Manawatu Daily Times

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6748, 5 January 1932, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times

The Improvident State “Between 1889 and 1904, the expenditure of Victoria was reduced by more than 30 per cent, and the public works expenditure from £1,200,000 to about £300,000. Economics of the same order are now required,” says the Hon. F. W. Eggleston, a former Attorney-General in the Victorian Ministry, in an article in the Melbourne Herald. “There should be an attempt at constructive scientific economy—not an attack on salaries, but at reorganisation, with a view to efficiency and the elimination of waste and duplication.” Discussing a remark by Mr. J. M. Keynes that Government loans are Nature’s way of relieving a crisis, Mr. Eggleston says:—“States which have pursued a i/nmd policy may resort to Government loans to help them over a temporary crisis, but if there is one lesson that my conspectus of Australian finances teaches it is that Government finance spells loss and waste, and the specific policy for Australia is to restore individual control over the resources of the community. Under a regime of Government finance money is spent in vast quantities without anyone feeling at the time any personal sacrifice, or any real share in the direction, or any real responsibility. The absence of this personal relation to spending in any human system is fatal. For economic purposes £1 in the pockets of the people is worth £3 in the Treasury.” Canada’s Future “What impressed itself upon me most of all is that Canada will never become the great nation which it is meant to be without a far larger population,” Dr. Ingram, Bishop of London, wrote in the Empire Review on his return from a visit to Canada. “It is all 'laid out’ for a great population. The railway system will never pay without millions more travelling. I iay in my private car sleeping peacefully all night in the great termini of Montreal and Quebec; I should not like to try the experiment in Paddington or Euston. To what is the difference due 'l To the fact that 48 millions of people are trying to get about in a small island as quickly as possible, and that 9£ millions have plenty of time to get about in a country 3000 miles across, and heaven knows how many long. .- . . Canada might be, and may be, the greatest nation upon earth. She looks upon the east on one side and back upon Uhe Avest on the other; she strides the earth at a most strategic point of the earth’s surface; she has undeveloped riches beyond count; all she needs is men, Avomciu, boys and girls to unearth the treasures and increase the fulness of her life.” Habits of Health “The teachers can do even more than the doctors,” says Sir George NeAvman, in his annual report to the British Minister of Health, in which he -emphasises the value, of instruction in personal hygiene. “The teaching of hygiene is guidance in the art of living. It is an art founded upon science and experience,” he says, and remarking that it is practicable to train every child in the way of health, and in the proper daily care of its body, declares that the teaching should' be social and personal, scientific and practical, designed to indicate habit rather than doctrine, and practice rather than thosny. “No one can consider the daily work done in these five ‘non-medical’ directions —cleanliness, nutritibn, physical exercise, open air, health teaching—on behalf of five million children over a period of nine years of their school life Avithout being convinced that its effect is almost wholly beneficial,” he adds. “ r Dhis is no temporary medical or surgical aid to one child in four. It is a continual training in habits of health, much of which cannot fail to stand the test of time, affecting the entire school population. It is most economical in the long run, arfct least costly in operation ’’ 1

Street accidents in London are not always reported in the newspapers, states Mr. F. Thompson, general manager of tho Christchurch traimvays. During April, May and June 43 people in London, rvere killed by omnibuses against 23 in the same period' of the previous, year; and deaths among people “crossing without duo care” numbered 112 (80). Tho total killed in street accidents numbered 345 (330). A Avoll-known Mangcre farmer this Avcek learnt something about tho wisdom of keeping money aAvay from the sight of covetous persons. When amongst the eroAvd near the totalisator at tho Epsom trotting course he had occasion to draw his Avallet from an inside pocket. Shortly %"tenvards ho discovered that it had disappeared. It contained a £5 note and a substantial cheque from a prominent stock firm, which w-as immediately advised to stop payment.

There is overcrowding in tho Ncav Zealand mental hospitals, according to tho report of Dr. Gray, director-general. Tho 0,300 cases in the hospitals are 740 in excess of tho accommodation provided. Ailthough more than £134,000 Av-as expended last year in alterations, additions and repairs, and villas had been erected at Papakura, Stoke and Tokanui, thero is still need of more spaco. Dr. Gray is of opinion that the classification system cannot be improved, but that no building should contain more than .1,000 patients (Povirua has 440 too many), and that future needs must be considered. Treatment is improving, but early preventive Avork and causation study arc but slowly progressing.

Affairs in Manchuria, Avhcro the Japanese and the Chinese seem determined to come to grips in spite of the League of Nations, colour life even in far-distant Auckland. Two of the sailers off tho Japanese motor vessel nowin port Avero Avalking up Queen street, inspecting the displays in the shop AvindoAvs. A Chinese greengrocer Avas fixing up tho stands in his doorway, arranging cool-looking lettuce heads in tho carcfully-mcthodical piles peculiar to tho race. A little Chinese boy avlio belonged to the establishment, but apparently had no fixed duties, soon spied the two Japanese, and reported - rhcii presence to the man arranging the lettuce heads. In quick Chinese they discussed the situation, and, striking a distinctly European attitude, the man suggested that tho boy should go out and revenge his country’s wrongs on tho two stray sailors. Evidently a strong adherent of the League of Nations, the little fellow rejected the proposal, and rushing—quite excitedly, for a Chinese—to the back of tho shop, brought out another Chinese man to come and see tho two little brown men •who were quite oblivious of the excitement they were causing in the vege-table-vending Avorld.