LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24634, 13 July 1943, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Power Supply Position Sir, —With reference to any increase in the use of electric power, now or in future, by the civic population of Auckland,* surely the Government is responsible. first, by increasing demands on an already inadequate supply by reticulation of State houses, and making no provision for future increased supply. Another cause is the perpetuation of summer time through winter, necessitating at least one hour's extra loading during the dark early mornings to despatch our breadwinners to their work betimes. What is there preventing the Government, even at this late hour, from abolishing this inconvenience to the people and themselves? !•' O. Kwaut. Rationing of Knitting Wool Sir. —If the Minister and the controller responsible look on the new knitting woo! rationing scheme a.s a sop to the feminine portion of the electorate. they have reckoned without their hosts. The quantity, 12oz. of the thick wool, which is the only kind at present obtainable, is quite insufficient to knit even one adult garment. A cardigan for a .man or woman demands anything from IS to 20 skeins of loz. Rationing of knitting wool —if, indeed, it should be necessary in a wool-produc-ing country—is a just method of ensuring fair distribution, but this way of doing so is not practical, save for the mothers of small children who will at any rate he able to knit them one warm garment. As for the grown-ups, 1 hope the controller will take counsel of some women practised in the art of knitting and revise his plans.

Blow, Blow, Thou Wintkk Wind Guns and Butter

Sir, —Your correspondent, Mr. James Begg, should he congratulated on his fine letter to the Hkhau), under the above caption. "He did not ask the producer if he can increase or even maintain his production. One would be led to believe that butter grows in pats on grocers' shelves and' is not produced. i am 60 years of age and my wife 59. We are milking on our 50 acres, and have only one son, who was doing the major part of the work on the farm, but who i.s now overseas. We desire to keep tbc home for the boy on his return and we two set to work and kept at it for three long years until now our health and strength have been impaired and we will have to give it up. I don't write this in any complaining way. The authorities know where our lad is best employed—in service of his country, be it guns or butter. Only [ would like to point out to your correspondent that butter, like any other commodity, cannot be saved, sold or given away before it is produced. I'uonrcnit.

Home Guard Conditions Sir, —I have a letter on Homo Guard matters that may bo of interest. It is from a district in the Far North. The letter, after stating that the district had been doing all possible to keep the guard up willi little or no oncotiragornent, no transport, no arms, only one day's shooting in 12 months, and no instructor, proceeds to state that the members very willingly aavo their time iro to equip themselves to defend their home l ', hut that they had been sr,:ihlied> and starved of equipment., so thai, at present they were glad to he exempt from service. The platoon had been pnradiii'i every week until recently. and then three days a month, for over three years, and as yet had not a rifl" to each man. Only three times did tliev have arms in their hands to practise ivith. and only on three occasions did they have a drill instructor who knew his job. Only once did they see a machine-gun of any sort. As this happens to be a district in probably the most exposed area of Now Zealand, the above may help people to understand why many of the Home Guard, even in rural areas, are "fedup." While I personally know a good deal about the difficulties and liavo been dealing with the matter in correspondence for over three years, have met the Prime Minister, the .Minister of Defence and Cabinet, and can make certain allowances. I am satisfied that much more could have been done than has been done; that the best use has not been made of splendid human material available, so that it is small wonder that the men have been dissatisfied. A. 10. lloillNSOX. Jproviusia] See., N.Z, Fanners' Union,