WAR TROPHIES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 263, 9 December 1930, Page 8

WAR TROPHIES.

To the Editor.) Sir, — "Fiat Lux' ' asks me , if 'tha state of local politics is as it 'shopldl be. According to William Hannah,i it is not ; but in the minds of His Worshipi tlie Mayor and his councillqrs it is the best that can be done under tha circumstances. The removal of these horrid war trophies is a more expensive item to the City Fathers than tha trimming of the grassy slopes in Sale street and the cleausing of the dirty drains in the same neighbourbood., Yet "Fiat Lux" and company would have the City Fathers attend immediately to their newly conceived whim toi the detriment of more necessary . expenditure to t'he city's betterment. If the newly enlightened brethren wish to ease the world's paiu, and Napier's in particular, then why don't they have a "bob in" to pay the council's expense in dumping them. T do not know where Fritz's "Ping Poug" guns are located, but T did see some "old timer" cannonin Clive Square, which have had a resting placo there for 20 years, if my .meinory is correct. It is so big tliat "Fiat Lux" and company may be afraid to tackle it. J)o not let tlie police see you remove it; you may get seven days' C.B. Mr S. P. Slrinner asks me what is hiting me. Well, "S.P.," from the tone of your letter I don't think you and I have had such! a good biting since those memorable Somme days — or was it Gallipoli ?_ No, there is nothing biting me, norris my liver out of order. My main opposition. to this clamouring for tlie reinoval of war trophies in this city is based on; the necessity for more important improvement in our midst. I also sense tlmt tlie No More War movement is going to be a still more "nagging" and destructive force in the Dominion — de. structive in the fonn of shattering law and order. It would appear to me they have acquired a desirable ally in our present Minister of Defence. He 'has two other branohes of defence which' he can prune, viz., the Navy and air. The line of argument he has used for defence can as readily be applied to the sister services. The latter two are good scrapping imits, yet if Mr Cobbe eares to cut exuense down further he can

say to the Mother Country: We have hnd enoiigh of these death-dealing cruisers in New Zealand. Cerfain of our folks think tliey are not desirable sights round about our shores, and rie really must please them. We deemoii necessary when the Diomede arrives Home for refitting -'that you mislay iti and forget where New Zealand it. Nobody will touch ns. Oh, no! Then our Air Force — who would bother us? No, not one. A good idea would be to selS our stock on hand on the time payment plan to aerial-minded young men. Having achieved these objects by Order-m-Council. Mr Cobbe' s Utopia would b® , proclaimed and his satellites would ' be drawn from tbe No 'More War movement. If "Fiat Lux" and "S.P." like tbat prospect T do not. You never know when the other chap is going get snakey ' with vou. — T am. etc., _ T . _ "MACK ROBERT." Napier, D6cemb^r 9,.I930, 1