CURRENT TOPICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 194, 17 July 1937, Page 8

CURRENT TOPICS

(By “Wayfarer.”)

Other nations change their Cabinets to get the Government in proper working order, but Japan simply changes its Diet. Character can be told by the cars, according to a psychologist. Thickened ones indicate an impulsive nature and a weak defence.

With Palestine so much in the news at present it is interesting to note that Sir Herbert Samuel, who was recently elevated to the Peerage, takes the title of Viscount Samuel of Mount Carmel and of Toxteth, in the City ol Liverpool. Tlie Alount Carmel part of Lord Samuel’s title recalls his High Commissionership for Palestine. During his term (1920-25) a Jewish' settlement was inaugurated there in his honour. It is named the Ahuzath Sir Herbert Samuel. * * * * *

Tallinn, tlie Esthonian capital, may 60on be given another new name. When Esthonia gained her independence, the name of the ancient Hanseatic townthen Reval—was abandoned because of its Gorman origin. It was officially changed into the Esthonian “Tallinn. Now local philologists have discovered that “Tallinn” stands for “Danish town,” a designation “incompatible with the national pride of new Esthonia.” Esthonian patriots are, therefore. zealously searching for an appropriate “All-Esthonian” name for their capital. m m

There are signs that this summer is to see a revival of coaching in England. The Coaching Club is to increase the number of its meets, and there is to be at least one regular service of road coaches. Good Pickwickians, and devotees of De Quincey have always suspected that the true roniaiice of the “rolling English road” is known only to him who travels it in all the jingling, swaying, rainbow glory of a coach and four. “What stir!” cries Do Quincey, “what sea-like ferment! what a thundering of wheels!—what a tramping of hoofs I—what a sounding of trumpets! AVJio would sacrifice this Royal Progress for the suave purring of machinery and the blind rush of the speedking’s minions ? asks the Christiun Science Alonitor. It is a fascinating picture, and those who choose a bright morning and travel for the joy they have in it will find no better manner of using the king’s highway. Tho hiker is driven to the hills; the cyclist must toil and spin | the miles away, and even Daisy Bell j on her tandem is a lady whose leisure is i all too scanty for aesthetic distractions by the way. The motorist, though he consent to ‘‘idle” along, lacks yot the proud eminence of the “outside,” who, aloft upon the poop of his galleon, borne slowly, yet with the illusion of speed, among the tides of traffic, is . . . placed on high above tho storm’s career,

and can, indeed, survey the world with something of the calm, leisurely, farranging vision of Goldsmith’s traveller. Yes, that is the way to travel, unless it is raining, or one happens to be in a hurry, or to prefer more comfort, or—well, that is one good way to travel. *****

What must surely be one of the most detailed and documented days in history recently had its full-length portrait issued in volume form from Leningrad. Some time ago it was announced that on the suggestion of Alaxiin Gorky there was to be produced a record of all the events that happened all over the world on one given day, and now that most extensive entry in the diary of man’s doings has been issued in a book of more than a thousand pages contributed by “authors, journalists, and scientists of various countries.” AYhat reviewers will make of it remains to be seen, (observes the Alanchester Guardian); perhaps their first reaction will be a sigh of relief that history is not normally written on that microscopical scale of searching exactitude, for if so there would be no keeping up with its published results. Perhaps journalists will bo inclined to examine tlie new volume most critically, for it promises to challenge tlieir own sphere of written activity more closely than those of other performers. The daily newspaper aims at being a record of the world’s doings during the previous twenty-four hours, and if one were to put together all the contents of all the world’s newspapers for a single day the result would be such a mass of printed matter as would make the new Leningrad compilation look like a mere leaflet. In that mass there would, of course, be many repetitions, but we have yet to discover whether Leningrad can devote more than a thousand pages to one day’s affairs and sti'i avoid any suspicion of “doubles” and overlapping. The day selected for that peculiar tribute was September 27, 19&3, and it would be interesting to know how many of us could now mention off-hand one single event from that day that would be worth a page entry in this full-scale diary. So much for human memories and the link between tlie date and the event I

Surelv not since the days of King Midas has anyone faced a situation like that confronting the good people of ltandall, Wisconsin, relates the Christian Science Monitor. The sympathies of all budgeters, household as well as governmental, are touched with a quivering tenderness as the news of Randall’s plight palpitates over the world’s wires. When people are prepared by foreknowledge of an event, or by experience, or by education, they may- be expected to bear their problems alone. But Randall, it seems, did not know what was happening to it, and it. is hardly "within the experience of any of us “moderns” and certainly quite contrary to all our education that a surplus of funds should lie like a burden on our affairs.

But thus it is in Randall. The town government finds itself with 16.000 dollars too much. Naturally- the authorities do not know what to do with this unwelcome money. To the up-to-date mind there is something intangible, elusive and baffling about a presence of cash. A deficit now, that is something you can understand. You know what to do with a deficit. You can explain it, enlarge it, diffuse it, conceal it; but money will out. You can even use a deficit for election purposes by blaming it on tlie party just ousted, or by promising to reduce it. But you can’t blame a surplus on anybody. No doubt tlie rest of the world senses tlie concern with which Randall looks upon dollars it cannot find a way to spend. Quite comfortable themselves on divans downy with deficits, other communities nevertheless cannot rest while Randall pales before the nightmarish threat of a sinister surplus. No doubt if appealed to. its fellow communities would dispatch an army of veteran deficits to rescue Randall from a foe of progress in town finance.