PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 177, 28 July 1934, Page 8

PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Endued with a purposeful commercial energy, this eminent .subject of remark takes his infrequent rest in muscular field exercises. Mr. Stanley Austin Carr, NO. 444. president of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, is a joint president of the Auckland Winter Exhibition, which ends this day. His birthday is on Wednesday next. His first birthday (in Auckland) was in 1888. Many happy ■returns! Is managing director of the firm of S. Austin Carr, of Fort Street, and is chairman of directors of many companies based on the earth and the fruits thereof. Keen on pedigree stock, and knows them from tail to teeth. Breeds 'em, loves 'em. Took his schooling at King's College and St. John's College, Auckland, and at Wanganui Collegiate, School. Began commercial life with the New Zealand Loan Company and joined Carr and Pountney in 1908. Served as an officer of the Auckland Mounted Kifies on Gallipoli and in Palestine and has been president of the Auckland E.S.A. He shoots, plays golf, goes yachting (R.N.Z.Y.S.) and plays tennis. He has one son and three daughters—and he is a ■clubbable man.

All eyes are turned on tragic Austria, and with a special glance or two towards the activities of the German and Italian people. One wonders rather if the GOOD MIXERS. British 'tyP e of diplomacy will ever prevail among European people as it has done in South Africa, Canada and elsewhere. When Mr. Bull was successful in Canada in 17C0 the French population was but 750,000. The little colony has grown since then to four millions, all settled in more or less like brothers, the French with their own traditions, history, manners and language mixing with their British friends, and, incidentally, helping the One Flag along. A local Canadian reminds one that in the United States there are nearly half a million French Canadians born, and the larger part of a million people of French Canadian ancestry born in U.S.A. It is a lesson in miniature to the warring European. Maybe you've noticed that the enthu-, siastic wattle tree is anticipating the spring and keeping up the gold standard. A recentlyarrived Australian, ob- • OLD GOLD. serving the gold, exclaimed

to present recorder, "Hello! You Pig Islanders have pinched our wattle!' , the average Australian really believing that this vegetable is one-hundred-per-eent Australian and nothing but it. As a matter of fact, wattle, or mimosa, or acacia, doesn't care much where it grows or where it comes from, and it is common in France and in the East, grows nicely in the southern parts of Englandi and is raved about for its perfume in two continents or more. People rave about the perfume of the seeds, too. Crushed and sprinkled on a ball room floor by alleged humorists, they have caused local wars. The enormously rapid growth of mimosa will astonish people who plant kauri seedlings at the same time. The wattle is a surface grower and a soiling plant of some use. Palestine (formerly having huge treeless areas) is densely wattled and gummed now— and, a-s everybody knows, from time immemorial the acacia has flourished in the Holy Land. A "sprig of acacia" has a tender Eastern significance even in New Zealand.

News from Home tells us that we are not at present to have clocks that strike twenty-four, and you will pardon one for saying that there never has DING DONG. been any necessity for clocks that strike half that number. The world is absolutely knee deep in time-tellers of every kind, including shrieking sirens, of which Auckland has the most piercing on earth. A large percentage of people carry watches, and as a watch is no earthly use if it doesn't tell the time, why have public striking clocks? There is nothing new about public clocks with a face value oi twenty-four sections. They were tried in London at least forty-five years ago. With several dozen huge clocks all banging out twenty-four at the same time, London people, probably—bar New Zealanders—the most uncomplaining folks on earth, rose in their wrath and demanded instant return to the dozen clock.' At times the people hare petulantly aslced, too, for the cessation of clamour from church steeples and other commanding eminences. There is something romantic and excusative, however, in the pealing of church bells. The idea came from the storeyed East, for in China, whe.-e so many of the inventions we claim came from, the bell was invented in order to drive devils away. They never have. During the present year a London man living near a clanging church was able by going to law about it to restrain the vestry from interfering with hie sleep. And if ever Auckland adds clocks that strike twenty-four to the Ferry siren, which terrifies infante into fits