BARKS, CROWS AND CACKLES HAUNT SHOW CROWDS

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1938, Page 11

BARKS, CROWS AND CACKLES HAUNT SHOW CROWDS

Brieflets

i>OC SHOWS WITHOUT IIAUK

i'ur two days I lie roosters crowed; lor another two days the dogs barked. Oh. what a row there was! And what tears were shed at thought of the poor beasts or birds confined so tightly in their little Admittedly, the hens could pass the time laying eggs or laying down, but it was the dogs that really shook the heart of man and woman, so tragic and pitiful were their day and night howls. Not that this is a peculiarity of Whangarei; it goes for every other town which sports a winter show. Surely we shall in the future conceive some means of having dog shows without barks and howls, and poultry shows without cackles and crows? —“Canis."

after the show—the clean-up After the show comes the clean-up. Brooms get busy, wheelbarrows are at a premium, and a smouldering heap depicts where the crowd has cast its unwanted cardboard containers. Very shortly, as last year, a similar occurrence will be witnessed throughout the North, wherever campers camp and frrotorists stop for their afternoon cup of tea on the roadside. It seems to have become part and parcel of human nature this general despoiling of the scenery with rubbish. Something should be done to educate people to a better sense of civic cleanliness for the coming tourist season. It is getting as bad as the clean-up of bottles after so many dances in this country. —“Rubbish.’’

it MACHINERY DOES NOT CREATE UNEMPLOYMENT There is a shortage of nurses, a shortage of school teachers, a shortage of skilled workers in all branches of commerce and trade. The more human

■question of nurse shortage, however, J will be the most serious from the ave- ■■ rage man’s point of view. We have come to look upon hospitals as an es- ’ sential part of our communal life, the

maternity homes being regarded as

absolutely necessary. Now they may ,4 be curtailed. With a growing incidence of disease and a rapidly devel- ' oping health and sickness conscience, v hospitals and nurses are more and jmore in demand. Many people once 1/ thought the machine age would put i countless numbers out of work, but ‘ what is happening now in our esseni tial institutions disproves all that ar- . gument.—‘"Mater.”

FACILITIES FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE.

One thing is crippling Whangarei football. It is the lack of facilities for practising during the we«\k. Unless team-mates can get together they cannot hope to develop combination. For many years now the only team practice is what Saturday afternoons provide. Floodlighting Rugby Park would be the obvious way to allow training to be effected. Arrangements could be made for clubs to have two nights a. week cn the ground—some, say, on Mondays and Wednesdays, the others on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It may be argued that the main ground at the Park is too muddy for training purposes; but, surely, if this is so, another more suitable ground could be found. Other towns have done for years what Whangarei has not yet attempted. The standard of local Rugby could not help but be raised if some step were taken in this direction. — “Sport.”

I 7 N i. VEN PAVEMENTS. Once again the pavements of Whangarei's streets have found a victim r.f their unevenness, cr too smooth evenness. There are several parts of the town where paving-stones have come out cf place, making a bad surface even for those who know its tricks and peculiarities. Action by the authorities in clearing up this state of affairs would be greatly appreciated.—“ High Heels." 'Ar MENTAL BLINDNESS. Noticing that they arc trying “mirrors" for “mental blindness" in motorists, isn't it about time Parliament was fitted out with a supply?— “Motorist." ir FARMERS HAVE LITTLE SAY. Time was when a dairy company meeting was an event for farmers. They met and discussed marketing, and had some definite say in the matter., Now they say a lot, but little results from the saying. They are gradually becoming aware of the fact that their say is only of minor matters; the more important issues are decided for them. They have practically no say in marketing, for example, but can only criticise o>’ praise (whoever heard a farmer do this?) the Government’s policy. The day of power is gone for the individual farmer; he records his vote every third November, and sits back and awaits results, his voice being lost outside the pollingbooth.—“Cream.”

NEARLY ANOTHER FLOOD. Yesterday morning we looked with fearful eyes at the yellow waters swirl_ ing along the creeks in the borough, and cast our eyes upward in the hope of seeing a break in the clouds. Fortunately, there was a break. But it looked at one stage as though another flood was on the way. Perhaps we will never stop flooding in the borough, but we can at least do a lot to offset its effects if we could provide easier exits for the waters of the Waiarohia. It is too late now to cut a straight channel from the source to the sea, but we can certainly cut off some of the sharp corners and clear the creek banks of rubbish. This has been suggested many times, but there sec-ms to be little doing about it.— “Stop-bank.”

SCHOOL CONDITIONS DEPLORED. Few towns can boast such a picturesque setting , for their high schools as does Whangarei. We have one of the finest sites in the country for a school, but it comes as a shock to know that all is not well behind the scenes. We boast a lot about modern conditions, and so on and so forth, yet we have allowed this state of affairs at the girls’ school to develop under our very noses. Instead of going ahead, it locks as if some parts, of our community organisation are going back. Upon education depends future administration of the country and future motherhood. Crippling in youth will mean the stifling of these future events, and will lead only to decadence later. —“Stoic.” it GIVE WIFE ALL? Among my workmates an argument has arisen as to whether a man should give his wife all his wages or not. I consider he should not unless he considers himself incapable of managing affairs properly himself. What do other readers think? —“Worker.”