Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 508, 10 November 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

Sir, — I would like to ask Mr. Allen, the United candidate for Hauraki, what would be his attitude if he will not vote with Labour? Would he be like the rest of his associates and walk out of the House before a division is taken 9 As his political platform is absolutely opposed to the present Government, it leaves me thinking that, if Mr. Allen is returned, he 'Will change his coat from that of United to Reform. JOHN BOWD. EARTHQUAKES AND ERUPTIONS Sir,— Under the above heading a few weeks ago your correspondent, Mr. Frederick R. Field, said: “Likely dates for considerable earthquakes in the middle and southern parts of the North Island are October 20, 21 and 30 and November 6.” As those dates have come and gone and nothing unusual has happened, I would like Mr. Field to throw further light on the subject. I would also anticipate his answer by suggesting that those several earthquakes have combined to hold one grand display oq the 14th, when New Zealand will be shaken from Kaipara to Invercargill, and Reform castles will topple like ninepins. HUMPTY BUMPTY. A “CINCH” Sir, — I, read the letter of “North British” in last evening’s Sun, and from being a peace-loving citizen who never writes to the papers, I have been transformed in to a “splenetic.” Your correspondent takes you to task for not letting the word “cinch” pass as ordinary English in one of your editorials, and deprecates the reference to it as a hideous colloquialism. Well, sir. I’m on your side. Let us take the first paragraph of the leader last evening. It reads: Auckland transport is now theoretically out of the City Council’s hands. The Act providing for the creation of a transport board has become operative. All that remains to be done is to finalise the selection and apointment of city ana suburban representatives, and transfer the municipal tramway and bus business to the new and (as everybody will hope) better administration. Now let us have it as “North British” would like to see it. No apologies and no quotes. Stand from under, folk-—■ Well, folk we guess this transport bug has hiked from the council to make its new home with a board. Sure, all that has now to be done in this center is to pep up the appointment of he-man representatives of down-town and cut-town r,i str r ::ts J* e t the electric trollies and the benzine buzz-wagons switched over to the new guys. It’s a wow! Can you beat it? ALASKA. MR. LEE IN REPLY Sir.— Under the heading “Liars in Politics ’ which, in the circumstances, borders on the libellous, a person signing himself “Printer” says I did not

tell the truth when I said that duty of £ 900 was remitted by the Hon. Mr. W. D. Stewart on printing machinery imported by the Wellington "Dominion.” Last night I briefly traversed the point and caused a report to be furnished to you which so far has not appeared, so I write this. After my Parnell meeting someone who had interjected that I was incorrect. met me and subsequently admitted that if the duty was on linotype machinery the charge stood. Evidently the same person, who is persona grata in the printing world, hastened away to pen the spleen he was not courageous enough verbally to voice. I am not a printing technician, but the average man would describe a type-setting machine as part of a printing press, and the interjector who probably is "Printer” of the letter admitted frankly that if duty was remitted on machinery of foreign type which could be purchased in Great Britain, my point’ was sound, although, of course, whether the remission was corruption was a matter of opinion. The paper that contained his denial bore the evidence of the fact in a speech of Mr. McLeod, Minister of Lands. If "Printer” has as much courage as he apnears to have confidence in his opinions, he will shed hjs anonymity and come to face me at my next meeting. The facts are beyond dispute, and since they are admitted by the Hon. the .Minister of Customs—even though the Minister objects to our inferences —“Printer” should either acknowledge error or come into the light of day and back his statement with a name. JOHN A. LEE. The report to which Mr. Lee refers was in type yesterday, but was held over, with several others, through pressure on space. It appears in our news columns to-day.—Ed. The Sun. COMPULSORY VOTING Sir.— Recently the 43,000 enrolled electors were afforded the opportunity of evidencing their appreciation of the value of our civic franchise. The resultant poll demonstrated that over 35,000 were too indifferent or lazy to do their duty to their city, and abandoned their right of choice to less than 8,000 of their fellow-electors, who possessed a sufficient responsibility to record their votes. The result is that the gentleman who succeeded in re-entering our City Council represents on a voting strength slightly over 10 per cent, of enrolled electors. Such a state of affairs is a damning commentary on the want of interest and the disregard of public duty of at least 90 per cent, of our adult citizens. The disfranchisement of thousands of others is a much more serious matter, and demonstrates either the existence of a grave ineffici-enc-y in our civic enrolment, or the urgent necessity for a complete change in policy. No person should be refused the right to vote at the polling booths who attends, and can prove the possession of qualifications entitling him to enrolment. At the recent poll many hundreds of people were refused the opportunity of proving that right, and practically the whole of Tamaki. Kohimarama. and St. Heliers, legally entitled to enrolment on the residen(Continued in Next Column)

tial qualification, were disfranchised. One hundred and twenty-five only, out of tire many thousands of residents and property-owners in that area—which, with Orakei. recently merged into the city—recorded their votes. It is the plain duty of the City Council to devise some satisfactory method, without delay, of enfranchising th* 10,000 or more at present disfranchised. The disgrace perpetrated eight days ago regarding the transport poll is a profound reflection upon the 28,000-odd of ratepayers who were entitled on that occasion to cast a vote upon which depended the fate of our tram and bus transport, and assets approximately worth some £3,000,000 of alleged value. At that poll, 5.00U--01d possessed sufiicient energy to go to the poll, say 15 per cent. only. How can you expect competent, effective, and progressive administration when your representatives in th* City Council are necessarily a reflex of electoral indifference, and the general apathy of our citizens? An effective alternative may be the imposition of a £5 fine, and a five-year disqualification in respect of all electors who, without justification or cause, fail to exercise the municipal franchise at future polls. In the minds of thoughtful public men, the opinion is becoming concrete and definite that the writing is upon the wall that popular representation by adult franchise is well-nigh effete, and that the one justifiable alternative 1s government by civic commissioners. H. P. TAYLOR.

MONEY TO BURN IN ONE TREE HILL Sir, I noticed in your report of the above Road Board’s meeting on Wednesday last that a proposal to form the district into a borough was rejected by .'t vote of four to three. In view of the fact that it was clearly indicated that by doing so an increased revenue of about £I,OOO a year could be received by the change. I think this decision to postpone further action for six months (which means at least an extra £SOO loss to the ratepayers) an extraordinary one. Personally I think it is incumbent upon the board to call the ratepayers together and explain the position at the earliest possible moment. RATEPAYER

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENT “Election Landers’”—Sorry, no.—E<l. The Sun.