PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 156, 4 July 1931, Page 8

PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Mr.-'George Finn, who is a member of the expiring New Zealand Unemployment Board, began his working life with the Xew Zealand Rail--1 NO. 204., ways, his last station being at Wanganui. He abandoned the railways for a' commercial career and became president of the Auckland Manufacturers' Association, a position he held for years. Together with Mr. Findlay, the secretary, he established from modest beginnings the Hall of Industries . in the Queen's Arcade. Mr. Finn is. president of the Auckland Winter Exhibition Association and president of the New • Zealand Manufacturers' Association. ; *. ' •

As a necessary act of policy, people from overseas are not now permitted to come to New Zealand. The fact that if they were allowed to come in tliey -NEGLECTED might be drained by the SOURCES, official Taxmaster has not affected the decision of the State to keep the doors closed. Has it occurred to the official, mind that no legislation at present exists which will prevent'people from leaving these isles? Besides the steady stream of persons heading for the outside world, there are large numbers of peevish persons crouching for a spring in order to go to lands wher.e the official mind is less active and every kind of policeman less frequent. Something might be done to prevent these potential escapees from leaving a country that has not half done with their pockets. If' necessary, the - State .might select another couple of thousand inspectors to watch the shipping lists and the gangways for nefarious persons who intend to ro'b the country by leaving it. ■ There are, as everyone is aware, thousands of - orie-hundred-per-cent New Zealanders in Australia basely determined to neglect their duty to the New Zealand Treasury. In London, there is a relatively large colony of New Zealanders,each a potential source of tax if some amicable arrangement could be made with the Imperial Parliament to set them by the heels. During the past year numbers of.people have avoided paying the unemployment tax and are unavailable for the promised increase in wage tax and income tax because they have died. Have we no advisory board of Civil Service specialists who can whisper to Mr. Forbes that each of these defaulters has left behind heirs, administrators and assigns who might be asked to .set this little matter right? Some tombstone inspectors at adequate salaries (less t en < per cent) are clearly indicated in this national emergency. '

That was a fascinating framework of a story among- cabled items which told J. Simpson, a Tasmanian engineer, and P. Chase, an American. These inTHE SAVAGE trepid birds booted it and BREAST, canoed it from the Andes, down the Amazon to the Atlantic, much of the journey through jungle never tramped by the-foot of white fellows beiore. What will be most astonishing to you is that these travellers met Indians who had never, seen a white • man till then, but who were friendly and didn't do a thing to them, lo anyone who has studied the conquests of the white man the very fact that these Indians never seen a . white man before is the reason they were friendly. They dida't ,know d . n v. about the white man's method of civilisation and have probably deferred their unfriendliness till the white man goes back with gin and rifles, pots, pans ' and quinine, clothes and respectability. The birds of . the an and the beasts of the field have the same eelmg about unknown strangers. The guriess ■wanderer in a New Zealand bird sanctuary is surprised that the birds don't fear him. In sl Wt, he is not on a, civilising, expedition. -- exander Selkirk, after that experience of ins on the island of Juan Fernandez, burst in o veise 011 the subject, remarking that trom the centre all down to the sea I am oid of the fowl and the brute," and saving ( n legard to the fowl and the brute) that ieir- tameness is shocking to me." When man first invaded the patch of eternal twilight i Arnca, where the only gorillas in the world we, these stupendously powerful people merely smiled at him. Then they found that eged scientists would shoot an ape mother ant her suckling, either for fun or-study, and \\ eie no longer friendly, being able to tear a christian apart with one twist. A THOUGHT FOR TO-DAY. Adversity is sometimes the rain of spring. — I Chinese saying.