Citizens Say

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1076, 13 September 1930, Page 8

Citizens Say

(To the Editor.) DEAN INGE AND MARRIAGE PROBLEMS—LET US CUT OUT PARTY POLITICS!—NOT ENOUGH PUBLIC TELEPHONES IN CITY —PEDESTRIANS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO MOTORISTS - PICTURESQUE NAME FOR WATERFRONT ROAD.

TE ARAMOANA Sir, — I was interested to see in last evening’s Sun the names suggested for the Waterfront Road. I trust that a Maori name will be chosen by the City Council. Our Maori language is rich in lovely names and “Waterfront Roud" is so banal. Personally, I like Te Aramoana (The Road by the Ocean), which has a fine ring about it and would till the bill admirably. lIONI. MORE INSURANCE? Sir, — It is compulsory that motorists and motor-cyefists take out third-party insurance, in order that any claims for damages by pedestrians who are injured may be met. Should there not be a similar obligation regarding the pedestrian? Yesterday I was coming down Upper Queen Street in a car quietly, with the engine shut off, when a boy came dashing out from the footpath suddenly, banging into the side of the car. Fortunately he was not hurt and the car, naturally, was undamaged, but had he rushed into a motor-cycle, both machine and rider might well have been damaged. There is no protection for the motor-cyclist against the careless pedestrian, and l think it high time someone took steps. EXHAUST. WHAT IS MARRIAGE? Sir. — I was interested to read among the Rev- Walter Averill’s remarks upon Dean Inge’s marriage views these utterances: “. . . the provision of a lower standard for non-Christians who wish to mate on animal lines,” and "Christian marriage is still the only system that ensures the upbringing of children under healthy and happy conditions.” This gentleman has before perpetrated such aspersions upon those who do not believe what he is employed to preach, and are honest enough to say so. But previously it has been in safety behind the pages of his parish paper. It should bo distinctly understood that marriage in most civilised countries is not a. “Christian” ceremony in its essence. Tt is purely a civil contract. for which" a licence must be obtained from the registrar, and the signj ing of the contract witnessed by him or ! others appointed for this purpose. Such

persons are chiefly ministers of religion, but their rights in this direction are no different from those of a president of a Rationalist Association. He, likewise, and many other persons, are eligible for registration. Apart from this important point that marriages are first civil contracts and that the religious ceremony is no more the State’s concern than the wedding cake and toasts—the suggestion that non-Christians get married merely to “mate on animal lines” is quite on a par with the nauseous sentiments of Paul (I Cor. vii.). * A thousand nonChristians in this country—unbelievers with happy homes and healthy children, would treat with scorn this clerical impudence. Christianity’s record with regard to women is unsavoury reading. Surely modern priests should exhibit that humility which would be appropriate to this subject ox* be judged guilty of demonstrating their ignorance of the history of their own Church. A.E.C. NO PARTY GOVERNMENT Sir, — I admire the large-minded view The Sun takes of things in general, and politics in particular. It is on this latter topic I would like to say a few words. Many letters appear in the ' papers blaming our Government for the distressful state of the Dominion, and for all its ti'oubles, but they do not go to the root of the evil. It seems to me that the trouble is in the machinery. It is like a man who finds a three-horse-power engine is hardly powerful enough to drive his shaft with the machinery attached, so he buys another two-horse-power engine and connects it to the shaft, but in such a manner that it pulls against the other engine instead of with it. Such is the state of our Government, with the same disastrous result. The remedy? Do away with party government, and have a smaller House, alt working together for the good of the country. It is idle to state a remedy without saying how it i can be applied. Under present condiI tions the Ministry practicallv rules | the country, and it is not likely that ; a Ministry will voluntarily bring in a I measure to deprive itself of supreme power. The voters have little power over the Government except at the time ;of an election, and then is their i chance. If a large majority of the ! electors wish to do away with party

government at the next election, the} should vote only to- independents pledged to do away with party govern ment, and to form a Ministry e I e ~ h by th© members of Parliament. desired change will then be made. trouble is not with the Government it can do little better under conditions. The electors are alone i blame for not deciding to bring J better form of SEEKING A TELEPHONE May I draw the attention of the Poet and Telegraph Department to the po allocation of public telephone bootup in the city area. Although there ar a score or more of telephones oi tered outside the Chief Post Lin (and empty except at rush hours), tx rest of Auckland central is very' P°° * served. In Customs Street Last . example, there is no slot telepho despite the fact that it is a busy ar There is none in the side streets that area, none in High Street, no throughout the whole length ot Street—none that I can recollect W Wellesley Street except at the Id tT section of Queen Street. The fewV/j? are scattered about near Queen from Customs Street up. are yvuinadequate to meet the demands ox x public. Surely it would be * n interests of the department to reroe**. EE'S® Hf*