home. Instead the board is arranging to deliver new season’s lamb at Easter time.