Punters’ tram takeover

To the editor: Sir, The forbearance of St Kilda residents surprises me more and more each time a trotting meeting is held at Forbury Park. I refer to the overcrowding of the St Kilda tramcars by racegoers. Last meeting I was very indignant at the treatment of a little girl whom I found crying at New street. She had her daddy’s tea which she was supposed to deliver to him at a certain time, he being unable, so I gathered, to leave his work to go home for tea. Her mother had prepared the meal and given the child instructions to catch the first car, which her father would meet, afterwards seeing her safely to the next returning car. So many cars had passed the child standing there, that she was afraid to go in to town in case her father was no longer waiting for her. I took her — still weeping bitterly — with me to the next car stop; but, as we expected, there was nobody to meet her. Thoroughly upset by this time, the child was afraid that when she returned home with the meal her mother would not understand why she had not delivered it, afraid, too, that her father would be worrying about what had happened to her. I hope no one will suggest from the foregoing that I am a non-racer. No one enjoys a meeting more than I; but I do think it is time that something was done to right the wrongs of the people of St Kilda, who have shown remarkable good nature in putting up for so long with the existing state of affairs. — Trusting that someone will suggest a remedy, I am, etc, ‘St Kilda Resident’

 

To Mr Massey, coming back from Imperial interests and broad horizons to be immersed once more in parochialism, the wish of Auckland to despoil and dismember the University of Otago is no new thing. Just as little is Mr Massey minded to lose Dunedin politically as Dunedin is to surrender its Dental School: and lose Dunedin he assuredly would if this spoliation had his approval. Neglecting things of the spirit, the Aucklanders have battened and fattened in worldly prosperity; it never occurred to them to found a University; and now they would filch ours piecemeal. Is there any other Dunedin institution they would like — Knox College, or the Ross Home, or the Railway Station (they have a wretched one of their own), or the Exhibition that is to be? Perhaps we 

should present them with the Burns Statue. — by ‘Civis’

 

The streets of Dunedin were stated by Mr Charles W. Bayliss, vice-president of the Barber Asphalt Company, of Philadelphia, to be the best paved in Australasia. Mr Bayliss, has visited many countries, but he was eulogistic at the splendid workmanship shown in the construction of the roads, which, he said, was far above that seen in other cities.

 

While speaking of the present anything but satisfactory state of trade in Great Britain at the New Zealand Club luncheon yesterday, the Prime Minister referred to the wonderful possibilities of expansion of population in almost every British colony and dominion. He believed that while in England he had done much towards arranging for a large number of immigrants of a suitable type for New Zealand. In Ulster, a deputation  had, they said, a surplus of 250,000. "Give me 250,000 people from Ulster and I'll take the lot," said Mr Massey, "because they're stickers." — ODT, 2.2.1924