IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 155, 4 July 1927, Page 6

IN THE PUBLIC MIND.

pharmacy examination* DO THEY MANAGE BETTER IN AUSTRALIA ? (To the Editor.) The question under review, should prim be added or not, is a very debatable one. The nuthority quoted to prove the negative has frequently proved useless in the solving of daily problems in shop work, hence is unreliable. I can quote from an equally good authority, which recommends the addition of gum. heuce the anomalous position. It resolves itself to the dispenser's personal opinion, though, unfortunately in this case, that of the examiner. After every examination we have this outburst of dissatisfaction, and this is not very elevating to the members of the profession. I maintain that the fault lies, not with the examiner, but with the training and preparation of the candidate. When the student prepares for his final, he is in the unenviable position of having to either coach himself from contradictory text books or resort to a private coach. The antipathy of the employers in this respect is scandalous. What are the candidates' chances? Each Australian State has a splendid system of training pharmacists, and why they are not copied here is marvellous. An Australian chemist can be proud of his diploma, but the Xew Zealand chemist has little to be proud of unless it be his own perseverance. M.P.S. A "ROTTEN AND OVERDONE STATE." "Ploughed" seems very sore at being plucked, but let him take heart. To be sitting for his final examination after six years' experience is not doing so badly, and a few more plucks will probably make him a wiser and more capable chemist. He should not be in too great a hurry—this is the one big mistake of the present day apprentice and assistant. Anyway, examinations necessarily need to be 6tiifer nowadays, as facilities are so much easier for studying, and there are too many qualified chemists in New Zealand in proportion to the population. It might seem hard to the tyro to figure it out, but pharmacv in its present rotten and overdone state can only be improved (if it is ever going to) by reducing the number of qualified men or limiting the number of entrants. .Another matter "Ploughed" might do well to reflect on is that an employer's estimation of an assistant's work would in all probability be entirely different to an examiner's idea of the same assistant's preparedness for qualification. Yes, and hundreds of "bosses" to-day couldn't pass the same examination that they themselves qualified on without a year or two of hard grind. Never mind, "Ploughed," better luck next time! If you really want to be a chemist, stick to it, grind hard, and never give up hope. I know one man who sat sixteen times for his finaL He had grit and didn't grumble. PRUDEUS FUTURL HUMAN SURVIVAL. I did not suggest that all supernatural phenomena were due to the action of discarnate spirits, but I did, and do, insist that there have been, and still are, many mediums who, so far from having been exposed, have exhibited powers that are beyond explanation even by the most capable and careful observers. The case of Eusapia Paladino, which is dismissed by "A.E.C." as "amateur jugglery," is not so regarded by any one of the many able men of science who have exhaustively examined and observed every phase of her extraordinary powers at seances held at various houses, notably at that of Richet. Every observer has been convinced of the genuineness of the phenomena recorded at great length by Professor Morselli, who describes Paladino as a very "giantess of physical mediumship." So much for "A E C.V conception as "amateur jugglery." Then he airily waves away poor Sir Oliver Lodge as one of the "deluded brotherhood," and goes on to tell us that both Richet and Schrenck Xotzing dismiss as "childlike and mischievous" all spiritist ideas. He is apparently unaware that both of these men have been convinced of the continuity of consciousness. Richet's inborn materialism led him for some thirty years to search every avenue in an effort to escape the evidence for survival, but at length even he admits "that certain phenomena do occur which appear to have no other possible explanation but that of survival," adding with his courageous honesty, "I make this statement very much against the grain." Can _ AJ3.C. dismiss as mere delusion the findings if the Physical Research Society, which reported nearly two hundred proved returns after death, and attribute to "desperata reasoning" the fact that the society's most sceptical and keenly critical member, the late Mr* E. Podmore, fully concurred with those conclusions ? W.AJ, " THE BLUE ROOM." I claim that "Philos" has distinctly failed to submit any evidential contention" of tin return and manifestation of spirits. Xot only has he consistently ignored the real issue in this discussion, bnt he has advanced childish diversions, such as automatic writing, in the expectation of persuading your readers that spirits are the only solution to an event that puzzles him. The issue is, and has been, physical psychic phenomena. How can "Philos" explain the amazing credulity of scientists who still believe Margery and Yaliantine genuine mediums when they have met with exposure a dozen times! Here are two present day mediums, one, direct voice, and the other a materialisation expert. Margery's ectoplasm in one instance was luminous candy Boss, and at another time luminous buttercioth. So many people want to believe in spirit return that to be convinced is a matter ?. ® ase - _ Philos" is wrong in his contention that conjurers truss mediums with ropes. We believe in allowing them all the libertv thev esire, as it is a most gratifving reward to catch them in the act of deception. In New , , or " there is a small fortune of one hundred thousand dollars awaiting any medium who can produce any form of physical psvchics. is sum is green with age, and no medium has as yet had the effrontery to present himherself as a claimant. The inference 15 O,)VIOUS - K. W. LIDDLE. [This correspondence is closed.—Ed.] tram fares. * Sce that >t is proposed to lav before the thn aE t to ra ' se another loan for the purpose of tramway extensions. If fares re going to be excessive, as seems the case, fkould pause ere sanctioning fur'TO™ would benefit outside fnr no risk and responsibility - •' °, possible losses. Anv further I"/,*" ' n ,. fares work a hardship on shonlH kL . means. The council policy snrJi nr i° encoi Tage rather than discourage vii tnhH* Ur f* ( - on " es tion of population is an ™ W , There is at present great die. in tho n, t* 6 f' * ncrease in fares, especially '/9 fnr , r ,°, concession cards, which are routes 3/ft% se f ction and 011 the eastern 3/is VH fourth Why not are onlv ■*/«*? the western routes the card* seems strangely°unfafr Cti ° a ' T ,h! rciacmu* \r • • " niair * oome rears aeo the tiS P""*' 1 Wertook ' city considerable " j , ew y®ars rates wera manager - v° °* the profits. Th« i salfrv of £3000 good results United 9~° Per annum. One of th« the busines 3 les was so impressed witl prev.S ™ * C t r e ° tkis U the pitv f !l! e council to lend him to necessar or . e purpose of effecting tkt rea^7,L eformS ' ** a result, the cit. ped a like reward. SINE XOMIXE. 'v, o^, 0 ! correspondence will be found on