SAYINGS AND WRITINGS OF THE TIMES.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XLV, Issue 75, 15 September 1925, Page 3

SAYINGS AND WRITINGS OF THE TIMES.

A VOID ! “Avoid the pessimist, his v. heel <,. | fortune invariably suffers from a puncI tun-d tire; the man who thinks he can sing or play a musical instrument—and cannot do either; the man who is always telling you his troubles, you may make them your own and not lessen his. The one who offers you something for nothing—look aTOund for tin reason; the man who constantlv meddles in the affairs of others—he rarely succeeds in his own; the one who has benevolent intentions that never materialise; the man who endeavours to be canonised as a martyr, those who preach sedition and plunder to an excitable people; those who attempt to disfigure religion by strife or slander; and those who dodge the beaten path of truth. And when in doubt go home —the place where you are treated best ami grumble most.”-—Lord Dewar. UNCLE SAM’S WAY WITH MONEYLENDERS. “It is especially interesting to note the attempts that have been made in the United Slates to solve this question of dealing with small loans for the necessitous poor, and, if one had space, it would be worth while examining tin* attempts that have been made to control the activities of the ‘loan sharks,’ as; they are called, by an Act known as the Uniform Small Loan Act, which limits tin* interest on loans not exceeding 300 dollars to 31 per cejit. per month which is the rate that has been worked out after much scientific research. Such loans are fenced round by many protective provisions for the borrower, ami art' tairicd on under license from the State with very serious penalties for breach of any of the conditions attached. As the Uniform Small Loan Law either in its exact form or in Statutes containing many of the important provisions has been adopted in nineteen States having a population of over 59, 000,000 people, it would apparently be well worth while for the Select Committee to inquire as to whether any similar system ought to be and could be set up in this country.’’Lord Carson. THE 4£ACT AND THE DOMINIONS. “The British Government must choose between the Pact with France and the solidarity of the Empire. If the Foreign Secretary signs the Pact his signature will bind Great Britain, but not the British Empire as a whole. Technically and constitutionally it will doubtless remain true that if the British Crown is at war with France or Germany as a consequence of the Pact the whole Empire must also bo at war. Actually there will be no immediate Imperial crisis if Britain is unwise . enough to plunge into these now commitments. The Dominions will-.simply look on in silence, reserving I heir complete freedom of action if ever the military guarantee lias to be [<t in force. They will never allow that the British Foreign Office can commit them in ad- ' vance to a war in Europe. But tech- ■ nical ami constitutional arguments are j dangerous in dealing with such a mi- i tural historic growth as the British Com- | monwealth of Nations. What actually i will have happened, is that the Empire will have developed a quality which I must menace its essential unity.—Daily

TOWARDS DEMOCRACY, BUT NOT COM MUNISM. “Strangely, our signal electoral stride toward democracy in Japanese politic! • li'ght rail a reactionary measure. Thi. is a law directed against th(* communis ir movement wld- b the Tapano. e of ih Conservative class fear might be strong honed by Russian recognition. Naturally, it was made the butt of ridic ul< tad assail at the hands of practically al he leading Japanese newspapers. Th •atv imposes an imprisonment net exceeding ton years upon any person win forms a group or joins a group with the »bject of subverting the national con ■•titution or of destroying the institut on of private l property.” —Mr K. K Kawakami in (he Indepemient. WHY FORGET PAST YEARS? “Our happy years wore years who:as wo regretfully confess when die; are gone, we do not know how well of we were. 'J'he wise . man dot s no' grudge the time spent in keeping hi: memory green. How much love ancan 1 were lavished upon us whoa w< were thoughtless children, aecumulatin; debts which we can never repay, am which we can only acknowledge by passing on some uf what we owe to ou parents to our children! I have several cases full of my mother’s loiters, beautifully writion and full of the wistful anxiety of a good woman for l.ci son. The art of letter-writing has fal lon on. evil days; few of us have iiim for it, or think we have no lime. An the younger general ion seldom k<*< i letters. But they are a part of our pas’ lives, and, if. we are wise, we sha'l los-. no opportunity of linking our days to get her, as Wordsworth says, by natural piety.’’—Dean Inge.