IT seems like bowlos are under pressure to remain financially viable and keep their doors open all over Newcastle and the Lake. Part of their problem has been people's change in lifestyle.
Mine subsidence is a left-field problem for one at Wallsend ("From bowling greens to a field of weeds", Newcastle Herald 12/2).
Bowlos have tried various strategies to keep their doors open, from barefoot bowls, fight nights and recruiting in local high schools to selling off the club to larger bodies.
But once the game of bowls is over, prizes and raffles concluded, the bowlers have sunk a couple of beers, and a few pensioners have put their $5 through the pokies, all the bowlers suddenly go home.
I find you can fire a cannon and not hit anyone in most bowling clubs apart from the odd shift worker, bar fly or widower.
Bowls is an ideal game for retirees since it provides gentle exercise and keeps old arthritic joints moving. I wonder what the next generation of retirees will do with their lives? I doubt that it will be lawn bowls. There will be no clubs left.
Geoff Black, Frankston
It's a steel: how imports cost us
ON February 5, the last ever heat of high-carbon steel was made at Molycop, formerly known as CommSteel. Tellingly, it has been used to make railway wheels and the very first heat made there in 1918 was also for railway components.
As Australian heavy industry grew from the end of World War I through to World War II and then to support the industrial growth from the 1950s to the 1990s, CommSteel made millions of tonnes of special steels; huge steel castings; huge forged shafts; large general forging and railway wheels and axles to support Australian production. But no more.
Economic rationalism, ridiculous prices for gas and electricity, successive governments without vision and businesses where decisions are made overseas have seen Australian manufacturing capability decimated. I reckon that's largely what wiped out CommSteel's markets.
We no longer make cars, ships, aircraft, military hardware, white goods and a plethora of other items along with the thousands of tooling and engineering businesses that supported them. Whatever happened to the concept of the clever country?
We often hear about China's debt trap for small and developing nations but nothing about the technology or capability trap.
Well, we fell for it in Australian manufacturing, from underwear to high-tech equipment. Look to Sweden; a nation with half our population and relatively resource poor (except for cheap electricity).
They have three export-oriented, major specialty steelworks the output of which is used to make Swedish-owned manufactured goods.
Think Saab Aerospace, Volvo, Scania, Electrolux, SKF, Sandvik and many others.
Glenn Sullivan, New Lambton
Cash is king when tech fails
YES, I agree with George Paris ("Timely nod that cash remains king", Letters, 14/4), that cash is still, and should always be legal tender.
I also believe that Kmart is one store that would also agree with us. On Tuesday they only accepted cash as payment as their EFTPOS was down.
There were some people around me smiling as they had enough cash to pay for their purchase, but then there were the others who, with frowns and sighs, had to leave their items to go and find an ATM.
Of course there were the ones who just couldn't be bothered and just left empty-handed with nothing to show for their shopping time.
Me? I handed over my cash (with a smile) to the staff member who, like myself, agreed that cash, not a card, is the most valuable asset to have in a wallet when technology fails.
Clarice Hamling, Minmi
Releasing details missed the point
THE federal government is to introduce "doxxing" laws following on from activists releasing the personal details of group chats including numerous Jewish people.
Perhaps, those same activists, should release the personal details of the following people, who were, or are Jewish: Albert Einstein, Irving Berlin, Paul Newman, Stan Lee, Gloria Steinem, Jerry Lewis, Stephen Sondheim, Scarlett Johansson, and of course, Jesus Christ.
Perhaps these activists should look up the Jewish people who change how we think, and how many were honoured with Nobel prizes, and many other accolades. Perhaps they are not aware of the major contribution to their way of life and charitable works that these, and others, have done. The activists may need to contribute more to society rather than whine.
John Hollingsworth, Hamilton
Steel City's end lines up with name's demise
IT is unfortunate to see the Steel City Brewery closing ("Trouble brewing", Newcastle Herald, 13/2) so soon after Molycop's closure last week which meant that Newcastle lost the right to call itself Steel City.
Peter Hay, Islington
Wind up the turbine criticism
CARL Stevenson's claim that Anthony Albanese tells lies is a bit rich when Carl himself is loose with the truth ("Renewables rush can't deny detail", Letters, 12/2).
He claims that wind produces less than 2 per cent of the world's power supply whereas the yearly electricity data stated the figure for 2022 was 7.3 per cent and trending upward.
He also claims that wind turbines "are not working most of the time'' whereas a Google search claims that they generate electricity 70 to 85 per cent of the time.
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
Listen to people on renewables
CARL Stevenson continues his bitter anti-renewable energy campaign ("Renewables rush can't deny detail", Letters, 12/2), by making sweeping statements with very little merit.
There is one point he makes that I would totally agree with; give the people what they want.
The NSW state government environment website tells us that 91 per cent of people in this state support the use of renewable energy, and 83 per cent what an increase in the production of electricity by renewables. Those are pretty convincing numbers, don't you think?
Bruce Graham, Warners Bay
Favour for tax cuts is clear
DAVE McTaggart ("Votes can ratify promises", Letters, 13/2), regards Albo's change in the promised latest tax cuts to give more to those with the greatest need and less to the high end of town. You ask who is in favour of what you see as a broken election promise.
Why do you need to ask?
The public's opinion has been clearly advertised in the media.
The vast majority support the changes and have no problem with the fact that the exact details of the tax were changed for the better due to changing cost of living pressures.
