POINTS OF VIEW

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3830, 6 November 1936, Page 7

POINTS OF VIEW

OPINIONS OF'OUR READERS. NEW ZEALAND BIRTH RATE, Sir, —May I be permitted -toexpress the humanistic viewpoint upon the problem of population? This is not, as so many people think, merely a case ot producing so much population per media ot immigration, or of an artificial bribe placed upon Ihe birth rate. It is a grave and a vital study ot the evils which afflict population: and their most satisfactory Solution, to the welfare of. humanity. During the past 14 years I have endeavoured through the medium ot letters to various newspapers, to stimulate wise and cogent action upon such matters. My letters have covered such subjects as our heavily overloaded hospital system growing bigger and bigger; our terrible mental hospital loan ot nine insane asylums, a(so growing bigger and bigger; the --death rate among "illegitimate” children; and the heavy stillbirth rate almost, doubling our infant loss year by-year. And last, but not by any means least,' the terrible evidence concerning venereal infection among the patients.in our hospitals. It would take far too much time and space to try and cover all these subjects now, because each one is a subject in itself. But what I should so much like to know is how much thought have my letters already stimulated? Of course I -know-very well there are plenty ot people ‘who do not want any such thing—they . will tell you that health belongs to the Public Health Department, the hospital boards, the medical profession, or perhaps in a last resource to the Plunket Society, to anyope ap : a matter of fact but themselves,Yet they are the very people who do so much growling and whining about our increased social services! I hope yet to see the time when a wiser and much more intellectual order will prevail in such matters; when as a matter ot fact public health,, and,not public disease) will be the greatest asset in our national life. Unfortunately, however, it is so easy tb fall into the trap of accepting mere expedients as great reforms. Thrtt- is the reason why I have always advocated a broad and wise education in such matters. We must examine alt things courageously and frankiy. At have found out so many times (hat the mere expedients are by-far the most plausible and, eloquent, while the sober truth of wisdom remains, practically dumb. These evils in our population are no parlour problems; and they are not to be solved by mere jumped at conclusions, at the sound of plausible language'. We require to remember in all things that men, women and children are spiritual biological beings. And that The true solution of these truly vexed evils ot population can only be solved upon ;piritual biological lines. Expedients only serve to coarsen and . harden—they never cure. Neither dp we want, to bribe population by ingenious prize offerings to parenthood, ami so turn motherhood into a kind ot "Irish sweepstake,” per year. Let_ us ordain parenthood with its true qualities of love and compassion; giVlnglUpß Economic standard free from harsh exploitation—the rest lies in education upon sound, positive lines. We canlso adopt the humanist motto, "Cure by Prevention, Prevention by Education."—Jam, etc., - R. M. THOMSON. Auckland.

THE COLOUR LINE. Sir, —The colour line is practically an unknown quantity in this happy Dominion, which makes the following from the pen of a well-known American magazine writer, Ruth Smeltzer, the more worthy ot perusal by the many readers of “Letters to the Editor” appearing in the Courier: “I was travelling in a border State. Our train stopped at a small station and a cleanly dressed, tottering, old coloured man came in. ‘You can’t ride here, uncle. This train’s full,’ said the conductor. ‘But, ‘boss, I’s got to see Steben to-night, Dat’s mah boy. He’s awful sick,’ he said, showing a letter. ‘No, no, uncle, your train will be along in the morning,’ he said, and started to lead him out. ‘But, boss, he might be. dead in de mornin,’ said the old man. A beautiful young lady, most stylishly-dress-ed, was sitting in the front seat’and listening to the conversation. She set her suitcase on the floor, and, stepping out into the aisle, touched the conductor’s arm, saying: ‘He may sit with me. I’m all alone in my seat.’ No one dared to object to his presence in the coach after that. He toddled into the seat ahead of her, thanking her profusely. Several supercilious eyebrows were raised, but she seemed not to sfee them. A kindly smile and drink of water was all the 1 attention she gave him till his station was reached, when she helped him from his seat, and hoped he’d find ‘Steben’ better/ .The conductor made some remark to her which I could not hear, but she replied: ‘The One that I follow is colour blind.’ She has bet-n an Unknown Soldier to me ever since, and I write this little sketch as a.monument to her.”—-I am. etc.; -. A YOUNG READER.

RIPLEY’S VIEW OF RUSSIA. Sir,—Bob Ripley, of “Believe it or Not” fame, claims to have visited 178 countries. In an article in an American paper, he gives reasons for thinking the present Russian government about the worst the world has ever seen. He says, in part: Everybody in Russia is a prisoner of the government. The working man has no choice about his work, or where he lives or how much he is paid. He has no religion, no home life, and no privacy. Even death does not set him frde. In case of death the clothing and shoes are removed from the body. Even the teeth are extracted and any gold or silver fillings are melted down and confiscated by the government. A worker may be dissatisfied and try to leave the country. but if he is caught he is shot. If he succeeds in crossing the border his innocent relatives are made to suffer. All his family are exiled to Siberia. Another writer says: Six Russian wireless officials and announcers were removed ‘ from their posts because they allowed phonograph records of the American Negro song, “Stenl Away to Jesus,” to be broadcast. This gives some fair idea of the tyranny with which the Soviet rules Russia. Events in Spain show the Soviet is running true to type.—l am, etc.. LOVER OF FREEDOM-