LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dutch influence

RECENTLY it was stated that the word OK originated in a Boston newspaper from Oll Korrect.

This is incorrect as OK comes from the time that New York was called Nieuw Amsterdam where the Dutch had a club called Oudkinderhoek, translated Old Children’s Corner, known as the OK Club.

Many words in New York stem from that time such as flushing meadow (called after a town in Holland called Vlissingen). Brooklyn (after Brenkelen), Harlem, Staten Island etc. As many names were Jan and Kees, the sentence then became Jankesen then became Yankees.

In a later paper it was said that the British captured the town in 1662 and called it New York. In typical British depicter of history, it was not mentioned that a few years later a Dutch fleet of 30 ships retook the place. It was later swapped by the Dutch for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

Again you mentioned the slave uprising in 1706 in New York. This came about as the slaves were told they would never be released from slavery and stay in bondage all their lives.

British colonialism was hardly a thing to be proud of. I understand that one general gave the native Indians blankets which he impregnated with anthrax. Another taught them to drink beer which he then laced with arsenic.

Thank heavens these days are over. We now have free trade, forgetting that the only free thing in the world is the air we breathe. — DENNIS VAN DE HOEF,

Kleinton

Laurel Bank

DURING the mayoralty of Tony Bourke, a master plan was accepted by council for the beautification of Laurel Bank Park. It was described by Cr (at that time) Graham Barron as a historical concept. The idea was to restore as much of Mr Stephen’s original plan as possible and to a large extent this has been achieved.

On a recent visit, I sat near the Chilean Wine Palms which form a guard for the circular bluestone flower beds which were constructed following Toowoomba City Council’s adoption of the historical concept.

These flower beds will shortly be planted with annuals to complement this year’s theme. From memory, last year’s theme was “Under the Sea”.

Many of the deciduous trees such as the maple and liquid amber have already been transformed into a blaze of red, orange and yellow falling leaves.

The yellow jacaranda from Brazil still looks impressive and a lorikeet has found a home in one of its boughs. — IAN YEATES,

Toowoomba

Don’t trust them

IT is three years since the Coalition has been in government. What has their strategy been? First for 12 months, the fear campaign that there was no money and the country was broke. When by the polls they saw this wasn’t working, they softened their rhetoric for the next 12 months and now with an election coming up, there is plenty of money and tax cuts.

Can they be believed? I don’t and I am not a ALP supporter.

If they are re-elected and control the Senate which will only be a rubber stamp, you can bet London to a brick that the GST will be back on the agenda as well as breaking down the health services.

People that change their minds particularly politicians, cannot be trusted. — JOHN SLACK-SMITH, Gough St, Goondiwindi