PUBLIC OPINION

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1929, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION

PROPAGANDA. “Before that great war by whielv wo date time nowadays, the word ‘propaganda’ had not percolated much below tlie highest stratum of intelligence and sophistication. It held an innocent and dignified meaning. Tlie methods by which you spread or advanced your cult, school of opinion, ’ism or osophy—in 1913 it meant that and that alone;” writes Will Irwin in “Scribner’s Magazine.” “The shadow ed years have given it a strangely invidious aura. Scarcely any one today admits that he is a propagandist or that he peddles propaganda—those attributes belong always to his opponent.” THE SOULS OF THE CITIES. “Our cities are influenced by climate scenery, geology, site, occupation, by the style, colour, iuul employment of materials, and thus acquire a degree of personality, emphasised l by the character of a dominant style, and to a less palpable extent by the sentiment of their inhabitants. Olften indeed towns are too incoherent to be personified, because like their inhabitants they lack countenance and defy characterisation. Towns like people are vapid, neutral, or colourless, jumbles of contradiction and aimless; but even so they may be typical of a race. And a town is very secretive personage. At first we may think its character is easily defined ; but be cautious. There are contradictions and diversities which may lead us astray in our assessment ol man or city.”—Lord Crawford. A FINE TESTIMONIAL. “Undoubtedly one of 'the main assets of British aircraft is tbe British Certificate of Airworthiness, with the spo eified performances which are reeded after official trials at the Air Ministry experimental stations, ’ike impartiality and accuracy of the reports | of these two station are unimpeaclmole and they are based on the all-round performance of an aeroplane ol oneunit. Average rather than optimism figures are given, and the purchaser of subsequent aircraft of the same type has learnt now that not only will that stated performance he realised in every production machine, but that it may even he exceeded. It is exceedingly rare that any peiiff)nuance called for in a foreign contract is not realised, and foreign Governments on many occasions have paid handsome- compliments to the generous way the British aircraft manufacturer interprets the conditions of his contract, the promptitude with which he gives deliveries on the specified dates, and the smooth way in which British business is conducted. These same Government, having had less happy experiences with other Continental linns, are better able to appreciate tbe straightforward methods of our own manufacturers, and this again is gradually influencing sales in other markets.”—Aeronautical correspondent of the “Times Trade and Engineering Supplement.”