LETTERS IN BRIEF

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 15, 17 July 1918, Page 4

LETTERS IN BRIEF

"As a regular passenger on the city tram cars I would like to draw your attention to what is considered by many to bs a dangerous circumstance on the trip from town," writes "Passenger." "The outward-bound cars to Island Bay, Lyall Bay, Newtown, etc., stop just above the junction at the foot of Rin-toul-stveet, and, in the case of the former, they almost come to a- standstill while passing the automatic switch —I believe for the purpose of operating the points, and tjien proceed at an increased pace. Now, sir, many people imagine the car is stopping or has stopped at this point, and are often about to alight when, to their surprise, it goes on again. On Friday evening a serious accident was narrowly averted. An elderly gentleman, far from active, imagined the car had stopped, and was only just prevented from alighting. Had he got oii' it is almost certain he would have been thrown to the ground, possibly with serious consequences." "Tolerant" deprecates tho remarks on sectarianism recently made by one of the Labour leaders. "There is at present," says tha correspondent, "no sectarian strife existing among the Labour sections of this country. They have agreed long ago to leave outside the temple of Labour thought and action all sectarian and denominational differences, so far as Labour co-operation and aims are concerned. The Labour organisations of tins Dominion are strictly non-sectarian, therefore I fail to understand the object of the speaker in question in letting loose such a fiery flow of useless false rhetoric." "It was with interest that I read the report of the deputation from tho Rugby Union to the City Council with reference to the Lyall Bay playing grounds," writes "A Player." "As.one who'plays on these grounds every week, I, must cay that the council's charge of £2 2s per ground, making, a yearly rent of £10 10s, is exorbitant. The grounds are nothing short of cow-paddocks. We have to drive horses off the ground before we can play, and when we do start we injure our limbs through falls over clumps of grass, etc. There are no dressing sheds, the players having to undress in the sandhills or behind fences. From these few facts it can be seen that the union's offer of,, £1 Is per ground and the providing of dressing shelter is an excellent one, and it is to be hoped that the council will accept such." ■ "Leave Without Pay" writes :—"You have been dealing lately with conscientious objectors, so let me relate my experience of a recent date to show how' a Government Department can give a final bump to a man that will develop that stubbornness which invariably backs up his conscience. Having two children, I was balloted recently, and on Monday week last was passed Class A, and when I got home at lunch time the children asked, 'Daddy, what are you going to do with your five shillings?' To celebrate, I agreed to spend it in taking them to the pantomime matinee. This was all right until a constable came along with a summons to appear at the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday next to answer the charge of failing to make tlw boy 'attend school the afternoon of the matinee. This even although he had not missed a half-day recently. Now, is that not enough to make one a conscientious objector? Mr. Bumble conld not dc much better." Regarding the price of fish, "Retailed writes:—"As a dealer in fish, I would like to draw your readers' attention to the state of affairs at the present time. Having bought hapuku twenty-three pounds weight for tha sum of fifteen, shillings, I had then to pay cartage to my shop. After cleaning and gutting the fish its weight was sixteen and a half pounds. It was retailed at one shilling a 1 pound. I leave your readers to judge for themselves who is making the profit."-