WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 302, 21 December 1935, Page 8

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY

POINTS FROM THE PRESS,

THE SEASON OF GIFTS,

To each of us at this season of the year is given the opportunity of exercising the spirit of remembrance, loosening the purse strings and making some contribution to the Christmas cheer—well-filled stockings for the young folk, mysterious packets for the grownups to which are subscribed personal greetings and good wishes penned in all sincerity. The peculiarity of the Christmas festival is that, although it always seems a long way off, it arrives with an appalling rush, catching people on the hop, and setting up a frantic pandemonium of shopping at the last minute. The result is that Christmas Day dawns upon a community exhausted by its carnival_ of spending, wrapping and dispatching. It :e a strain on all concerned —shoppers, shopkeepers and postal officials—that might well be eased by making an earlier beginning with this pleasing but arduous task. In buying our Christmas presents we are indulging in the exercise of a spiritual and humanitarian impulse, which is to give a thought and pleasure to others. Let Uβ enlarge the scope of these acts of consideration and think also of the labours of those whose task it is to ■attend to our wants. To most people Christmaetide is a pleasant interlude, but to some it is a sorely trying time. When we were vtiry young we had an idea that the old gentleman with the white whiskers did all the business himself —bought the presents out of his fabulous store of wealth and obligingly delivered them personally and furtively to the good little boys and girls who deserved them. We know now that he functions through millions of deputies in shops and poet offices. A kindly thought for them is due, and should be given,—Wellington "Dominion."

TRANSPORT POLICY. There is a period of hard thinking ahead for the Government and especially for the Minister of Transport when the promised "long-range transport co-ordination and development scheme" comes to be put in hand. The Government is going to call a conference of people interested in transport enterprises as a preliminary step, but Mr. Semple gave a pretty clear indication at Hastings and Napier of the directions in which his mind is working. It is obvious that the Railways Board will be abolished at an early date and that the Government will resume direct control of the Department, and it seems to be plain, also, that the Government intends to lay down the conditions under which road transport will compete with the State service. The railway from Napier to Gisborne is to be completed, "but, said Mr. Semple, "we will not build the line and let people use other methods of transport." Large sums of money have been spent on the improvement of the main highway and now an air transport service ie proving increasingly popular, so that this particular route conveniently illustrates the nature of the problem that Mr. Semple is setting himself to solve. A big scheme of highways development is planned for the whole Dominion and the Minister incidentally has already made sure of the support of the motoring community by his assurance that the petrol tax will be used solely for road construction and maintenance. Evidently Mr. Semple is starting out on his Ministerial career with the commendable vision of a Dominion-wide scheme of cheap, comfortable and convenient transport, but it is going to be no simple task to reconcile conflicting interests and to give the public the maximum service at the minimum cost. —"Christchurch Star-Sun."

HEALTH STAMPS. With only a few days to go until Christmas, the 1035 health stamp campaign has already yielded over £S(500 toward the promoters' objective of £10,000. It is announced that health camp programmes for the welfare of children have been substantially extended owing to the generous response of the public. But the summer is already upon us, and the st'hook have broken up. The sooner the full £10,000 can be raised, therefore, the fuller the advantage health camp committees will be able to take of the opportunities of the next six weeks. Kveryone who has had anything to do with holidays knows that they have to be plcined a little while in advance, and with an eye to the money available; and everyone who has had anything to do with children knows that the ideal holiday from their point of view is one that lasts from ae soon as possible after break-up day to as near as possible to reassembly day. It would bo a fitting climax, therefore, to the magnificent responeo already given this year's health stamp campaign if the £10,000 could .be completed by Christmas Eve. —Wellington "Dominion."

MAORI CHILDREN'S HEALTH. During the lean years of the 'lepression the Maoris suffered as much ae anybody, but their plight has for the most part escaped publicity. With the higher birth rate among the Maoris the children have come in for more than a normal ehare in the distress and the state of their health has caused eome concern to the Health Department. This was the subject of special reference b3 r the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Eraser, in his first public address in that capacity at the annual meeting of the Dominion Council of the JCew Zealand Red Cross Society. Mr. Fraser said that lie was satisfied, after a preliminary 20nversation with the Director-General of Health, Dr. Watt, that if native children were to have a proper chance in , life the problem of the prevention and cure of diseases would demand a great deal of thought. The Red Cross was doing valuable work already, and the problem would receive the early attention of the Government, which would be very glad to help. The care of the Maori race is one of the recognised responsibilities of the white people of New Zealand, under the Treaty of Waitangi, and a particular responsibility attaches to the care of the rising generation. A great deal can be done by continuing the work of the late Sir Maui Pomare in the direction of child welfare among the Maoris. There is a feeling that this hr.s been somewhat neglected of recent years, and Mr. Fraser's assnrance of attention to the needs of tflo Maori children is timely and welcome.—Wellington "Evening Post."

"WORST TEETH IN THE WORLD." "I am convinced that. New Zealand dentists are the finest in the world," recently declared a widely-travelled New Zealamler. He added somewhat cynically: "And e>o they should be; their training is based on the care of the worst teeth in the world." Ample evidence in support of these statements is available. Because of the gravity of the- problem, Dr. R. Bevan Dodds, of the Dunedin Dental School, lias issued an appeal for assistance in an organised attempt to investigate and deal with dental disease, and it may be inferred from this that he contemplates undertaking a more intensive search into methods of prevention as well as euro. As an aid to these efforte lie is entitled to receive support and encouragement of a practical nature, Much has already been done at the Dental School in the way of research, but apparently the staff has to rely to a great extent on the ingenuity of individual members in making improvisations. There is no special grant for the kind of research work which seeme to be essential if entirely satisfactory progress is to be made. The national need is great, and the Government should seize the earliest opportunity of granting pecuniary aid to those whose purpose it is to wage a more intensive campaign against dental disorders.—'Dunedin "Evening Star."