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Your letters
Leave
Armier alone
From M. Gauci. Qawra
I would like to write about the issue of the Armier boathouses.
I will start off by saying that I agree that illegal constructions
have to stop – as the Government and the opposition themselves
agree.
However,
the government should also provide camping sites where everyone
has the opportunity of camping out for the summer. I suggest that
the boathouses in Armier and the vicinity are left where they
are: now they have found their own space and have almost become
small villages in themselves. The area in which they are situated
means that they are not damaging the environment – on the
contrary, I am always amazed by the cleanliness in the area, both
in summer and winter.
I
find Armier Bay to be one of the most charming, I go there frequently
and have often found the people living there to be extremely helpful,
especially when I had small children. I cannot count the number
of times when they kept milk in their fridge for me, or offered
my kids a quick shower before going back home.
Not
everyone can go abroad for a break in the summer months. And not
everyone can do what I did and buy a flat in Qawra. I believe
that the government should give the tax payers something in return
for all the money they pay: facilities such as camping sites where
they can relax would be ideal. Leave the Armier boathouses alone.
Do
not send us another Mintoff
From Giov. DeMartino, Mosta
A
few weeks ago I expressed my deep satisfaction when her excellency
Miss Agatha Barbara assured us that Dom Mintoff was unique and
there was little chance, if any, of having another one like him.
That was very good news indeed! No we do not deserve another Mintoff.
Not even Dr Sant deserves one! But allow me to change my mind
and make a U-turn.
Please,
God, do send us another Mintoff or, at least, another KMB! Not
just for our own sake. Not even for Dr Sant’s sake but for
our brave union’s sake. With another Mintoff at Castille
I would like to see our union’s leaders banging on the table
and threatening the government with all sorts of industrial actions.
I am not referring to the GWU. The GWU would create no problems
to a labour government.
We
all remember m how this union’s leaders had to eat humble
pie in the past whenever they tried to defend the workers’
interests. But I would like to see the leaders of the other unions
threatening a labour government lead by Mintoff. I mention only
one incident: there was a time when the MUT was not even allowed
to distribute its official magazine in schools.
But
there was no banging on the table then. Do send him back, dear
God!
Clarification
on horse and hammer story
From Police Sergeant Martin Ellul, CMRU
Reference
to article entitled ‘A witness and a horse that was hit by
a hammer’ which appeared on pages 3 and 4 of the MaltaToday
of Sunday 20 May.
Please note that Mr David Pace was held for one day for contempt
of court. Contrary to what is stated in the article that he was
left without food or drink for 24 hours. Mr Pace was given two
meals which is the established procedure whenever a person is
held in police custody. Moreover, Mr Pace didn’t ask for
anything else during his detention.
As regards Mr Debono who hit the horse with a hammer, you may
wish to note that on the 2 May 2001, he was found guilty for cruelty
to animals and fined Lm25 by Magistrate Dr Giovanni Grixti LL.D.
Primitive
behaviour
From A. Grech
In
May 20, issue of MaltaToday I read the article: A witness and
the horse that was hit by a hammer.
Towards the end of the article I was stunned to read the following:
"Mr Pace was kept 24 hours in a room over the fire station
in Victoria’s police station, he was not offered a coffee,
water or bread, despite the fact that the incident took place
in September, renowned for its hot, humid and uncomfortable weather."
How on earth can a magistrate allow someone arrested for contempt
to be left without food or water for 24 hours especially if this
"contempt" of court was not too serious like in this
case?
This is a barbaric act that is heard only in some primitive countries.
Related articles
Yoga
society objects to Angelo Xuereb golf course
From Dada Gunamuktananda,
Ananda
Marga Yoga Society Regional Secretary
With reference to the proposed golf course development at Tal-Virtu,
we would like to voice our objection to the development of any
agricultural land, or for that matter any land which has natural,
archaeological or environmental significance in Malta. This not
only applies to the proposed golf course, but also to other areas
which are currently under threat such as the Kalkara Valley, and
other valleys which are threatened by destruction such as the
valley in which the quarry extension was recently approved (Wied
Ghomor?)
Practical reality must be considered in any given situation. So
let us consider the reality of Malta. Here we have a shortage
of land and a shortage of fresh water. How practical is it, then,
to significantly decrease the area of fertile land while at the
same time significantly increasing the consumption of water for
the short-term and superficial gain of an added tourist attraction?
The practicality lies solely in the financial return (in the case
of the company involved) and the financial electoral backing (in
the case of the party in government) that would be gained by those
concerned. There is no other benefit that could result from such
a short-sighted action.
Contrary to what many people seem to believe, tourism is not the
future (economic or otherwise) of Malta. The future of this country
lies in the skills of its people and the wise utilisation of its
natural resources. This involves wisdom, foresight and planning,
qualities which one would hope the government (and the Planning
Authority) would possess and demonstrate in their decisions and
actions.
The site for the proposed golf course is fertile agricultural
land. There has already been a suggestion that these areas could
be utilised for the specialised cultivation of organic crops,
and considering the rapidly increasing European market for organically
grown produce (especially in the light of the recent animal diseases),
this would be a sensible and long-term solution which would benefit
all people of Malta, not just the companies concerned and the
ruling political party. This could equally apply to the Kalkara
Valley, where experiments in organic farming are already underway.
Even better would be the complete specialisation of Malta as an
exclusively organic producer, something which could assure us
of a niche market as the organic production hub of Europe, and
in the process assure us of a sustainable economic and environmental
future.
Save
Malta's agricultural land from a golf course
From Hans Beat Schaffner, Switzerland
As
a future resident of Gozo I was appalled to hear that there are
plans by the firm AX Holdings to construct a golf course on agricultural
land near Rabat. As I understand, even with a golf course the
countryside is kept green, but it is cultivated in an entirely
different way.
Especially on an island like Malta it will take a lot of water
to irrigate that large amount of land. Water is not so plentiful
on Malta and must surely be used for other purposes. And I do
not suppose the salt water from the sea will serve the purpose.
As I also understand, the farmers – in the tradition of their
ancestors – want to continue to work as farmers and not just
to receive money from the Golf Enterprises or work as gardeners
on the golf course to mow the greens.
So I support every effort to maintain this countryside as agricultural
land so that it will continue to support the farmers and their
families in a dignified manner.
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