LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WIRELESS AND BROAD CASTING. I Sir,—New y Zealand : amateurs. arid ; others interested ./have: for, some: months | i patiently awaited issuance of: the longpromised official regulations "governing'the private use of wireless* and "public broad-: casting. ... In view of the Government pro- j posals- published in October last, ; it .is ; difficult-to understand :why. there is, yet | no sign of the removal of past unnecessary restrictions" on the general use of | this wonderful and' .practical' scientific I |.achievement. The phenomenally rapid improvement in the efficiency of radio- | communication achieved in Americsf io ] freely and officially admitted to be : due : in no small measure, to the valuable :, ex- i j perimehfai and "research 1 ' Work °of Ameri- ; j .amateurs rendered possible by the removal, of restrictions and. encouragement j of the general use of;,: radio. :I- In this ; country, there are very" many able .••. and ! enthusiastic amateurs who, despite drastic official restrictions, .have,': conducted valuable, experimental work within the very limited latitude ] hitherto .accorded them by the Government. There are now ..also thousands': keenly' interested in, the pos>sibilities "-■ of ■ radio ' • \ 'broadcasting-, ■;in the- transmission -~ of news and entertainment to isolated settlers, and as a valuable and: practical ' educational' and social service, ! ;•{{;Australia, jSouth Africa, and Canada have all now 'abolished unnecessary and -unreasonable restrictions, but /here in New Zealand; we still,; wearily await V "the long-promised and : belated Government regulations, according ';, us reasonable use of the. air. .;■'. -'-/.. -■- ;.• -••; Badioist. .'" ■"'■ ;....,"'.: '.- .'■-■•:'■'.!,■■ .•'.'■■:■ .':■■■■•'■ '"■■':'"•}■■■.•'■'■'f'i.-Jr-' ■

HUMAN BRUTES. Sir,—lf kindpeople '■ -like Mr. J: Y> Dixon would all work heartily ■. on behalf of our domestic animals and in antagonism to those , wretched people who habituably ill-treat them, punishment or -this abominable crime would /be increased and cases.of cruelty become iewer. A fine of , any amount does not cure - a moral bias in any man, and I do not .think you can make a cruel man kind by thrashing him. You may deter him from being : .:.a.;beast because he 'love's his -own hide, but it is only his ' fear of- punishment that restrains him. Goodness knows I thoroughly sympathise with Mr. Dixon's desire to hurt wretches who torture helpless beasts, but ;' I' assume' he i3~ in "unconscious error - when he believes':■: British law is not stringent enough .to-punish' are hideously -cruel. The Royal Society for the Prevention of ■ Cruelty to Animals publishes a voluminous arid -most; useful, report/ A study 0 this will "convince the I student that a cruel ■'■*man has received as long a period as four years in gaol with hard labour .for ghastly cruelty, to, a( cow. A curiosity ;;■ in New : ■Zealand,: 'and , which is rather quaint to the newcomer, - is 'that ; you -bunch - the protection ,' of, I women " and children with the prevention I of cruelty to.*atnimals in a.- single; society.: I I hope it does not, define your attitude to your women and children. ■ In England,'' as • here, very many cases'. of cruelty to amimals: gi) - unpunished (or those who are guilty are ; not sufficiently . punished)" because, timorous witnesses of these dreadful acts '' do not wish to.bp' dragged, into Court.",; In both countries, if cruelty to animal?, is "to be materially: ; minimised, every firiend of animcfe should ; be : prepared to bear testimony before any;' | Court; , I think that; if magistrates; (who : in New Zealand appear to- be a singularly: large-hearted and : sensible class) ; could I sometimes see with their, own-,.eyes the 1 wrecks that villainous men ■ actually 'drive Ito death, "■ there would emphatically' be j gaol, and plenty of it, for the:owners of ' the' wrecks. '..;.-. . .;'..-•.';'.■.'J-,'.,.' ■ , I '*;£-.^,'.■'"; ■'- Might I, -as a newcomer to .this brautiul■': city, and one who; knows; horses:;very well, compliment Auckland on its magnificent draught -horses I have ~ not only ' , never seen finer-looking horses, but 'have; seen, none..which are better cared ; few; and "i better handled. ~:I, am. ; sure that those large ; firms who use- many horses select .men. who drive horses .because they-Jove them. C. LOGKHAET.j , '•..;' , ECONOMIC EXIGENCIES. " ■ ■ Sir,—That- this isolated, * sparselypopulatejd, , a(nd t exceedingly valualvte country requires; a largely increased -iii;--flux "'"of immigrants, preferably, 1 ; Britisn, to provide effective ■, defence, a; trafficieiicy ; of■.; operatives for ■' the expansion' 5 , of - lpca» industries. arid; .- adequate proteotiys tariff to: encourage and assist the->manu-,. facturers .of. our raw •material; < seem: absolutely.; indispensable;; concomitants ■■: -..of wise political etconomy. . Those devil's agents—envy,' greed," racial' antipathy, ; sectarian prejudice, distriijst; •^n*J v hati'ed~ are pitiably • still: - contaminating, the soul of" mankind.- "And,: although protection increases the cost, of production", thef'tost of living, arid the; cost of wages, neither labour nor capital ;, can; afford to ignore the'; menacing exigencies of, world economics; ' nor can' the' former hope to, successfully : "'inaugurate'-'.-.' ; permanently maintain a- national : policy;;; of socialism until , the: amicable spirit; of altruism has overcome the egoism still " inherent to human'-. ; nature. . Those • . exigent , .phases" of our; l economic progression arel apparently , misunderstood -j by; ' some representatives -ot Labour/ who, '< singularly. ..' have expressed , the opinion that "an unarmed 'nation is pregnable,!/ evidently failing- to realise that a protective' policy is sure to causfe* international jealousy ; and ' also that a policy of free trade and high- wages would'be unprofitable for the producers; ■ and/ manufacturers while operating in competition with- an increasingly" intensive international tirade rivalrv : and also with the lowest wages,-; and ■ the 'cheapest cost-of-living; thus enabling those economics factors to be (.utilised in buying, shipping, and' manufacturing the* raw materia!, .and. reshipning to undersell in the ; country of : its origin. Also, if Labour -is unwilling to allow free -i'iSKes.a, and to mix andintermarry with -"any",powerful', race;:, a: : discriminative, 'or exclusive , protective, and also V defensive policy;.i? ~ unavoidable if we hope to 'adequately;: expand our local industries -'and to- retain . our""ethnical ; nationality. Free' trade within < the British Empire -would be an ideal policy; especially:;:; if.;"; ; the v people' ~'.- in ■■■':.. aH its ■\. component, .parts : ..could arrange to pool . the. whole :; of ":', their- ma y terial resources; and • then; in ■ ideality, "be a nation divided; .only I ,' by the . restless, resistless seas during its" temporal' progress- toward the destiny allocated by omnipotent .Providence to ; the- people who revere goodness • and practise its virtues"; But, vnfoftunately;,; the unravelling- of the :v stupendously. 4 intricate ; : economio 'exigencies of : a ..-policy embracing 1 'so many conflicting interests "would seemingly; be an impossible, attainment, ; although, -if self-abnegation was the predominant influence guiding .the co-operative ,wisdom of . a,; league comprising some- the'most experienced British .Citizens, \ the -economic difficulties confronting their matured de- | liberations f might? .ultimately y? ! be: sur- ; mounted; Incalculably; ..-beneficial re-, : suits for perpetuating: the. British.; Em-; ; ptre, and, co-relativ;?ly, for the .welfare of ; humanity, more especial if the speaking people would form ,■ a; confeder?i- ; tion ■;.;'.," solely 7 -.- for;: defence."; 1 -We have'"-;■ implacable; : < enemies . 'in Gfa'ni'any,-" and,-..; realising : their ;, intense arrogance, also their ■formidable proclivities; ■- valid .also .the..'dangers ' from ■' their insidious . mach.inat.iotis ia the , 0-"fe;nt—"n.d '''in parts; of, the'; Occident-*- '■■ where there' are almost unlimited re- ; sources for creating: war. material, a de- ?, fensive"; federation of: '.the;; nations -'allied ;-. with-, us during thejgreat-..- war, ,is "Hnd:--; ' qated.as being a);;.:.essential policy lor . Securing international' harmony, consistent ' with v the economic exigencies" of - nation-: ,'; alism. 'Wiu-lAll R. T&teAt, - '■■:: ■ ■ ■.' ."■ ' : '•.■ < i-.. ''' ';•$.)

FEES FOR MOTOH-TRUCEE. " ' \ Sir,—lfc. is' rather Amvunng to read Mr; .; J". W. Novell's idea .'of fairness on" motor ; .'- ■ .' tratlie. He thinks tho tfii<J.c are ,:,.. charged-too much in proportion toheavy /tin -a, • and at ' the same ; time .he' says " motor-cars (which are mostly'light},; should, be charged £5 per-'year, ~*s much as .the. ' ' one-ton truck v (mostly solid tyres), and. :' ' , the, track is on the road every "day.-'Taxi- - ' cars, which are always ■on the road, ho ; thinks, should be charged £2 per year. ; , Now, the greater number of. private"cars ■■'■ are only on the roads for:• a few honors on > v Sundays, and holidays during the" year.; .;■ Mr/, Loyell says the push-bicycle . should! \ pay £I;per, year. Bicycles do no harm to the road in any way. It is the heavy, ! motor-trucks that tear the roads to piece's ;'•-'•';. and that make the' upkeep of {the"-roads so costly. ; ; : ';';. v-Motorist- i-.'- - '"'■