Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 22 July 1938, Page 4

Readers Write

In reading Mr R. H. Allan’s reply.] under the above heading, to Mr G. | W. Bennett’s letter in Saturday’s “Ad-1 vocate,’’ I was sur- j LABOUR AND prised at his making] LOYALTY. what to rny mind ap- J peared to be a per-1 sonal reflection on Mr Bennett. A ] civil servant who is retired 'after j giving many years’ service, and who] has continually subscribed to the superannuation fund, surely deserves the respect of all fair-minded people. One can only conclude that Mr Allan was hurt at Mr Bennett's reflection t 0 the Labour Party Conference concluding with the singing of “The Red Flag” in lieu of the National Anthem. And this in the presence of our Prime Minister. Loyalty does not appear to be a strong point among certain members of the Labour Party, but when one reflects on the attitude of some members of the present Ministry in the early years of the Great War this is easily understood. Considering their attitude at such la time of national crisis, I think the following lines, which Mr Allan asked Mr Bennett to memorise, could well be recommended to them: And when the Master calls the score, Then marks against your name: It’s not so much whether you won or lost, But how did you play the game. —RETURNED SOLDIER. In your leading article of yesterday you state that the Borough Council’s new parking regulations are not likely to please everyPARKING • Will they please REGULATIONS, anyone, apart from those members of the council who are responsible for their formation? Will it now be necessary for a car owner who, say, parks his or her car, say, in Rust Avenue, and who is in the town for several hours, to move the car every fifteen minutes, thus, fifteen minutes in Rust Avenue, fifteen minutes in Cameron Street, fifteen minutes in Vine Street, ad infinitum, necessitating moving the car four times per hour, or do the City Fathers expect motorists from the area north of Whangarei to leave their cars between Kensington and Donald Street, and walk from there into town, while those from the southern and western area park between the hospital and the concrete bridge and also walk? Whangarei, as a town, depends for its existence on the business done by the country people, but if the irksome and, in my humble opinion, ridiculous and difficult parking regulations are enforced in their entirely, an endeavour must be made to do country business elsewhere. It should do good to Kamo and Hikurangi tradesmen, and there should be a good opening for a general store and other businesses in Muunu Road. I hope that mine will not be the only protest made.—“PUZZLED MOTORIST.”

It whs pleasing to note in Saturday’s issue of the “Advocate” that the District Medical Officer of Health, Dr. C. B. Gilberd, has again SPREAD OF made use of your colMEASLES umns to point out the manner in which the public is evading its responsibility to prevent the spread of measles. It is unfortunate that this action has to be taken by the Medical Officer, but it seems that in no other manner than a direct accusation of neglect can the gravity of the situation be brought heme to residents of the district. “The efforts of those concerned in controlling the epidemic are almost negatived by the fact that there is very little public 00-operation,” Dr. Gilberd is reported to have stated, in commenting upon the measles situation in Northland. This is not the first time that this officer has seen fit to make such comments, and it would be thought that by now, with the disease having spread from its seat in the far North, in autumn, throughout almost the whole of the North Island, people with contacts in their homes would be more considerate than to facilitate the spread of infection by allowing contacts to mingle with the rest of the public. Instead of this, however, we are confronted with such cases as children from measles-affected homes being permitted to frequent the recent Whangarei Winter Exhibition, which with I crowds of humanity jammed into enclosed spaces, was an ideal huntingground for the “measle-bug” while some parents have actually taken advantage of the closing of schools on account of the disease to take their children to other districts for holidays there to broadcast the incipient germs they may quite possibly be carrying oh their otherwise innocent young bodies. Children from affected homes are the rule rather than the exception at most ! entertainments. A number of deaths occurred in the Far North when serious forms of the disease and complications set in. Apart from widespread inconvenience one death has already occurred in this district and one in Northern Wairoa. These who, by their careless action and lack of commonsense precautions may have assisted in the spread of the complaint will now no doubt think twice before they do anything further that » may be instrumental in bringing sorrow and suffering to their fellow human beings—“ESCAPED SO FAR”