WEATHER PLAYS ITS PART

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 117, 13 November 1935, Page 10

WEATHER PLAYS ITS PART

As a topic of conversation the weather in New Zealand can hold its own with the weather in any other pail; of the ■world, even Britain, where strangers note the perennial reference, for no other country seems to have such a variety as this. The present spring has excelled itself in thai: respect, boxing the compass of the seasons in a single week. This has been hard 6n the farmer, who lives by the weather, and the suclden changes and cold snaps have given him as much cause for meditation and, perhaps, complaint as all the puzzling propositions the candidates of various political parties have been making for his welfare. The "worst spring for several years," as it has been described, affects not only the output of dairy farms and the fattening of lambs for the Christmas market in Britain, but also the business done in the cities for normally seasonable goods. Then there is the psychological effect. Gloomy skies and chilling blasts promote pessimism and prolong the feeling of depression, thin out political meetings, and cool the fine frenzy of candidates trying to work up enthusiasm. So it becomes a battle between the weather and politics and the reports of a dull campaign, as from Christchurch in last evening's "Post," would seem to indicate that the weather is having the best of it so far. By the law of averages, however, a fine spell must soon be due and, with a return of sunshine, the atmosphere of the political fray should respond and the final stages pass to polling day amid congenial liveliness and interest.