LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19608, 9 April 1927, Page 14

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

NORTHCOTE FERRY SERVICE. Sir,—Would you be good enough to allow me a little space to add a word or two to tha lettei on the ferry services published on Friday ft is indeed interestinj? to hear that tho Davonport Ferry Company loteud to apply to the Ilarboui Board for permission td run an opposition servicb to Bayswater. Ihe above-mentioned lettei has made suggestions which ar* very necessary on the NorthcoL but could, I think, be mada a littl* mor to the point, especially >n the week-day services. Recently letters appeared in the paper regarding the Northcote service, asking if the 1 erry Company could not give us a bigger boat, particularly between 7 a;m. and 10 a.m., and again between 4 p.ra» and 7 p.m., when the present boat is inadequate to cope with the .peak loads. If the Devonport Ferry Company cannot see its way to deal with the wishes of the boroughs of Chelsea, Birkenhead and Northcote, perhaps the Takapuna Ferry Company could take up the running. Fairness. THE SQUARE, AUCKLAND. Sir, —Many propositions have been put forward to utilise this piece of ground, and I think there is only one purpose for it, and that is a square, by whatever name it may be called. How nice and convenient is the Cathedral Square in Christchurch, which everybody knows and is such a resting and meeting place. The first time I went up Queen Street after all the buildings were down, I thought what a fine opening for sun and fresh air to penetrate into Queen Street. The railway station site for the northern line is so' handy that such a square would be of great service, The time is long past due for the trams to be out of Queen Street up to Welleslev Street, and the site should be the termini of such. If revenue is one of the objections. I would remind those objectors that revenue is not everything. Health and convenience would compensate for such reduced revenue. If a poll is taken regarding 'the use of this site, I hope it will include some such There is an opportunity to have a nice handy resting place, especially for those up in years or not able to climb tO Albert Park, especially if time is a consideration. WeM-WISHER. "JAY" WALKERS, "JAY" DRIVERS. Si rj _<'Busy Man" has drawn attention to matters that certainly call for action on the part of those entrusted with tW job of regulating our traffic. The conges tion on tootpaths at some of the Queeo Street intersections; especially during busv hours of the day, is appallingly in need ut regulation. At these places, people wishing to pass up or down the street find it impossible to make reasonable progress unless they get out among the wheeled traffic to do so. The officers of both the police and traffic departments appear to be serenely indifferent to this state of affairs. Much is heard about walkers, but nothing at all about "jay" drivers; nevertheless the latter species are with us in considerable numbers. Whether or not it be decided to enact a by-law to govern pedestrian traffic at busy intersections, I would suggest that .traffic officers on point duty, having given the "stop" signal to wheeled traffic, see that it is acted on promptly. Drivers of motor vehicles should not be encouraged in the belief that the traffic officer's "stop" is i merely a signal to slow down to a crawl j that eventually brings them to a point where their vehicles block pedestrian traffic and cause confusion. By the way, what has become of the white lines marking the crossing at the intersection of Queeift and Customs Streets? These lines, we were given to understand, marked the limit to which a motor vehicle was allowed to aoproach the intersection after receiving the j "stop" signal This was an excellent idea and inspired confidence in the nervous pedestrian. Why was it discontinued ? We cannot start too soon with the education of "jay" drivers. Traffic. COMPULSORY CONTROL. Sir, —"Keystone, Royal Arch" says:— "There a,re certain private rights upon which government may not justly trespass. The ownership of property, with the right privately to sell the same, is one of these." Yet in New Zealand the common citizen may own whisky, but may not sell it. Also, a merchant may own butter and sell it as well. He can export it to Australia, if he likes, and sell it there without restriction. But he may not sell New Zealand butter in England except through the agency of the board. In both cases we have ••limitation of private rights for the public good" —not Bolshevism. Where the public good is concerned, should property be more sacred than the person? Yet the law is no respecter of persons. Bolshevism in actual fact set out to deny all private rights—even the womenfolk were to be State property. Present-day Bolshevik policy, which to a certain extent permits private trading, is purely a matter of expediency, the objective having tailed. Let "Keystone" understand that we stand or fall by the principle of compulsory control, if it is Bolshevik, then so are we. We are not quite such hayseeds as he would have people believe when he says we have been betrayed into our present position. Your correspondent also remarks that "grading tends to uniformity of standard." 1 should imagine that that is exactly what is aimed at and achieved, so that to-day "Fernleaf" butter, our national brand, is one of those articles "so unique in their quality that they constitute a class of their own," to borrow "Keystone's" expression. And the adoption of this national brand under the pooling system actually removes all possibility of "association with inferior stocks," as it is never placed upon a single box of second-grade butter. Marble Arch. DAIRY CONTROL. Sir, —The Welfare League is a pastmaster at putting up a smokescreen, as a last resource it raises this bogey of Communism. Let me say plainly neither 1 nor the majority of farmers are Communists But we are forced to take this Dominion as we find it. Against this most strenuous protests of farmers, what the league chooses to call Communism was rampant long before the Dairy Produce Control Board was thought of. The Legislature provided the means for every section of the community that cared to do so to organise, and in every organisation the majority is giveu the power to determine the rules under which the profession or trade shall be carried on. This privilege' has been ro freely availed of that there is scarcely one section of society exempt. And just at this point, I, at least, will fight the Welfare League to the last ditch. The farmers are asking no more than is granted to other classes* and will take no less. To express the perverted senses of right and wrong that animates the league, let me give an illustration: Sav there are three men, one sells advice, one sells labour, and another sells butter. The man who sells advice is compelled to observe the rules laid down by a majority of his profession, the seller of labour is in tho same position, but, according to the league, if the seller of butter sets up an organisation on precisely similar lines to those of the two former, the league says he is a Communist. To mft. this seems queer logic. Nobody prizes freedom and liberty of action more than the farmer, but when he finds the _ amount of privilege enjoyed bv all others is grind ing him down into the dust be is com pelled in self-defence to organise. Sneak ing in a wide sense, the cost of production has been so inflated by no overt act of his that long hours of toil, wet and dry, Sundays and week-day in thous ands o? cases, leaves only the barest pittances. And all the sympathy he gets from politicians and publicists is to work harder while organised classes are invited to work less and sport more. When the farmers see all the advantages that accrue to others from combination it is only natural that he should try what has proved so beneficial to them. James Parxane, .. Ellerslie.

ENTERTAINING MINISTERS. J gjr,—Your account of an interview with Mr- Walton, chairman of the Hauraki Plains County Council, contain* statements contrary to fact. Tho Mlniia* ters fixed thei. itinerary without suggestion from myself. They arranged tf> be at Thame, on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday at Hauraki Flams. Mr. Walton did not advise me of a to hold a function at Ngatea on Tuesday night, nor had I any knowledge that such was the case. I have invariably treated local bodies, and the chairmen thereof, with courtesy, and on the present occasion plighted no one. The attitude taken, up by Mr. Walton is unwarranted and difficult to reconcile. T. W. RHGPES. Thame.; A LABOUR LORD MAYOR. Sir,— Sydney's Lord Mayor is threatened with suspension from unionism because he presented the city's address of welcome to the Duke and Duehess of York "with all the pomp and splendour of medieval times." This action of the Trades and Labour Council must dim fche splendour of Sydney's reception to our Royal visitors. Those who are acquainted with Australians will realise that only a certain organised section is capable of such a proceeding. If Labour Mayors,_ nominees of this organisation, are to act in accordance with the dictum of "the caucus," God save us from such. As a vising Wellingtonian, though a native of this city, I am surprised that Auckland slionid be faced with the possibility of 3 Labour Mayor being elected on a minority vote. Cannot a straightout vote be obtained ? _ If there are internal dissensions or a desire on the part of those not holding Labour views to achieve distinction, cannot some effort be made to ensure that Auckland's chief citizen should representative of the thought of the majority ? M. A. Cabk. Y.W.C.A. AND DANCING. Sir,—l have read the letter of He v. A. A. Murray in your Friday's issue, and although not in any way connected with the Y.W.C.A., my sense of justice and good sportsmanship compels me to protest against such a narrow and un-Chri6tian-like attack. Mr. Murray's form of Christianity is that which would 1 fail to draw the young folk or the subscriptions from the public for the furthering of th«| objects of the Y.W.C.A. The attracting of young women to the institution should he one of the first considerations of the executive. Christianity can then be taught in a palatable form to the members Religion cannot be inspired uito empty benches. Mr. Murray would, be well advised to support the Y.W.C.A. and get in among the young folk witsr a good healthy form of Christianity, not the kind that induces him to write of a neighbouring religious institution, "and let the good Christian people take a., good fair and square look at the Y.W.C.A., and t twice before they support it with their money." The Y.W.C.A. authorities need not feel discomforted; there are eni>Qgn broad-minded Christians in Auckland to support them financially, so long as they carry pn with their present methods ana attract the girls, especially the immigrants, who find themselves without the comforts of home life such as many e>f us enjoy. H - G - T " HALL OR PARK AT STANLEY BAY. Sir,—ln your Friday's issue, Mr. Herbert Linder rushes to the assistanae of his frispd, Mr. George V. Pearcs, 13-the above controversy, and attempts to support his obvious errors of fact with comments which merely display a jauauiGea interpretation of local affairs. Writing with intimate knowledge of the activities of the Stanley Bay Improvement Association for the past four years, I challenge anyone to prove that during that period there has been any attempt on the part of its executive to misuse any funds committed to its care. I would submit that Mr. Linder's pitiful accusation is entirely neutralised by the fact that during, the period to which he refers the association has been instrumental in the raising and spending of £3OOO in the pursuit of its high objectives in the improvement of St.anlev Bay, and meanwhile the so-called " hall "fund*" has been wisely nursed until \ it now stands at nearly £IOOO. regard to his " surprise " that " Mr. Aldridge should accept a notice of motion having for its object the diverting of these funds," I should like to eqy that my action Was constitutionally correct, and I regard his consternation as on. a par with his remark " that the notice cf motion was carried " as a revelation of Mr. Linder's conceptions of ehainnan-

ship. Ernest AlbkidgbChairman, Stanley Bay Improvement Association.

FISHING AND FEES AT TAUPQ. Sir, —I have just read Mr. Andei'son's letter regarding above, I h&ve bees tfl' Now Zealand before, and have enjoyed same very excellent sport, as my articles in the Home sporting press would show,. I have also been unfortunately instrumental in spreading the information so extensively advertised by the New Zealand Government that a £1 licence covered tba fishing anywhere. Several anglers, to my personal knowledge, came out her# under the impression that this charge *till held good, as I do not think any effort has been made in time to acquaint overseas anglers of the alteration. The only notification I have seen is ill the Fishing Gazette (England) of January 22, 1927. and this is contained iin an article by Mr. T. E. Donne, who says that " if the Briton does not approve he has the option of staying at home." This, no doubt, is quite true, but we do not want to stay at home when «'• can have the pleasure of meeting sucb out and out sportsmen as the New Zealand anglers—l look forward to coming out here as much to see th®m as I do to catch their trout, and in no country I have fished in have I met bettor feJ« lows. " So far as I am personally concerned a New Zealand friend wrote me hefore I started from Home, and informed me about the increased charges, so ][ have nothing to growl about, but how about the overseas man who gets to Taupe, or within a few miles of it, and finds the only place to obtain a licence is at the Taupo Post Office befoire 4 p.m. ? H® finds the charge is 15s, or, 7| times aa much as for a resident. The nest day he goes for another day's licence, and has to pay a further £2, which wiill entitle him to fish for a week. After be has fished a week be has to pay » further sum of £6 for any further period.Ffe can, of course, fish for the remainder of the season, for this sum, but the great majority of overseas visitors wish to travel through the country, and only put in a certain proportion of their time at one place Even supposing the Government thinks proper to discriminate against tho visitor, I do think the visitor should be allowed to have as many day or veefely tickets as the resident is allowed to have. Every traveller of any experience knows that a certain class of trader in any country has two charges, one for the visitor and one for the resident, bnt when t fJovemment does it in such a manner aS" this has been done, there nesd be 'ittle surprise at the dissatisfaction 80 openly and frequently expressed here, and the almost emptv boarding houses. EDW. W, Dkax. Canterbury, England.