Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 237, 27 December 1927, Page 10

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

"CARRIED FORWARD” Sir, — Though I am a stranger to Auckland I would like to crave space in your valued newspaper to air a grievance about the Milford bus service. With holiday hundreds I crushed into a Milford bus at Bayswater yesterday, but I had no intention of going right to the beach. The crowd made it impossible, to speak to the driver and ask him where we were, and he sat closelipped and never said a word during the whole of the trip. The result was that I overshot my stop and had to walk for half a mile in the heat. Surely it would be an easy thing for the busman to sing out the name of the next stop so that strangers would know where they were. TE KTJITI. A 10/- TOTALISATOR Sir,— X have, as yet, no financial grouch against the Auckland Racing Club for yesterday’s results were ordered much to my liking. Vet Ido think that the Ellerslie course, one of the finest in the Southern Hemisphere, should have a ten-shilling totalisator in the enclosure. At the beginning of a meeting, when there are many storms to weather, it is unsound investment to put £1 on “long shots" in the remote hope of getting princely return. Ten shilling bets of this kind are made with much lighter heart. The club, no doubt, argues that totalisator returns would fall if enclosure patrons could bet with the modest half-savereign. I think that the returns would not be reduced, for timorous betters would be induced to take more chances. Yesterday, inspired by treacherous faith in some outsiders, I endured an earthly purgatory in making the journey to the Leger “tote” where one was given the opportunity of presenting half-sovereigns to the Racing Club and Government. The queue there was always longer than on the inside. SOUTHERN VISITOR.

WHOSE, THE ROAD? Sir,— “ One would almost gather from occasional paragraphs in the Watch Tower column that the motorists, as a body, are a selfish lot, and that the pedestrians of the city are the most considerate, forbearing, regulationabiding set of people one could possibly find. Speaking both as a pedestrian and a motorist, my experience is that one or two per cent, of motorists sadly require a little disciplinary treatment, while at least 50 per cent of pedestrians require the same thing’ After all the roadway is primarily for wheeled traffic, and pedestrians are provided with footpaths. Auckland traffic control may fee good as far as

vehicular traffic is concerned, but as to the control of pedestrians crossing the roads it is lamentably lacking. The day-dreaming jay-walker is much too frequent, and you never know what way he or she will jump. Every time the brakes go on hard it costs the car-owner a few pence. He has to keep a sharp look-out. To look before he wanders in among the traffic costs the walker nothing, and makes for safety. A little of the uncommon commonsense would help a lot, but the years have not produced it. It is up to our city fathers to wake up to the fact that Auckland is a modern city without modern control, so to speak. MOTOR. "NO BEG PARDONS” Sir, — Last night's wrestling match had so many unpleasant features that one must inevitably fear the intrusion of elements undesirable, even in professional sport. The catch phrase in the Wrestling Association’s advertisements, “All In, 2<70 Beg Pardons,” suggested at the outset that no one would worry much if there were a Roman Holiday. I would venture to say that no more brutal exhibition has been staged in New Zealand. The men were more like a pair of wild cats than human beings, and their degrading exhibition suggested that, if wrestling is to maintain its popularity at the expense of sporting principles, tnen the sooner it is relegated, as a relic of barbarism, the better. The controlling association must be chided on account of the absence of safeguards at the edge of ihe stage. Dnly sheer luck allowed the grappling gladiators to escape injury when they plunged into the orchestra pit. As for the disqualification of Anderson I he deserved it no more richly than did Pergantas, from whose Greek composition the true spirit of Thermopylae seems unfortunately to have been omitted. PIN-FALL. BEACH FACILITIES Sir, „,® e l f ore coming to Auckland I heard much concerning the active enterprise of the municipalities and private concerns of the Queen City in the direction of catering for public pleasure, but experience over the past few r\ hav t. come to the conclusion tnat I have been misinformed. In this 1 would draw your attention proper bathing faeilities at Milford Beach. Here the Takaword ■5 c T ou & 11 Council possesses a a - ss ?‘.’ but one ’ Judging from which y ie rlnU^ IVe faemt »es prevailing, which they do not properly appremate. In the South such a beach would nave at least a commodious and wellequipped bathing pavilion. where bathers could be catered for in comfort and at reasonable cost. In view of the tact that the actual beach space is rather confined it in atee desirable that

groups of young men should not kick footballs about to the danger of sm&l’ children. The impact of a water- sodden football on a sun-burned face is not a pleasant thing, even for an adult. In prohibiting this sort of thing the au thorities could immediately effect fit least one improvement. WELLINGTON.

ON COURTESY Sir,— A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a sample of how one could be discourteously (in my opinion) ordered off a tramcar. On Christmas morning I was breaking the regulations-* as were a number of others —smoking on the vehicular ferry. There was no “Put that cigarette out!” instruction given for all to hear. The attendant went round and quietly asked each to put his light out. Bis remark me was: “About that cigarette. o» man. I’ve got to ask you to hold “■ over till you get off the boat. Begulations, you know, and all these . in the paper.” I expressed regret. appreciated his way of going the thing. Here’s hoping that letters in tne paper" will be heeded by people who have a less P* e ant way of doing unpleasanLthngjj^^