OPINIONS OF OUR READERS.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 63, Issue 4491, 17 October 1941, Page 5

OPINIONS OF OUR READERS.

PEOPLE AND IDEAS. Sir, —Your correspondent, Mr Jas Millen, has failed again in discussing people inst ad of sticking to idsas as he suggests. He should try the experiment in discussing ideas instead of people, for, in discussing people, he is not adapted. “ List’s discuss ideas,” says Jamies, “ and ge* on vzith the job.” But the very next thing he does is to discuss Hitler, and calls him a vile thing. P.m afraid your correspondent has no ide u what ideas are. What Hitler is is nothing to the point. What Hitler said is an idea which he evidently favours—that “ England has one-third of the earth, yet cannot even fc ed and clothe hei own people.” My idea is that Britain has fed and clothed her people as well, if not better than, any other nation without tightening the belt like Germany in saving up for a world war and in taking the unemployed to help mjake munitions in order to slaughter those who resist. The most astounding statement in his letter is: “ Everywhere in the E'mpii---you can see the same backwardness? . Your correspondent should try to gel in touch with literature which describes the mighty works that have been accomplished throughout the British Empire by British brains. Even Northern Ireland at Bushmills c-. n practically claim to be the first in the world to harness the river for road transport. Glasgow has the greatest tramway transport system in the world, and people have come from many other parts of the world to learn of it; and the tapping of lake or loch for water supply from many miles outside Glasgow to suit the needs of a vast population practically equally in number to that of New Zealand cannot possibly be considered backward. He gives Australia no credit for the building of huge dams to conserve Water for stock and their great irrigation schein.es. Apart from the Empire’s share of the great work on the Nile, irrigation schemes are in progress in New Zealand, and tlm mighty tumbling waters, as he calls them, are being harnessed gradually; quite in keeping with our small population. What New Zealand has accomplished in these last fifty year? also cannot be considered backward, and if the Government had not stopped the immigration schemes our population might have been double that at present, and the burden of paying for and accomplishing our pet schemes would be as nothing. Rome may be destroyed in a dav, but it certainly was not built in a day. We may or may not have done our best, but will do better yet if we can, and retain our freedom. —I am, etc., J. RIDDELL. Matapara. [Personal references have been de ]eted.—Ed. C.]