Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 485, 15 October 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

AUCKLAND ON THE “MANUKAU” Sir.— Is it ignorance or negligence that causes the New Zealand Publicity Department to advertise throughout the British Empire that our fair city of Auckland is situated on the Manukau Harbour? Or perhaps the name of Auckland’s harbour has been changed? I have seen screened this week views of our city, and on no less than three occasions the Waitemata Harbour is misnamed. If the Publicity Department cannot ensure that correct nomenclature shall be given to places shown on its films, it had better cease operations at once. I trust the citizens of Auckland will take sufficient interest in this important matter to see that the titles in this picture are rectified. AUCKLANDER. POLITICS BY RADIO Sir, During the next few weeks, politicians and would-be politicians will be attempting to convince electors that they are the only people meriting active participation in the State’s «£ 450 a year pension scheme. ’ For those who have intense interest in the country’s affairs it is a tiring business stepping round, night after night, to the various political meetings. Auckland has over 13,000 listeners-in, and I would suggest that IYA put one election candidate “on the air” each evening for their entertainment and political education. The parties could bo taken in rotation: Labour, United and Reform. I am sure this little service would be appreciated by electors and the candidates won’t mind an unseen audience; for it would save them from interjections and embarrassing questions. BRAIN WAVE. GIRLS AND CABARETS Sir. I was walking up Queen Street last night, when my eye caught an extraordinary series of flamboyant hieroglyphics on a notice board. Then I beheld the magic words, “Harold Schmidt.” I take it that this is the same Mr. Schmidt who has been vigorously assailing the Dixieland management, and alleging all sorts of things which may happen if swimming baths are built at Point Chevalier. Now. as a visitor to Auckland, I want to say that after all I heard, I was quite surprised, after spending an evening at the cabaret, to find that Dixieland is as well and decorously managed as any other cabaret in New Zealand, perhaps better so. As for the suggestion that if baths were built, the girls would be going from the swimming pool to the dancing floor in wet. clammy bathing costumes with their hair all “skew-whiff,” I don’t think Mr. Schmidt knows much about the modern girl. We have had all sorts of quaint outbursts in the past month or so, but they all come down to vague and rambling statements aboilt the evils of cabarets, by people who have probably never been in a cabaret in their life. DUNEDIN. THE WILD WEST IN N.Z. SirPrior to last General Election thrilling accounts were published of the way in which the Prime Minister handled the bulls in his early days. Mi'. Coates leapt into fame as a bullfighter, and the electors were en-

tranced. The American cowboys featured on the screen were not in it for several weeks. Imitators soon appeared. A story came down from gallant Colonel Allen Bell’s electorate, giving a graphic description of how they capture outlaw steers in the Far North. During the Eden byelection, Sir James Gunson, encouraged no doubt by the Prime Minister’s success, told how he had driven horses up the Henderson Valley in his boyhood days. Naturally this fell rather flat. The public liked wild bulls the best, and I think they rather resented other Reform candidates poaching on the Prime Minister’s preserves. Why couldn’t they think up something for themselves? There is a dangerous sequel to this Wild West stuff. There is a tremendous demand for screen artists. Hollywood is ever calling. Rudolph Valentino has gone, and Tom Mix cannot last for ever. The movies may yet entice our statesmen away from their jobs in this fair land. Could we spare them? I pause for a reply. _ G. HENRY. Epsom. m ~ THAT NICE NEW WHARF Sir.— Thank you for Mr. Burnett's explanation that the electrically worked gangway can be worked by hand. Quite so, but how long would it take to lower it? If the ferry steamer's engines failed, no doubt Mr. Burnett would suggest that the ferry captains should get out the dinghy and tow the boat to the wharf. Tram conductors might also push their trams when the power fails, but would the passengers be satisfied with the speed attained, ilie gangway is a heavy proposition, and already it has a hole in it, made when it crashed down on to a stanchion, and which only by a streak of good luck was not made by the ferry captain s head. "Plus Fours” hits the nan on the head when he says the wharf has been placed at the wrong angle. If this is not so, why is it T t C^ lona the steamers have had their stern carried right across to the vehicular stage, and passengers have been able to alight from the vehicular ferry dolphins? If the fat 0 it - rlsht ’- and the power does not ff lJ ' 11 *? » nxce new wharf, but surely it shouid be satisfactory under ail conditions, considering the money spent WHAKFIE. CURES FOR UNEMPLOYMENT Sir, — various 6 with interest the ?“ s . suggestions made bv your would-be Prime Ministers on the subject of unemployment. The only prac1S t! l?5 the state should 1 provide jobs. That, of course, hirdlv goes to the root of the problem. Most of a t£ y e S Zeaiand 18 the lowSt in the BriUsh Empire, and If Mr. BaldStan ley Bruce swapped r " < - oates to-morrow, it wouldn t make a penn'orth of difference unemployed. Post-war condi-tb-S ?h e °'l er wor,d seem to prove whiVt* - 6 P r °blera of unemployment, which is one of the results of economic depression, defies solution by political means: the best that politicians can do Is to ameliorate the distress ineidental to unemployment by providing relief works at the public expense. Undertakings such as the Taupo rail-

way, which has no economic Justification, are merely palliatives to tide over an awkward period; they contribute nothing to the true solution of unemployment. There is another apostle of the obvious who points out that if we could eliminate wasteful expenditure we should have the wherewithal to keep everyone in regular employment. But it is hardly practicable to stop persons who desire to do so, from backing horses, consuming au altogether unnecessary amount *»f alcoholic liquor, indulging in joy-ridiir-and all kinds of expensive amusemer instead of putting their money in the savings bank. Besides, this contributor overlooks the fact that at the present moment there is no shortage of capita! in the country for the employment of labour. The difficulty to empl“ labour remuneratively. Personally. I would rather see the politicians worrying and scratching their heads about unemployed capital than unemployed labour. None of them gives the subject a thought. It is far from easy in New Zealand to-day to find outlets for capital that give promise of a reasonable return. We are passing through one of those periods of falling price-* called depressions or slumps, when capital accumulates and labour has a. lean time. Some economists, finding themselves incapable of providing a satisfactory explanation of recurring lepressions. now suggest that the reason is purely psychological. They toll us that everyone is suffering from cold feet, and the cure is M. Coup’s—cultivate optimism and infect everyone eiso with it. These worthies appear to overlook the simple fact that if slumP' have a psychological explanation so must booms, which are the product of an excess of optimism and speculationThe production of wealth seems to bo subject to an ebb and flow like the tide, but lacks its regularity. Human factors influence it to such an extent that nono can foresee with certainty when the tide of production will the flood: it is equally hard to detect the ebb. All we know is that the outgoing tide of production will leave a k T of people strand.ed and that in tn r majority of instances they will haf« t* shift for themselves till the next tia* 1 floats them back into work. To con* trol production so that there will b" neither boom nor slump, but a hlg’i level of prosperity all the time, seen'* 1 * to me rather much to expect of Coates and his friends. No matte how many oparts of ink you soil! 1 telling Gordon what ho should acnothing will hannen—except that m will claim the credit for the next ***> whenever it arrives. it coui *oon! „ P'CT'FTR NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS H.M.—Clever but unsuitable. —Ed. Sun. “A Mother”—You do not supply *>•£ name and address. YY> require for our own protection; publication.—Ed. The Sun. Sanitary Inspectors^—lnquiries been made into your case. The pu® tion is that a sanitary inspector under by-laws and health Acts power to enter any premises a uf spect them at any reasonable of the day. No person, occupier, has any right to PV> of this, and the penalty for htewcrmf obstructing the inspector is ier * £2O. As a rule, an inspector P* ‘; 5 to prevent a door being closed face and explain the position occupant. The alternative prosecute the offender. —Ed. ■ ne