"FINANCIAL RABBITS."

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 2, 3 January 1924, Page 4

"FINANCIAL RABBITS."

Fears of what may happen to Eng-j land if ,a Labour Government gets into power seems to be driving some people into panic that is less amusing than ugly. Statements by three prominent English bankers, including a director of the Bank of England, suggest that: there is a substantial amount of selling of British securities and'investing of the proceeds abroad by people who are alarmed at the prospect of Labour rule. It is an astonishing development, which docs as little credit to the intelligence of these investors as to their patriotism. As we have tried to explain, there are dangers involved in the elevation of Labour to office, but it is not to be supposed that the summoning Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald to Buckingham Palace would be immediately followed by economic disaster or ruin. Quite apart from the considerar tion that, as Mr. Thomas has just remarked, Labour is not ignorant of the value of British credit, do these people never stop to reflect that Labour could not possibly, in the present state of the parties, carry out a revolutionary policy? The bankers who have referred to this matter have no sympathy with those whom one of them refers to contemptuously as-- frightened rabbits. "Even if a Labour Government came into power British securities would be as stable as ever. There is no safer place for money than in England." Lord Leverhulme expressed similar sentiments the other day. It would be interesting to know where the proceeds of these sales are being invested. Is it Fran.ce, where the exchange value of the franc now stands at less than a third of its par value? Probably many of the men who at the thought of a Labour Government coming into office have rushed to get rid of British securities, have often denounced Labour for its lack of patriotism. Their own patriotism is of a peculiar brand. "For better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health"—does not the spirit of these words of the marriage service apply to love of country 1

The Chief Post Office advises that a cable has been received from London stating that the English mails which left Wellington on November 27, via San Francisco, arrived in London on December 30. While bathing between the swimming baths and the Teef which bounds the western side of Shelly Beach yesterday, a lad had a narrow escape from drowning. He was seiied with a fit, and seemed to be in danger of losing his life when another boy swam out and rescued him, applying artificial respiration when they reached the shore, and finally bringing the unfortunate lad back to a normal state. Owing to the treacherous current, and the beach sloping away suddenly, many narrow escapes have occurred in the same area. The receding of the waters of Niagara. River has made is necessary for the Queen Victoria Park Commission to extend its ecenic tunnel under the falls, a distance of 150 feet. At the present time the last porthole on tbe tunnel at Table Eock ia. just at the edge of the falls. The waterfall at this point is small, co that the visitors do not realise the volume of water flowing over the falls. With the extension of the tunnel, the last porthole, which will make the tunnel an additional one hundred and eighty feet in length, will be under the centre of the waterfall.. Suggestions have been made that action should be taken to preserve the ecenic beauty of the falls, especially of the Horseshoe Falls.. The breaking down of the crest line has been continuous, until the greater portion of the descent is now concentrating within a V-shaped channel at'the toe of the horseshoe. What will probably be the finest display of forest products ever . bro-jsht together is being prepared by the Forest Branch of the British Columbia Government for the British Empire Exhibition. The exhibit is a co-operated effort of the lumber, shingle, sash and door, box and veneer manufacturers of the province, and will show to, visitors to the exhibition what results can be secured from the use of British Columbia forest products. The exhibit is being put on not only for show purposes but as a general educational campaign to demonstate and increase the sale of : British Columbia luniber.

An interesting item on the programme at the East End picnic at New Plymouth on New Year's Day was the presentation of the Royal Humane Society's bronze medal to Mr. A. fc>. Stroud, caretaker of the reserve, in recognition of his gallant rescue from drowning of an Auckland visitor to the beach on January 13, 1021. In making the presentation the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) said it was meet and proper that Mr. Stroud should receive the award of that society; for the case for which he was being decorated that day was the seventh in which he had been instrumental in saving life. He had prior to that occasion saved four people by himself, and had assisted in two other cases. (Applause.) It does not fall to the lot of every motor driver to be pulled up with 'a shot across his bows." It happened to a, motor service driver on the way to Wairoa last week, with a party of nearly 50 Maoris, who were accompanying the remains of a highly-respected native woman to the home of her tribe. The cortege was halted at every small Maori village by natives who wished to do honour to the remains, and as time pressed, the driver of the hearse endeavoured to avoid one halt. The Maoris of the neighbourhood had turned out in force under the command of one who was armed with a shotgun, and when the driver endeavoured to push on, there was great excitement, which culminated in the leader firing his shotgun across the bonnet of the car just in front of the windscreen. The driver then decided to comply with the wishes of the natives, even if it cost him the dinner for which arrangements had been made. The last -*tcp in the winding up of German and other ex-enemy subjects' properties in Samoa is now being taken under the Ex-enemy Absentees Property Order 1923, and it is hoped that the whole of the affairs of the ex-enemy absentees will be completed in the near future. The Samoan Public Trustee is authorised very fully to take possession of any property, hold or dispose of it as he thinks fit, and to take action if necessary through the court for this purpose. The proceeds of the realisation of the various properties are to be dealt with by Order of the Minister or External Affairs.

Everything was very peaceful at the boys' camp at Levin on a recent night, and only the voices of the cheep vied with the chorus incidental to the slumbers of the 150 campers (states the "Chronicle"). Suddenly a white figure crept out of the shadows about the doorway of one of the dormitories, and commenced to glide noiselessly round the camp. Two other figures appeared, and, after a iow-toned consultation, stole stealthily on the tracks of the first apparition. Twice they circled round and then flitted up the stairs of the stand on to the balcony which gives access to the camp commandant's quarters. The .first figure here commenced a series of unearthly shrieks and made straight for the balcony rail. The commandant awoke, rushed out of his room, and with a timely pinch "exorcised the ghost." .The - white-robed figure wae young Bobbie Blank, who, in the course of a somnambulistic tour of the camp (followed at a safe distance by the two sentries) had began shrieking for his mother. Why he climbed up to the balcony, and whether or not he would have fallen over the rail, are mysteries yet unsolved. Certain it is, however, that in spite ot the fright he got when awakened, he dropped off to sleep again five minutes after being put back to bed.

When the Parkes (N.S.W.) People's Band attempted to give an open-air programme one evening recently, the light attracted myriads of flying ants. They got into the instruments and into the ears or down the backs of the players, and the band had to cut the programme short. Arrangements had been made for a collection to purchase Christmas cheer for the patients at the Parkes Hospital, but the collectors had just set out on their errand when the ants brought the playing of the band to an abrupt end.

Lord Leverhulme has made a gift to the Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington of an oil painting by Ruth Hollingsworth, now Mrs. R. S. Hellaby, of Auckland. The painting is entitled "Odette," and is a fine example of the artist's work.

Quite a rare occurrence—the discovery of a sky lark's nest was made yesterday at Point Erin Park, in the long grass adjacent to the Kiosk. The nest contained four fine young turds, half-feathered, and two or three" week's old. Much interest was evinced, a large number of children forming a ring to gaze on the quartet, all of whom seemed distressed at the long absence of their mother. However, the fledglings ceased to worry about the juvenile audience, and drank freely of water administered on a spoon by a lady.

There was an accident last Friday to a hjtle lad of Hurleyvilje, Roland Pinney by name. While larking about where his father was cutting tie grass with a mowing machine he got in the way, and is now in the Patea Hospital X^ enn f * f K oD l the loss of eeveral toeHad not the boy fallen, he would most likely have lost both legs and arms. After being practically off the market for some time, canned whale steak is ■gain becoming popular. The demand for this product is reported to be so great that, the Canadian pack now prepared was disposed of some considerable time ago. Practically all the British Columbia pack of whale meat is bein» shipped to England for re-distributlon