LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25202, 15 May 1945, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Animals in Transit Sir, —It is heartening indeed to read the letters of "Farmer" and "Another Farmer" regarding reasonable methods of railing or trucking animals. It seems that the farmers within their unions could most effectively deal with this problem. To carry animals over long distances by slow trains is both inhuman and uneconomic, and should not be permitted. If one humane farmer in each branch took this matter up perseveringlv, reform would surely result. With the bobby calf season approaching, please do not delay, farmers. H. E. Read. Entertaining Servicemen Sir, —1 would like to express my svmpathy with "R.N.Z.A.F." for, although not a member of one of the Services, I can readily understand what it would

be like to have to roam up and down ' the unfriendly streets of Auckland. Not so long ago, L myself belonged to a club > to entertain servicemen, but this has now been closed and I am wondering . how the boys who very frequently used . our club are filling in their week-end leave. Ihe majority of these boys were South Islanders and found our club a "home away from home." Government House was always enthusiastically referred to as the best club of its kind throughout New Zealand. Does not the Government cater for servicemen who have done a few years service in Europe and some of whom are probably on their way to the Pacific theatre? Does it not cater for men who are on leave and perfect strangers in Auckland? Sunday afternoon pictures would be a splendid idea and would be much appreciated by servicemen. In my opinion Government House should not hare been closed down until it had been replaced by a club having similar facilities and entertainment. Entertainer. Social Security for Maoris Sir, —Allow me space in your paper to defend my .people against a statement recently made by Dr Smith, of Hokianga, when he suggested that social security benefits for Maoris should not be paid out in cash. I agree some Maoris are misusing their benefits. I agree that something should be done about those individuals, but 1 disagree that all Maoris should he penalised for the sins of those individuals. Our tribal committee tried to appoint a Maori, who we know is quite capable, as agent to supervise the spending of the benefits by some of these people. Unfortunately we have been unsuccessful so far. I

am sure Dr Smith will agree with me that some Maoris are more capable than some pakehas in looking after the spending of their benefits. Is it justice to have all Maori benefits couponed and let some pakehas have a free hand to misuse their benefits? Has Dr Smith seen the working of social benefits for Maoris handled by interested pakehas? In conclusion, as a Maori living in the Far North, I do admire the work Dr Smith has done for Maoris in his district, and particularly at Waima Native School. Maori. Abipara. Never Again Sir,—So that the horrors of war may be banished from the earth the peaceloving nations must, at, all costs, keep united and refuse to be side-tracked by any question, Polish or otherwise. Let them sink all differences and concentrate on the all-important job, that of [stamping out aggression, wherever and whenever it may attempt to show itself. If difficulties crop up that are not vital to the implementation of world peace, set them on one side, for the time; do not allow them to delay or Confuse the main objective. Let the slogan bo "never again," and let the nations, large and small, keep that before them constantly, until ways and means are found. The big nations especially must keep united and resolute on the preservation of peace. People who catch upon disputes among members at the San Francisco Conference, or elsewhere, and who use them to support and promulgate their pre-conceivea opinions, based largely on the failure of the League of Nations, should remember that "non possumus" gets us nowhere. Let us, all of us, avoid the fostering of a public opinion based on negation and pessimism, and adopt the will and spirit of co-operation which has won the war for freedom. 0. H. Nightingat/B.