OVER TO YOU

Anyone wishing to make a complaint to the New Zealand Press Council should first put it in writing to the editor. If not satisfied with the reply, complainants should then write to The Secretary, NZ Press Council, Box 10 879, Wellington, including a clipping of the disputed article and copies of the correspondence.

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PO Box 444 New Plymouth 4340; or fax on (06) 7586849; or email to editor@dailynews.co.nz.

Heartbreaking cruelty

Recently the SPCA publicised this year’s worst ten cases of animal cruelty. Each case was sickening and heartbreaking. While I recognise the justice system is getting tougher on those who mistreat animals, in my opinion, it’s still too lenient.

If people commit heinous acts of cruelty against their pets, typically they are banned from owning a pet for five and sometimes 10 years, many don’t abide by these rules anyway.

I support a life ban for deliberate animal cruelty and jail time for those where there is a correlation of animal cruelty and domestic violence. There needs to be more of an importance on prevention of animal cruelty, which I know the SPCA is working on.

But government needs to step up and work with children and schools to teach the importance of empathy and compassion around animals and what is right and wrong.

In the lead up to Christmas it’s a timely reminder that it’s a dumb idea giving someone the surprise gift of a pet, unless you’re 100 per cent sure they want it and can care for it for life, especially if it’s a bigger dog. Pets are for life not until your circumstance change.

This Sunday, I will be collecting with the SPCA outside of the Vogeltown Countdown supermarket for the SPCA Street Appeal between 11-1pm.

Come along and donate and have a few dog cuddles while you’re there.

Anneka Carlson

New Plymouth

Bite the bullet time

The issue of Len Lye charging is raising its ‘‘artistic’’ head again; time for council to bite the bullet and tell all these international and out of town visitors, supposedly in awe of Lye’s work, to cough up for the ‘‘privilege’’ and not make the ratepayer burden any larger.

If locals want to contribute, rather than letting the rest of us pay for their indulgence, there is nothing to stop them making a contribution.

We are already $800,000 over budget for the year on the Len Lye/Govett Brewster millstone; interestingly, this was partly because of a rebuild of one of the pieces of work, the cost of which has been shrouded in mystery until now.

That is a massive increase and given the nature of the exhibits, it won’t stop there. I wonder if anyone actually thought about this in the original ‘planning’; moving parts need to be maintained, repaired and replaced.

I still find Simon Rees’ attempts to convince us that Lye is internationally renowned somewhat laughable. Just a little research confirms my suspicions that he is nowhere near the forefront of truly inspiring kinetic artists such as Tanguely, Tatlyn and Duchamp.

If Lye is all he is claimed in this field, then nothing will stop people paying to see this half empty hangar and save the rest of us another huge hike in our rates; my suspicion is that the Lye lovers are panicking about this.

Great building though, chocolate box outside, but full of strawberry creams; Yuck.

Peter Barker

Bell Block

An acetone beginning

In response to Roger Vernon’s letter. The origin of the Balfour Declaration can be found in David Lloyd George’s ‘War Memoirs’. In the Spring of 1915 the British were experiencing major problems accessing a supply of acetone which was used in the production of cordite for cartridges.

Professor Weizmann developed an alternative process and was offered a rewarded by Lloyd George. As a result, Weizmann requested that the British Government ‘assist in the repatriation of the Jews to the sacred land’.

Subsequently Lloyd George, as prime minister, introduced Weizmann to Balfour (then foreign secretary) and this was, in Lloyd George’s own words, the ‘foundation and origin of the famous declaration about the national home for the Jews in Palestine’.

Keith Allum

New Plymouth

A DOC joke

The Department of Conservation must be joking.

Maybe thirty deer released into a National Park equals eco terrorism.

The aerial spreading of tons and tons of poison all over our native bush, killing any number of birds, animals and insects is more in line with what I think of as eco terrorism.

Explain to me the difference between 30 odd deer in the North Taranaki bush and the effect of about quarter of a million goats? Rob McGregor

Oakura.