Reader's letter

I read Mr Horne's letter (March 13) with a feeling of total disbelief. These days most people are healthier, live longer and have a much more satisfying and enjoyable life. As an example holidays now no longer need consist of a week at the seaside, it is possible to go practically anywhere in the world.

If things are so dreadful as Mr Horne claims, how is it that in 1949, 26,093 children died before reaching adulthood but by 1995 this figure had been reduced to 2,514?

In 1995 the main cause of child deaths was motor vehicle accidents (513) however in 1949 when there were far less vehicles on the road (I believe petrol was still rationed) 2,514 died.

Finally, Mr Horne, nobody owns a car unless they need it to do their job or wish to go places and do things that they could not do by any other means. I agree that cars create a modicum of pollution, usually because they are stuck in a traffic jam due to appalling road planning, but 100 years ago it was much worse, there was a crossing sweeper every hundred yards or so and what do you think he was sweeping up?

So Mr Horne, get yourself a horse, an open smoky coal fire and an earth closet and leave the rest of us alone to enjoy this century.

Mike Usherwood,

Mendip Close,

Huntington,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.