LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25345, 29 October 1945, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Rights of Man Sir, —Kapai te pakeha! "Modern Husband's" letter is a revelation as to tlu influence of the Maori upon the pakeha. He has evidently been observing the diligence of the wahine in the kumara beds and on the tidal flats. These estimable wives do not expect assistance and they certainly know the effect upon sinking morale of a sensible, nourishing meal cooked and provided at home after their husbands hard work at the two-up school or the racecourse. Go to it, "Modern Husband"! You deserve your 40-hour week, come what may. Kapai te Maori.

Farming Costs Sir—Will you kindly allow me a few lines to second Mr Stuart Brown's letter on your article, "As Others See Us." by J. Gordon Ross, Canadian M.P. It should be printed in pamphlet form and widely distributed. They do not like Socialism in Canada and the United States. The C.C.F. (Canadian Socialist Party) made a very poor showing in the recent elections. Farmers there receive every encouragement, whereas here the Government does everything in its power to hinder farmers—high costs and low guaranteed prices for primary production. But nemesis awaits the Government, which is trying by every and any means to avert its fate, but is only adding to the mounting indictment, against it. Another Farmer.

The Boysenberry Sir, —Beware of the boysenberry. that delicious fruit bramble. Four years ago, allured hy nurserymen's propaganda, I planted two; today Allied commanders are not rooting out Nazi "cells" with more detestation and determination than I am seeking the roots of this pestilential plant. Grown near cultivated soil its roots go down two or three feet and, spreading in all directions, send shoots everywhere to the surface. In my case thev appear in some places ten feet from the original plant. Every bit of root left in the ground seems to start into life. Cultivate the ground for vegetables, the boysenberry within a month or two outstrips the intended crop and confronts the gardener with the alternative of digging* up the crop or giving the bramble six months' grace. So ferocious is its armament of thorns or twigs and leaves that if it spreads to a live hedge the clipping , of that hedge will present a sore prohlom to the owner. I understand it is for the local governing body to defide whether any plant in its area is a noxious plant. It is strange that with Auckland's experience of the blackberry this new bramble should have gained such easy admittance. The City Council should lose no time in coming to a decision on this matter. Urgent. Theory for Nurses Sir, —May I also, as a general trained nurse, support the views held by K. McDonald in your column. I maintain I that the theoretical knowledge expected of nurses in training nowadays should be on as high a level as the practical standard. The rate of progress iii the science of medicine and surgery demands that intelligent nursing go hand in hand with the constantly changing methods of treatment. Particular stress should be laid on the need for a sound theoretical knowledge behind the nursing of those "sick in mind." It is a much-to-be-lamented fact that many nurses, through lack of intelligent understanding of the subject, quickly class as "neurotic" the patient whose bodily ailment is slight but whose mind, burdened with .some secret fear or trouble, causes him to believe himself seriously ill physically. Hero proper psychological treatment on tho part of the nurse can work wonders. The "block system" of study for nurses in training is most helpful. Here nurses in their respective groups leave the wards every six months for a six weeks' period in class where thev study and have test papers on all subjects in the curriculum. It was carried out to great advantage in my southern training school. Progress.