Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 210, 24 November 1927, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

HOBSON’S CHOICE Sir, — Sir Francis Bell’s remarks at the j recent complimentary luncheon to the Rt. 1-lon. L. S. Amery, connecting Captain Hobson’s choice of the site of 1 our city with the familiar saying “Hobson’s choice,” are of course in error, as every young Aucklander ought to know. That saying is much older than the Queen city. In the time of Charles 1., one Hobson let horses to the students at Cambridge. He would never break his rule of letting the horses in strict rotation. Persons wanting a horse must take the one whose turn it was to go, or they would have none. Hence the saying “Hobson’s choice,” or its equivalent, “That or none.” W. J. MUNRO. Mount Eden. A DISCERNING READER Sir, — Certainly the Daylight Saving Bill has given us more of THE SUN. The other evening on my way home as I was about to catch my tram, I had in one arm an overcoat, and In my right hand a box of strawberries. Under my right arm I had the two evening newspapers. In the crush one of the evening newspapers disappeared. They took the very paper I wanted to read without elbowing and annoying the A.C.C.’s travelling guests. Twopence would not save my wrath on the individual who took my SUN. READER; LAWYER DEFAULTERS Sir, — Tour issue of yesterday characterises the suggestion that lawyers should give some measure of protection against dishonesty to their trusting clients as “an extraordinary proposal.” It is useless “frothing” and talking about “99 honest men paying for one rogue.” A lawyer should be a tradesman, not a trickster, but since his business lends itself to manipulation by the unscrupulous, the profession as a whole should take up the burden of protecting the public against loss through abuses. It was thought good enough for the land agent to pay a licence fee to the State and fidelity insurance to protect the public and yet hands are held up in “holy horror” when it is proposed to protect the public against the , greater offender. The Canterbury Law Society is to be most heartily congratulated on its proposals. SURPRISED. SUBURBAN BUS SERVICES Sir. — The outcry in support of the buses still continues, and protests and expostulations (which are daily becoming more insistent) are being made, but to no avail. The City Council is gaily going on with its work of destroying the outer suburbs and compelling people to come back to the city by curtailing and handicapping bus service 'after bus service, with the idea of ultimately forcing an unwilling people to extend the tramway lines or walk. Have we ratepayers taken into consideration the huge amount the council has had to pay for the buses which are being put out of service so quickly, and also do we realise the [enormous amount that will have to be l paid to extend the tramway lines in

all directions, and that we have to “foot the bill” every time? Compare our rates even at the present time with other towns, and consider what they will be. if expenses leap up in this alarming fashion. There is only one solution. One must look to Parliament to get us out of the position it has made possible for us to be in. The council will go on with its projects. It is safe to say that no other Englishspeaking Government in the world would have passed the present iniquitous law relating to buses chat has already cost the ratepayers so much. The different cities of the United Kingdom are all facing the same problem, but they recognise that the motorbuses have come to stay. Our Government, to save New Zealand from a retrograde movement, must amend this law to suit present conditions. OUTER SUBURBS.

Shown this letter, Cr. J. A. C. Allum, chairman of the Tramways Committee, stated: “The committee is in a difficult position in that it realises its responsibility in regard to transport, but it also realises its responsibility to the city ratepayers. It is endeavouring to meet it*i responsibility to the ratepayers by reducing the bus loss, and at the same time is trying to give a service and so rearrange the i bus service to bring them as near as possible to the paying point.”—Editor, THE SUN. THE BOAKES TRIAL Sir, — The Burwood murder trial will have been disposed of by the time you go to press, so comment will be allowable. There is one point in the evidence which will have struck many of your readers. Under cross-examination by the defending counsel a detective-ser-geant replying to a question by Mr. Thomas as to whether he —the detective —had bullied the witness King into making his first statement, is made to say: “No, I have never seen the man one could bully into making a statement.” This reply appears to me to be a case of a witness saying more than he is required to do, and is, further, sufficiently ambiguous to have warranted further questions from Mr. Thomas. It certainly allows a most disturbing inference to be drawn. CHAS. BAILEY. Devonport. AMERICA EMPLOYS THE FOREIGNER Sir, — Under the above heading “C.H.X.” tells us in Saturday’s SUN that he has discovered another of the Protectionists’ '‘Economic Howlers.” He is I like a drowning man grasping at i straws. Of course, America does this j sort of thing, but on a very different basis from us. America sees to it that the person employed, whether foreigner or otherwise, is also a consumer, whereas we buy from America but sell her nothing, owing to the tariff wall which America has raised. This tariff wall, Mr. Coolidge told us last week, was the secret of America’s vast pros- ! Parity, but, of course, the poor man ; is suffering from delusions, as this is i another “economic howler.” Personally, I would rather have the prosperity that protection and *‘ec »- j nomic howlers” bring, than the “dole” und workless state that the “shibboleth” of Free Trade invariably brings MAORI MAC.' j (Continued in next column)

A DISGUSTING HABIT Sir, — As THE SUN usually takes up questions of public Interest, would you kindly make public a disgusting hat* which exists among certain shopkeepers of Auckland city and suburb*' I refer to moistening with a tonguelicked thumb the wrapping paper to which foodstuffs are wrapped. I purchased some bread in Parnell a fe* days ago, and the storekeeper, after applying a liberal quantity of moisture to her fingers, transferred this to the paper in which she wrapped the breed. I also bought lettuce, and die same thing happened. If it were pointed out to these shopkeepers that the habit is ■ a filthy one, and that their custom*** / object to them sDitting on the wrapping paper, perhaps they would place -« on their counters a sanitary moisten** | for such use. Also, sir, could not newjpaper as a wrapping material for foodstuffs be prohibited altogether? BIG BENBRIGHT STREET Sir, — Seeing that amalgamation with tn city is in the air, I should like to afl" vise all those who are in favour to take a walk as far as Bright Stree have a look at it, then ask any payer how long it has been under ur City Council’s care and how much rates have increased since joining. “ city. Then, if they are still in “J 0 * of the proposal—enough said. I venture to say that at least *• a year is collected in the stre ®* rates, and yet it is hardly sa*® crawl along the footpaths, and to the road a road is to give it a courww title. ..crp I Shown the above letter S town clerk, Mr. J. S. Brigham, saw- H ‘Ratepayer’ writes to the .City t he will get an answer to his state®* —Ed. THE SUN. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDED I “Wager” (Chelsea). Sunday & | Monday, eight (or, if you S (hour span between those I ! Sunday to Sunday seven. j “Disgusted.”—The general ■ ! the company, shown your l e ,. M plied that no reply was P OB ? 10 - tf K your identity was made; * n r i ol rif* } him. The company has a [ defined policy regarding i of dry shares and in every c*®* t the spirit of the policy has je I plied with, shares have 1 1 turned. —Editor, THE SUN- ;