LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24749, 24 November 1943, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Workers for Vegetable Gardens Sir, —I would like to ask "Astounded" four questions: —(1) Is the population of Pukekohe town 50? (2) Did the girls feel any more worn out than at the opening of the tennis season? (3) Will there be no shop and office girls on the beach in shorts this summer? (4) Has "Astounded" any activity in mind lor women more directly connected with the war effort? Hoe Low. Home Forces and Essential Industries Sir, —Many citizens are strongly criticising the present state of the temporary staff and W.A.A.C. units of our home forces. One hears authentic reports of idleness, inefficiency, and the vicious system of personal favouritism, and consequently it may be assumed that much of this criticism is warranted. An article published in the Ifkraij) recently revealed the bitterness felt by returned men toward the system which allows officers to retain ''cushv jobs." Another article complained of the man and woman power that was being wasted in the temporary staff and W.A.A.C. units.

"Surely it would be possible to transl'er many of the soldiers and W.A.A.C.'s into essential industries. The critical labour situation would be eased it W.A.A.C.'s were sent to work in the Mangere gardens for a few months. Is it right that this situation should be allowed when it is not only hindering the war effort of New Zealand but also engendering bitterness among the young men who have offered their lives in this war? Demobilised.

The Housing Problem Sir,—The housing problem in Now Zealand is a scandal. Why not face the issue and admit the shortage of houses is directly due to the drastic administration of "The Fair Rents Act" and the quashing of the speculative builders who by over-production would have reduced rents and values? The unfair rents imposed —not enough to make repairs—and the crowded houses from sub-letting have produced slums, illhealth and epidemics No doubt the State has supplied a few favoured tenants with fine houses at nominal rentals, but most ordinary workers have to climb into a room or two, glad to get their families under cover. " The British Ministry, having tried State building, now leave it to private enterprise to supply the people with houses. The remedy here, and the only common-sense remedy, is to subsidise the speculative builders, as other concerns are being subsidised by the 'Labour Government, such as sugar, wheat, etc. If these speculative builders had been allowed by the Government to carry on in the ordinary way there would have been no need now to subsidise them. Or,i) Pioneer. Timbers Workers and Butter Sir, —Employees of country sawmills work under tough conditions and are 011 the job wet and fine 'IS hours per week. It takes a good fall of snow to put the brakes on. Most of the men work in the open without shelter of any kind, while all perform heavy and frequently dangerous manual labour. About 50 per cent take cut lunches to their work, and these lunches are no snack, but a proper "binder" for a man who starts toiling at 7 a.m., is frequently wet through all day and flounders about in a sea of mud six days a week. Kven a pound of butter will not adequately cover six such lunches; yet that is all that is asked for. Bushmen's wives have therefore given up their So/,, to supplement their bushands' needs'(while single men go without), then use their children's ration to cut the youngsters' school lunches. And again, none of the amenities of the town are available to vary the children's mid-dav food. Yet all the timber worker asks for is an extra So/,, per man per week. Had the authorities been blessed with average intelligence they would have foreseen the necessity for certain variations being necessary for certain sections of the community and made provision for these before the final scheme was announced. Their failure to do so cannot be used for butter on bushmen's bread, so we must perforce see that the omission is remedied now. Matai. National Park.