Citizens Say—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say —

(To the Editor.)

OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS

“Male Assistant" is certainly emphatic in his expressions of opinion with, regard to headmasters, but perhaps the more valuable part of his letter is that which seeks to point out that on the vital question of open-air schools it is the child and the child’s needs which must come before all other considerations. The saying that “the world moves forward on the feet of little children” has, in these more enlightened days, become pregnant with meaning for all right-think-ing men and women. To-day, more than ever before, do the words, “As the child, so the nation,” arrest the attention of those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Let us hope that there may be an ever-increasing number of such teachers and parents who see, in the advocacy of these pressing reforms, some attempt at the amelioration of serious and tragic sociological problems which now baffle mankind. NEW ERA. PRIVATE BUSES Sir, — I wish to thank Mr. Allum, chairman of the newly-formed Auckland Transport Board, for the board’s kindness in allowing private buses to run on the Henderson public road. I happen to own some property in Henderson, and I consider it will be worth about 50 per cent, more if private buses get a fair spin. It is very generous of the Transport Board to let private enterprise have one or two of the runs on which the City Council-Transport Board services are making the heaviest losses, but, of course, the private buses must dump their passengers down somewhere in Avondale, so that the board’s buses can pick them up along with the Avondale passengers and carry them into the city. Tho whole proposal makes one proud to be a Britisher. BRAVO UNCRITICAL CREDULITY Sir.— Characteristically, Mr. Hughes fails to discuss my reasons for refusing to “confute” the “Blue Room,” and appears to imagine that to label them “erroneous” is to dispose of them. In such circumstances it borders on effrontery to say that I am “now worse than silent before the facts of Spiritualism.” As to the question of checks on spiritist phenomena, I will give a recent instance to show what reliability may be placed in Dennis Bradley, whose writings are held up by Mr. Hughes as convincing proofs. In the “Daily Mail” recently this author stated that he had unmistakable proof of “direct voice” communication with the dead, through a deceased merchant, George Valiantine; and that at certain seances the direct voice spoke in about 30 languages, “archaic Chinese” among them, and nearly all of which were quite unknown to those present. My italics need little comment. Presumably the medium concerned had to tell the sitters what the languages were. But mark the sequel! In the ) "Daily News” of January 25, Lord Charles Hope demonstrates Mr. B.rad--1 ley’s untrustworthiness. The seances

took place in Lord Hope’s room, and he was quoted as a witness to the truth of the yarn. But Lord Hope states that only “several” languages were spoken, and of all the languages spoken, a few words of Italian only could be understood by the sitters. Further the medium was not controlled in any way, and the seances took place in pitch darkness. Lord Hope’s opinion is that they were a failure. So much for the reliability of Mr. Bradley’s wonderful testimonies to the truth of Spiritualism. I venture to say that a. careful examination on the spot, of the “evidences” on which Mr. Hughes so credulously bases his case, would have produced similar exposures. It is amazing the way such stories of the supernatural are swallowed without the least exercise of critical ability. M.r. Hughes seems concerned to change the venue of the discussion on Spiritualism, which he commenced, to come on Materialism. In this connection I would ask him to quote, without delay, the “Christian Scientists,” allegedly used by me in support of the latter. If he fails in this he stands convicted of misrepresentation. The only names I have used so far, as those of Materialists, are Chapman Cohen and Bertrand Russell, the former president of the National Secular Society and the latter an associate of the Rationalist Press Association. To avoid misunderstanding it is imperative at this juncture that I give my definition of Materialism. By that philosophy I mean the conception that the whole phenomena of nature, physical, chemical, moral, mental and social, are ultimately explicable in terms of the composition of forces. Upon that conception the whole of science is built and is unthinkable without it. A.E.C. A GOOD CAUSE Sir, — For many years it has been the custom of New Zealanders to send, by the Southern Cross, a tuck box to every white -worker in the Melanesian Mission. Most people have a fairly good idea of the hardships and loneliness of life in this particular mission and of the poor pay attached to it. The tuck boxes contain medical comforts and a few home delicacies which have to be manufactured specially to withstand the tricks of climate. The Southern Cross sails on April 18, and on behalf of the Melanesian Mission, I ask sympathisers to send their contributions as soon as possible, and I can assure them that such money will be judiciously expended for a | grateful body of men and women. I MRS. A. KATE CRUICKSHANK, Hon. Sec. j St. Mark’s Vicarage, Remuera, Auckland. END OF SUMMER TIME Sir, — 1, among a host of others in Auckland, will put my clock back to-night with feelings of regret. With that solemn little act done, I will know that summer has really passed away, yielding place to gentle autumn and the sterner rigours of winter. When .Summer Time was first Introduced there was whining criticism from farmers and others who predicted that it would cause little short of chaos

in the industrial life of the country. Experience has shown that nothing of the kind resulted, and in fact, its only effect was to give city toilers more open-air life. Skins became a trifle more bronzed, and muscles a little stronger. The legislative compromise that gava the people of the Dominion half an hour more of sunlight this summer was satisfactory so far as it went; but there was no logical reason why the other 30 minutes should have been denied. It is to be hoped that the new Parliament will show more consideration for the workers of New Zealand when the measure is considered again. The people want Daylight Saving—the general clamour raised when it was thought that there would be none this summer is proof enough of that. As I say, it is with regret that I will put the clock back to-night, but I am helped by the thought that 1 may have to put it on an hour again in November. , ENTHUSIAST. UNITED STATES OF EUROPE Sir, — Is this idea Utopian? It certainly seems not, if some of Europe’s most brainy men can influence the masses to seek a ballot on the question. Too long, it is admitted, Europe has been ruled by religion and militarism, with pomp for the few and poverty for the many. The cultured artists of the world have given their great gifts to the world and often lived and died in want; also some of the world’s greatest scientists have struggled and have been put to death for their attempts to help humanity. Now, Europe says things must be reversed. Brains must rule or civilisation in Europe must perish. Fifty thousand people committed suicide, while hundreds of thousands died of hunger in Europe last year. These lamentable conditions could be remedied if the harmful Customs laws, boundary taxes and immigration and emigration were altered to suit all the people and not just the few, as at present. B. LOW KING.