Your views: Letters to the editor

RESPONSIBILITY: A helicopter over the Waikato River where a swimmer drowned last Monday after she and several friends were swept down the river when the Aratiatia Dam floodgates were opened.

Accountability

Re the drowning of a person (nearly plural) in the Waikato River, due to the opening of the floodgates at Aratiatia Dam.

Mercury Energy chief executive Fraser Whineray stated a need to review safety measures in place.

Please! Plenty of signs, a siren, fencing. How much more do people need?

We have become a society of not being accountable for our own actions.

Sadly, in this case, a preventable tragedy.

M J MARTIN, Whanganui

Congratulations

Masters Games I would like to acknowledge and applaud the Masters Games organisers for having the wisdom and foresight to provide hessian fibre bags for contestants instead of the usual man-made fibre back-packs.

This sets a brilliant example to all.

I hope that those who have these bags use them for their grocery shopping instead of plastic bags.

JILL HOBBS, Plastic Bag Free Whanganui

Milk advert

Have you noticed the recent Meadow Fresh milk ad on TV?

It declares that their milk is "less processed and contains no permeates". Is that telling tales on the competition? Did you wonder what it meant?

Whilst researching this I discovered that the New Zealand Herald has already printed an article on this subject.

There are two types of milk permeates; one produced by an "ultra filtration" process of the milk, the other by manufacturing of cheese which produces the byproduct, or waste, called whey.

Some brilliant mind devised a plan whereby they could dispose of their waste by adding it to their milk, not only avoiding disposal costs but increasing the volume of the milk by watering it down. Well, why not dodge paying for waste disposal? We in Whanganui know all about companies abrogating that responsibility, don't we?

So the milk you buy for your kiddies isn't pure milk at all, you have been taken for a ride. It has an entirely different make up from what comes from the cow. Now go and look at the label on your milk. Does it tell you that it contains other ingredients? If not, why not? Doesn't our law state that all local ingredients must be declared?

So how about you get really really angry at this false representation of such a basic food and let the companies know how angry you are?

Then follow that up by contacting the Ombudsman: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or phone (04) 4739533.

DENISE LOCKETT, Whanganui

Willing and able

We need not share all French sensibilities.

Let us celebrate the people among us and of us with Down Syndrome.

Bon dieu, merci, for the specially abled.

LOUISE SLIGO, Whanganui IHC Association