Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.)

“THE BATTLE-BEATEN” Sir, The Prime Minister's proposal to provide a home for the “battle-beaten” will be warmly approved, and the scheme should pay the State well if those sent to the home are assisted and encouraged to work for themselves —as man naturally desires to do. To live by work is Nature’s law. And if all that is needed in the establishment of such homes is made in New Zealand, it will help to solve our unemployment problem. W.P. THAT CIVIC RECEPTION Sir, In your issue of June 11 I noticed a report of a meeting held in the Lewis Eadv Hall, relative to the welcoming of the Emden. At this meeting it was decided to ask Mr. Baildon to reconsider his decision not to tender a civic reception to the officers and crew of the visiting German vessel. One gentleman stated that a good many returned soldiers appeared, to be against the Mayor’s action. I make bold to state that the same gentleman would find there were thousands more returned soldiers who heartily endorsed the Mayor’s action. The Germans would have been well advised to keep their cruisers out of British waters, especially one carrying the name of Emden. Their action, in the present instance, savours only of bravado. —J. H. BROWN. W'hangarei. FREE TRADE ECONOMICS Sir, I listened in with mixed feelings on Thursday night to a lecturer on Economics discoursing on the alleged advantages of Free Trade to a community which is learning from bitter experience that excessive imports and unemployment arc inseparable. ‘'The advocates of Free Trade,” said the speaker, ’ believe that goods should be produced in countries where labour and materials are cheapest, and freely exchanged with the products of other countries.” It is a poor rule that will not admit of universal application. I would suggest Free Trade in professors and lecturers on Economics. Why not go to Japan or Germany for professors? We could import qualified economists who would be glad to accept half the money paid to professors in New Zealand. Tlie quality of the teaching could be no worse and might con-

ceivably be a great deal better. - A German professor, for instance, familiar with the rise of industrialism in Germany, would have more sense than to teach a doctrine which implies that the New Zealander is onlv fit to milk cows, slaughter sheep, or to fill the humble position of a farm worker at 30s a week • and "tucker.” I would also like to ask our professors if they have ever stopped to think what classes in the community provide the students they are paid to Ninety per cent, of them conic from the cities and the majority are the sons and daughters of working men who depend on industries for their living. Students don’t troop to the university from the dairy farms, and if our industries were crippled and destroyed by applying the teachings of our Free Trade economists some of them would also be in the ranks of the unemployed. —P.S. “WHEN IT WAS DARK*’ Sir,— Like other New Zealand cities, Auckland is now lighted by current carried for miles and miles across country • iike other cities, she is having a taste of the inconvenience attached to these marathon systems. Arapuni has been “through” only a handful o’ days vet Auckland—or part of it—has been plunged into disconcerting blackness on at least three occasions. It is interacting to read the official explanations of these happenings and there is always a glib person, but plain consumers, whose knowledge of electricity does not extend past a bedroom switch, know only that the service of the good old city plant is a thing of the past, and auxiliary lights must be stocked in every home. —MOSES. “AN EARLY COMMANDMENT” Sir,— For obeying one of the earliest commandments of the Christian religion and refusing to have anything t 0 lth , the business of killing, two candidates for the Presbyterian ministry have been fined 415 and deprived xii'at fhZ ears °. f t , heir civil rights. That they are truly conscientious in their objection is not doubted. Neither horn lt c-t/ oHbtf'd 0 H btf ' d that in taking this bold stand they have shown in the fha? n f 'TitFism a courage that must be admired. c , ould do with more men °£ , l ® 1 Pc. to wage fearless war against wax. Mhen r much nowadays ; (Continued in column.)

of the waning influence of the Church. Only when it leaves the middle of the road, and aids the growing army of peace more than by the formal passing of resolutions at annual assemblies and the like, will it convince the people that its leaders have the same inspiring courage as of old. IYLMAR Auckland. ABOUT A BANK BOOK Sir.— In the report of an application for separation, Jackson v. Jackson, which appeared on June 10, it was said that “the respondent Jackson gave a categorical denial to the charges made by his wife and accused her of starting the first row by taking his bank book.” As the father of the girl, and in justice to her, I would ask you for leave t> state that the bank book was her owr and represented her savings from childhood. CHARLES W. JONES.