What Headers Think Letters to the Editor

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23320, 2 October 1945, Page 2

What Headers Think Letters to the Editor

OCCUPATION OF JAPAN Sir.—So the Government intends to raise a compulsory force for occupation duty in Japan. Do you not think it would be doing a fair thing to our boys if it rounded up all military defaulters and sent them, since the war is over, and they would be quite safe from “the tricky little fellows, as the Prime Minister playfully calls the yellow torturers, and atrocity mongers? —I am, etc., Fair Play. PARK LAND TRANSFER Sir—The effusion of G. Vaughan Hooper has no critical value; it is a mixture of obscurantism, exaggeration and whitewash. At the outset he credits me with “clear-thinking and much more than normal interest in civic affairs,” yet he infers that I am “carping in puerile futility at every turn and movement of a fellow citizen.” Capacity for “clear-thinking” is not consistent with that of “carping in puerile futility,” and it is simply not true that I have been “carping ... at every turn and movement” of the Mayor. Only on three previous occasions have I publicly attacked the Mayor’s statements and actions. One of these was through a special bulletin to which the Mayor had no defence whatever. On this occasion I did not merely "suggest lack of dignity and overplus of prejudice.” I demonstrated this indictment by a brief analysis of the Mayor’s actions. Mr Hooper has demonstrated nothing and reveals himself as a false guide. “Clear thinking” and fearless criticism are essential in preparation for real democracy, but such critics are rarely popular with people who make up majorities. I am aware, too. that criticisms of social gods “sears” the feelings of their worshippers. Truth hurts, but again people who give an open cheque to public representatives without any concern whatever as to how and what they write in this cheque are not entitled to much consideration. —I am, etc., Owen J. F. McKee. PARLIAMENTARY BROADCASTS Sir.—ln a recent sub-leader “The Timaru Herald” subscribes to the Speaker’s suggestion that the broadcasting of Parliament may be overdone. This broadcast has become an institution and when the Prime Minister sounded listeners some months ago it is understood that his department was deluged with requests to fully maintain the service. When 2YA is broadcasting Parliament listeners who prefer a less breezy atmosphere have the choice of alternative programmes. And surely those who elect the politicians and maintain them in office have every right to learn at first hand just what their representatives are saying and how they are saying it. In many cases our newspaper service trims up these speeches, presenting them in such a way that various speakers may be given more than due credit. As a future measuring rod it is reasonable that an interested public should prefer the spoken word even though it may be a questionable one. For instance, who is not interested in his member’s exact words in matters pertaining to say military defaulters and the humanitarian disposal of an unnoticed strip of park land. Let us have the bitter truth without kindly Press embellishments. —I am, etc., R. W. Anderson. WOOL AND SYNTHETICS Sir.—According to recent cable news Lord Barnby, the Yorkshire wool peer, has created great interest in trade circles by advocating an alliance of wool interests with those of cotton and rayon, the alliance being charged with the task of clothing the population. He believes the trends of synthetic development compel acceptance of this view, and urges that the synthetic fibres should not be regarded as a menace to wool, but complementary to, rather than competitive with wool. Any development tending to compel the wool industry to discard the spirit of “splendid isolation,” and causes the industry to seek an alliance with inferiors, must be very powerful. I suggest that it is the trend of synthetic development, and not the 'task of clothing the population, that is forcing the issue. This development may not assume the proportion of a menace to Bradford. Mechanical reorganisation is possible, permitting a choice of textile fibres, but to the woolgrower in New Zealand it Is a very definite menace. He has wool to sell, not blends of wool, cotton, ravon and others. Blending of cotton and rayon with wool is not going to have a detrimental effect on the interests of wool, says Bradford. Wool circles believe that the use of synthetic fibres is likely to be at the expense of cotton rather than wool. The reason given for these beliefs is that by blending other fibres with wool, a much wider market is going to be reached by ' producing cheaper fabrics, lower in raw material cost than the all wool cloth.

Lord Barnby mentions blending the wool with synthetic fibres which looked, dyed and handled like wool. The alternative not, mentioned is that if there are synthetic fibres which looked, dyed and handled like wool, it would add to the cost by including wool in the production of synthetic cloths. The synthetic fibre interests are not included in the alliance; they are powerful enough to stand alone. Mr B. H. Wilsdon, director of the British Wool Association, in a recent broadcast talk states that the armies of the producers of synthetic fibres were highly organised, both economically and in propaganda. He said also that diplomats had suggested that manufacturers of synthetic products would become good allies of the wool trade, but if the producers and manufacturers of wool wanted to preserve the peace, they must prepare for war. Woolgrowers may rest assured that there is no prospect of peace, Mr Wilsdon’s opinion is realism, and the Munich policy of Bradford wishful thinking. If woolgrowers still doubt the trends, the final paragraph in the cable news referred to, should convince them. “It is imperative that the price level fixed for wool under the scheme (the Empire wool scheme) must be one which will encourage increased consumption. A wool price which retarded consumption would be disastrous to growers and users alike.” Will the woclgrower agree that the trends which comnel an alliance, and can influence price tendencies to the degree indicated, are not a menace?—l am, 6tC Anxious.