Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 843, 11 December 1929, Page 8

Citizens Say

MEALS OF MICE

Sir.— . . Our American cousins have a delightful habit of making all sorts of discoveries, from South Polar mountains to edible mice; ages after someone else; then booming the fact so vigorously that the world forgets the previous efforts and gives credit to the boomers. That vastly amusing cable published in The Sun on Monevening is a rGm3.rk3.bl6 co.se in point. Barking birds have been “seen before by the eye. of man,” and rather exhaustively, described. Tibetan monks, their strange little habits and, incidentally. their unparalleled virtues, have. been described by half a dozen writers and more. As for the baby mice eaten with syrup—l used to be told about them when I was a child, although I was always given to understand that the sweetening was honey which, I fancy, is more correct.' This “marvellous” and "never before seen by the eye of man” business is—to use an expressive term —all bull’s wool, STAY-AT-HOME.

WATERFRONT ROAD TRAFFIC

Sir, The Auckland Transport Board is quibbling over the traffic on the Waterfront Road in refusing to permit a bus service to traverse it until it has been dedicated. The Public Works has given its O.K. to this thoroughfare, and there is no reason why the Auckland. Transport Board should not be reasonable and discard its pedantic attitude in the interests of the suburban people. It is an astounding thing to me, sir, that even after all the controversy and the publication of figures, a private bus company which is now running to Hendersan can place a brand new and highly comfortable bus on the road, and presumably make it pay, while the Transport Board is still losing hands down upon its “boneshaking nondescripts." It always has been the case. Even with a monopoly, the board cannot do any good with its service. If it gave service one could forgive the administrators for some of the financial loss. But when neither service nor financial return is shown it seems to me that there is some justification in the claim for a review of the Transport Board personnel. SUBURBANITE.

MR. MUNNS AND MR. ALLUM

Sir,— The chairman of the Auckland Transport Board states through the Press and also by letter to me that I had not been appealed to for suggestions to improve the present unsatisfactory condition of affairs. For the information of your readers I quote from a letter I received on November

(To the Editor.)

O JOYOUS NOEL!

2G, and signed “J. A. C. Allum, chairman.” The opening paragraph reads as follows: —“I gather from the Press report of the meeting held at Mount Albert last night that you have ideas which, in your opinion, would improve the transport service controlled by the board, and I therefore invite you, as a public man, to submit your ideas to the board for its consideration.” In the face of this Mr. Allum says I have not been appealed to for suggestions. Mr. Allum has also stated that I am using transport problems for electioneering purposes. I can afford to treat such a suggestion with the contempt it merits. One of my platform pledges was that, if elected, I would do all in my power to improve the present unsatisfactory condition of transport as it affected my district. I have endeavoured to carry out that pledge. I made no attack on the board at Mount Albert. I attended a meeting of ratepayers, by invitation, and merely mentioned transport in common with other matters affecting my electorate. My whole speech would not have occupied 20 minutes, and probably about five minutes only of that time would be spent in discussing transport. I regret very much that Mr. Allum should make a personal attack on me. Personalities are always the last refuge of the defeated. G. C. MUNNS.

CONDITIONS IN PRISONS

Sir,— In last night’s Sun I read with amazement Mr. Chandler’s statements that prisoners at Mount Eden were shaved only once a week, enjoyed a change of underwear only once a week and slept in their working clothes. Wliat sort of “character moulding” and “training in good citizenship” is this? Does it mean that the clothing of the men does not leave their skin, night and day, for a week, despite their hard work, often in sweltering hot conditions? The subject is an unpleasant one, but I am glad it has been opened, and I would like to see an inquiry made. I notice Mr. Chandler says nothing about baths. I suppose they are of the “Saturday night” variety too. This, sir, is a job for the Howard League, which, if it ceased chanting about the death penalty and other necessary features of our system, and applied itself to smaller and urgently-needed reforms such as these, might get ahead faster. HUMANITY.

Sir, — I notice that Queen Street retail business men want the trams run down the main thoroughfare on Christmas Eve so that they may reap the harvest. The Gravediggers’ Union met last evening, and instructed me to express publicly its appreciation of the business men’s efforts to give a filip to our line, which has had a

decidedly dull tone lately. almost gleefully hailed a pro P vaSt substantial revival in business. resolved, however, to register a protest against any monopo granted to the Transport Boaro* rs of should not motorists and dri heavy lorries enjoy the sa ®®® tte rirf leges as tram drivers in sea■ * t 0 crowds? It is not the proper <oEn e show the spirit of XmaA people prefer the exhilarating - epee ot being tossed aside b> mudguard to being hit by V tb e weight of a tram bumper. a ;r. running of all traffic in tn .i. e street would help a little business men’s objective parcel-laden crowds off the roa- , all be merry together thte - a\V*