Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 417, 27 July 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

CHESS AND DRAUGHTS Sir.— i A number of overseas players of chess and draughts are combining with local players to form an Auckland Provincial Chess and Draughts’ Association further to popularise these games in the province among players and people. A meeting of those interested will be held at the Y.M.C.A. rooms shortly, the date of which will be announced through the columns of The Sun by the convener. J. MacLACHLAN. DISTRESSING CASES Sir. — As a social worker I come across many cases of poverty. Let me mention two. A woman with six children, one of them a big boy who is delicate, and her husband, just out of hospital and unable to work, have no money, no friends and no prospects. They dread asking for charity. Another, mother of sixteen children, has a semi-invalid husband. Eight of the children are of school age. Five boys who are willing to do anything cannot find work. Can anyone give work to these lads and relieve the mother’s terrible burden? I shall be happy to receive clothing for these cases, or give the addresses to anyone desiring to help. NURSE CLAYTON. 6G Mackelvie St., Auckland. AN APPEAL Sir,— The excellent work of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and Association for the comfort of poor and needy patients is being extended by tjio opening of a me'dieal comforts depot in the ambulance station, second floor, Rutland Street. The object of this depot is to hire out sick-room comforts, such as invalid chairs, air cushions, back-rests, hot water bottles, etc., on the recommendation of a doctor or nurse, at a small charge a week, to people who are unable to buy these comforts for themselves. The committee of this depot would be very grateful for donations of sick-room comforts from anyone possessing same and having no further use for them. JESSIE MARY MELVILLE, Sec., Medical Comforts DepOt. EXTERMINATING ANTS Sir. J With reference to your correspondent’s inquiries re the extermination of ants, the following hints may prove of service, as I have tried this method personally, and can truly say that we are now never troubled, although three years ago we were unable to leave food of any description about. In the first place ants loathe the smell of kerosene, so every day, night and morning, the places where they

come in should be rubbed with a kerosened rag. If it is possible, kerosene should be poured on to the nests, which will be found round about the house. Secondly, take sugar, two parts, and borax, one part, and mix together dry. Place this in small tin-lids under the house (not inside, as so many people do; this only biings them in), taking care that they are not exposed to rain. This treatment, if persisted in, will entirely destroy the pest. The borax and sugar should be renewed when necessary and always kept under the house. Care must be taken in the house not to leave scraps of food, etc., about the sink. E. M. LEWIS. PROGRAMME GLUTTON Sir, — I had no intention of replying to Mr. J. R. Carlsen. My object in writting was accomplished, being primarily to compliment the R.B.C. on a great improvement in the programme of July 7, and to contrast this with the usual monotonous fare. Mr. Carlsen seems satisfied. That is all right. “No accounting for ta.ste.’’ He reminds me of the boy who went into the greengrocer’s and asked for a half-pennyworth of carrots, remarking “I’m a beggar for fruit.” “M.U.G.” in hie reply of the 21st advises Mr. Carlsen to give a few humorous items from IYA. I trust he will not. The humour may chance to be of as poor a quality as that contained in his two letters. If IYA programmes are so good can Mr. Carlsen explain the large drop in number of licences with continuous murmurings of further drops. CRYSTAL SET. A MOTHER’S OPINION Sir,— I am a constant reader of your paper and although I read the letters I did not take much notice of those about feeble-minded people until last night. I was amazed. Why, directly, we mothers will not be able to protect our young Some time ago a magistrate was indignant because a child’s birth certificate had a certain brand on it. In my opinion, it would be better to brand the mother and father rather than the pure babes. And now they want us to register backward children, under a mental and social defectives scheme, and brand them for ever. It’s no use saying otherwise: The brand will stick. We shall soon be reading in some American paper that about half our children are socially defective. A nice reputation to have! Surely our politicians will not pass such a Bill. What guarantee have they or anyone else that their children will continue in good health and continue to do well at school. Take the railwajmen’s They are shifted from school to school, yet if they become backward are they to be put on this awful list?

I am the mother of six healthy. Intelligent children, and I claim the rUr: to some say in this. I have heard it said . that the only people who can manage children are those whc haven't got them and I notice several Mis* and So’s supported the Bill. J. FENTON. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS W.H.— You express yourself rathor too forcibly.—Ed. The Sun. “One Who Has Suffered.” —Information passed on. Thank you.