Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1938, Page 4

Readers Write

As a motorist, I desire to whole-1 heartedly endorse the remarks of I “Puzzled Motorist,” in Friday’s issue,! on parking regula-T PARKING tions in the bor-» REGULATIONS, cugh. “Puzzled Mo-1 torist” puts the caset quite clearly, and no doubt if the re-t strictions grow—which they are bound I to do —motorists in the borough may | as well leave their cars in their garages and walk to town, and thus avoid the irksome task of finding fresh parking places for their cars every 15 minutes. The present yellow discs, with their 15-minutc time limit, in a town of this size, is, to say the least, ridiculous. Half an hour limit would have been ample and 15 minutes in front of the Post Office would be quite understandable. I realise that there must be some restriction in parking, but I think a disc with 30 minutes parking marked on it, together with the time allowed for evening street parking, would have been more acceptable.—' ANOTHER MOTORIST.” \ A paragraph in your Saturday’s j issue referring to the ballot which is j taking place at present to decide ] whether the Auck- j COMPULSORY land Shop Assistants’ UNIONISM. Union shall affiliate with the New Zea- ’ land Labour Party draws attention to the changed status of unions of workers since the present Government made certain amendments in the existing law. Before these amendments were introduced, union funds could be used only within the union, and only certain Arbitration Court awards provided for “preference to unionists.” But now that the alterations have been made by the Government, the unions are greatly increased in strength of membership by the “compulsory” clause, and have the right to affiliate with and contribute to the funds of a political party or organisation. That advantage is being taken of this changed status is shown by the recent public acknowledgments of direct contributions of over £4OOO to the funds of the New Zealand Labour Party by various unions. An outstanding contribution is one of £IOOO from the P. and T. Employees’ Association, and amongst the £IOO donors is the Wellington Shop Assistants’ Union.— “THE ONLOOKER.”

I don’t think the public as a whole appreciate the work being done for them by the St. John Ambulance. Men and women ST. JOHN AMBU- of all ages, from LANCE the cadet classes up, cheerfully and consistently give their time in obscurity, through years of thankless service. I knew one woman, not young, and in indifferent health, who walked several miles to class in all weathers, there being no bus service or other means of transport past her home. I w*as with her on the annual collecting day, in a small town many miles from here, when a young lout jostled us and said, “Blasted cadgers.” Handicapped' in many cases by totally inadequate support from the public, and consequently by antiquated vehicles, uncomfortable for patients, and expensive to run, the officers, as like as not, contribute heavily from their own pockets to help the ambulance funds. Medical supplies are frequently replaced in this way. No one who has not taken an interest in their work could conceive the service these render, particularly in isolated districts, where no other help is at hand. Through flood and storm, over atrocious roads and none at all, the story of the divisions is an unwritten epic. The fully-trained ambulance officer is, of necessity, a man of infinite resource. Lacking adequate materials, he will work miracles with whatever comes to hand. Dealing with all sorts of cases, from, at the worst, train smashes and childbirth cases requiring immediate transport to hospital, to daubing bruised shins at hockey, in almost every case the St. John officer is wonderfully tactful, cheerful and skilled. He knows his job, and he knows its limitations. Best of luck to this rarely seen but over available service! May the cooperation of council and public, together with financial help, go where it is so well-deserved and urgently needed. —J.K.