LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19503, 6 December 1926, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

SUNDAY TRAINS. Sir, —I wish to enter a most emphatic protest against the running oi excursion pleasure trips on Sundays by the Railway Department. A Chinese is not allowed to work in his garden on a Sunday, so why should the railways plv their trade as usual in this brazen fashion? If one is wrong then the other is more so, as the Government should be the first to sot the example in keeping the Sabbath as it should be kept. True Blue. BROADCASTING. Sir, —"Credit where credit is due" is the term which should be used as far as Saturday night was concerned, when the Broadcasting Company relayed the programme at His Majesty's Theatre. Being just an ordinary listener and not knowing any of the finer points of transmission, I must say that in every possible way 1 am indebted to the companies, both broadcasting and mmsical comedy, for their splendid work. There has beon a lot of controversy lately, but I am sure the biggest growler will have nothing but praise for the entertainment. The fact that we knew at the beginning of last week to expect this treat" shows that the company was on the lookout for better programmes before Mr. Prentice arrived in New Zealand, so that we may expect even better relays when once he gets going. * F.J.W. SHELTERS FOR CONSUMPTIVES. Sir,—A few days ago a deputation from the Southern Cross League waited upon the Mayor to put before him a suggestion made by one or two T.B. ex-solders that a shelter erected upon the Waitakeres might givo T.B.'s a better chance of life than either the Domain or. the Epsom shelters. When the league moved, a year ago, to protect the then patients from removal from the Domain to the Epsom shelters, no suggestion of the Waitakeres was voiced. 1 gather with this suggestion came the statement that the Domain shelters wero in a very decaying condition, which proved to be the caso on inspection, and the absorption of water in the decaying wood leaves a dampness that surely is not conducive to the health of the patients. The league understands that a war society offered to finance a shelter if the Government provided the land, but on the Waitaberes the Government possesses little or no land, the council possessing the bulk of it, outside the proposed national park. The building of a shelter would no doubt take many months, and there was no suggestion of removing any patients from the Domain. But in view of the decaying nature of these shelters, it would bus more than wise to close each one as it becomes empty. The care of consumptives has been exciting public attention during the last week or two and, from the national viewpoint, some concentration must inevitably take place in both islands, and so remove the unsatisfactory conditions prevailing of patients being distributed among the community, some being in the laist stage of tho disease. E. Nicol, Hon. Secretary, S.C. League. LAND SETTLEMENT, Sir, —For somo reason land settlement has never been very progressive in New Zealand, and every day one comes upon those who would go on the land but there are obstacles, the principal one being, of course, capital; the other departmental and red tape. After the war I recognised there would bo many inexperienced ycung men wishing to go cm tho land, and I suggested community or village settlement, having inysclf practical experience of it in Australia. The method is to put so many families on so many acres, providing tents or housing quarters, farming the block as a whole until it if) practically cleared, when the sections are surveyed ancl balloted for. The settlers are given credit for their labour, and receive stores and requisites from tho community stores. Surely this is a sensible way of relieving the city of un - employed ana a. way to use up vacant; country. I havo been much disappointed at the pessimistic utterances in regard to land settlement, as 'I know that poor lands in England are not neglected, and provide a living. There is little land that is really entirely useless, only that we live in a luxurious ago and the pioneer spirit has gone. Ono has to go to Australia td see hardworking conditions on the landhouses built of pit-sawn slabs and wattle and dab,-sheds, stakes and all farm buildings the same way, the cock ey rarely employing labour, and it is remarkable how well most of them get along. I was glad to notice Mr. Broadfoot, at the Town Hall conference, suggested group settlement; and later we have the opinion of Mr. J. S. Dickson, M.P., who has been to Australia and seen for himself. I thoroughly believe this group settlement in small o*r largo groups is the only way to settle a large number of inexperienced small capitalists on tins land, and may well be a way out of the unemployed difficulty, always providing that the'head or overseer is a thoroughly practical, far-seeing farmer. Chichester. TAUPO TOURIST ROUTES. i; Sir, —I noticed with interest a suggestion in a telegram from Hamilton on Friday that instead of the old and well-estab-lished tourist route from Taupo, through the National Park to Taumarunui, a more economical and interesting route would be back from Taupo to Hamilton bj road and back to Waitomo and Taumarunui. As an old and experienced tourist, who has had the advantage of travelling over all these routes, I feel that for the benefit of any who wight be tempted to make the change, I can do no less than strongly urge them on no acount to miss out trie run from Taupo, round the shorn of tho lake, through the National Park and down the Spiral to Taumarunui. From the point of view of scenery and interest there can be no comparison between the two routes. The tourist can easily see tho Waitomo Caves before going to Botorua (and this is tho usual course from Auckland) and, having been to Botorua, Wairakei and Taupo, go on through the National Park to Taumarunui, a run which, for interesting scenery and novelty, ,is unsurpassed, if in New Zealand, certainly not in tha North Island, The everchanging glimpises of Taupo, tho sea of a hundred winds (Taupo-Moana-Hau-Bau of ithe Maoris) with the rugged grandeur of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapchti, tho wind-swept free open spaces of the National Park, that triumph of engineering skili known as the Spiral, which can now be viewed bv rail or by road, and the beautiful stretches of the Whakapapa and the Wanganui Rivers above Taumanmui furnish for tho tourist a day full of interest and enjoyment. By taking this route, there is also no need for the tourist 'to double back on any portion-of his journey cixcept the short run between Frankton and Hangatiki, while he has the added advantage of including the most interesting portion of the New Zealand railways, namely, the Spiral, and cutting out the hare and uninteresting portion between Te Kuiti and Taumarunui and the portion between Waimarino and Marton, which is not very attractive from the tourist's point of view. This route has been so long established that it is small wonder that each year sees an ever-increasing number of well-satisfied tourists usir.g it. lb conclusion, I cart only again tirge anyone contemplating touring cm no account to miss it. Old Totraisi.