If they want to resurrect themselves, they will have to back Winston in his attempt to get rid of the exclusive Maori seats, then they will have a big pool of voters.
I shouldn't be telling how to make the Maori Party strong, but can't help giving good advice.
G R SCOWN, Whanganui
School bus belts
In the article on your Opinion page (August 22), pertaining to the wearing of seat belts, emphasis was placed on the number of children not, or improperly, restrained in cars.
No mention of school buses. however.
Every school day around this region and the rest of the country, kids climb into unbelted buses to ride to and from school because they are still not mandatory. Why not?
What happens to the $10 million-plus in seat belt fines collected every year? It should be used to subsidise their fitment to all school buses.
What is more surprising is the deafening silence from schools, parents and the media on this matter.
L E FITTON, Whanganui
Apostrophe catastrophe
In view of the recent activity of Whanganui's "apostrophe champion", for whom I have the greatest respect, I must question a possible errant apostrophe on the front page of the Chronicle of September 16 in an article to do with literacy, no less.
Under the heading "Group has medical lingo cure", we read: "It's director visits Whanganui..." ("It" being Health Literacy NZ).
I had thought the word "it" was the only exception in the general rules of use of the apostrophe, in that "it's" only stood for "it is" and nothing else, possessive or whatever.
I can understand how the sentence could be written thus: "Health Literacy NZ's director visits Whanganui...", in which case I would expect the apostrophe to be in place as I wrote it. However, I feel that the correct wording in the Chronicle ought to have been "Its director visits Whanganui...".
So then, Margi or the Chronicle editor, how is my own literacy doing at the moment? Should I prepare myself to be taken out and shot, or be given a very large award?
STAN HOOD, Aramoho
Editor's note: Sorry Stan, there is no large award ... just the satisfaction of being correct.
Mobile theatre
On September 10 there was a very interesting segment on the Country Life programme about the travelling operating bus which services outlying areas of the country and has been in operation for 15 years.
The theatre bus does all sorts of tests - for example, gastroscopy, colonoscopy and other operations. It is staffed by a roster of surgeons, doctors and nurses from the area they are visiting.
People using this service were full of praise for the scheme, saying it saved them travelling miles to a hospital. The staff being locals made them feel less anxious about the procedures as they knew the staff.
I wonder if this could be the answer for rural communities to receive other healthcare they might require - probably more than one bus to spread the load and decrease waiting times for a visit.
FIONA DONNE, Whanganui
