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The offer of the Nelson City Council to provide a home for the Nelson Public Relations Office is a most generous one and undoubtedly the move from the present premises in Bridge Street will have advantages for both sides. At the time we go to press, we believe the council has offered the office rooms on the second floor of the new building. Along with others we doubt the wisdom of this site. A trek up two flights of stairs, or an elevator trip, is not the easiest of access for visitors. Then there's the problem of the Christmas holiday period when normally the council offices are closed, but the P. R. O. office is open. The whole building cannot be left unoccupied except for one or two rooms during this period. We feel the office should be established on the ground floor, just inside the connecting doors into the old building. The two rooms there, once used by the town clerk and assistant town clerk, would be ideal.

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"Recently the Nelson Harbour Board offered to hire its dredge Kariten to the Nelson City Council for the back beach dredging Job and if my nemory serves me correctly, the council rightly turned down the offer because of the high charges proposed," says "Once is Enough." "The ratepayers have paid for the dredge once and help maintain and operate it. Now, because another district local body wants to use it, we are being asked to pay for it again. It seems to me that In these days of loan money shortage, local bodies could cooperate with each other, to the benefit of the ratepayers and each other, to get the jobs done without the poor old ratepayer having to pay twice."

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When the Government decided to kill the cotton mill project, the statement was made that the industry would require too much protection in New Zealand, and this would be detrimental to everyone. Yet, in this country, the protection afforded the motor industry is fantastic. A shortage always creates a demand, and new car dealers (not all, but some) have seized upon this shortage to profiteer. "Consumer", in its longoverdue article on the racket, gave many instances of how dealers have used the sale of a new car to gain enormous profits, and we know of many similar cases. Some makes of cars are highly sought after and anything resembling the latest model is selling at prices of £300 or more above list price. In other cases (one we know of), buyers have been given new cars on the understanding that that car is to be traded in on another new car in 12 months' time. In the case we know of, this was done, but the trade-in price was £300 below new list price. The trade-in was sold the same day for £300 above list price. Add the profit on the sale of the new car, and the dealer's over-all profit on the sale of one new car was close to, or over, £1000. To us there seems only one way of stopping this. That is, to Prohibit the sale of any car above the list price. The puiblic has been the loser too long.