LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14243, 18 June 1908, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

» HEALTH, YOUTH, AND VIGOUR AT ALL AGES. Sib,—While (according to letters whioli appeared some timo ago in jour paper) 6011)0 persons have found great healing virtue in fasting, I may say, for the general benefit of all whom'it may conoern, that I found tho great secret of perpetual youth and rigour in a courso of morning gymnastics. An essential requisite and preparation for athetio feats is tho daily use of the cold bath. Dry and rub down the body with a towel until a Itealthy glow suffuses the skin; then put tho towel aside and use the palms of tho lmnds until obliged to cease from sheer exhaustion. The costume worn should be of littlo weight; and small, thin men should be observant of this, as heavy olothing operates against them. Short-sleeved merino or gauzo jerseys and loose drawers reaching to the kneo are most useful, • Immediately' after the bath a preliminary course of regular gymnastics consists in simple caliathenic movements without implements. (1) Place the heels together and toes turned out; keep the 1 body upriglrt, shoulders ,well back, and arms stretched out on a level with the shoulders; then, bring tho tips of the Augers quickly together in front of the ohest, having the elbows on a line with tho shoulders; Uien strike quickly and vigorously back to the original position. (2) Close the hands tightly; bring them up to tho chest, with the elbows close to tho body; then strike forward vigorously, backwards, upwards, downwards, and sideways,, with the hands closed. The elbows should be close to the body in the ■movements''forwards, upwards, and sideways, but brought up away from the body previous to the movements backwards and downwards. (3) Stretch the arms sideways and keep them straight and the body erect; then describe quickly a circle from the shoulders, keeping the i palms of tho ; hands facing out all the time. The circlo should become larger as the exercise proceeds. (4) Stretch the arms forward, with tho tips of the fingers touching. Strike back from the position, keeping the arms - on a level with the shoulders.. A great deal could be Said, and probably will be said, on "body movements"— is, if there is space avaflablo,-for I feel certain that a great number of the human race aw simply pining away to their graves for the want of. frequent ablutions for the body and suitable physical exercise. The exercises I havo described- may be practised with great benefit by both sexes of any age ranging between eight and 80.—I am, etc., N A. 0. ROBEBTSOH. . SHOULD SOCIALISTS VOTE NOLICENSE? . , \ Sin,—l have for many years been very much surprised at tho absolute iiidiffcrenco of all the Socialist lecturers whom I have heard to the very groat benefits that, would f result to the poor, for whom they «o pleading, if they persuaded them to #jto no-license. I had tho pleasure of. listening to Mr Tom Mann's roost earnest and eloquent address on Socialism last Friday evening, and, howover much I may differ from, him in his proposals for the relief of tho poor and the oppressed, I must admire his determination to push forward with all tho force he can what he believes to bo an absolute Temedy. But 1 am vory sorry to state that for many years I have noticed that all the prominent Socialist lecturora have been perfectly silent about the incalculable benefits that accrue to the poor who have the benefits of living in a no-license district. On the occasion of Mr Mann's previous visit to Dunedin, during which he gave two Socialistic lectures, tho writer put a ques- • Hon to Mr Mann, something like this:,"Mr Mann, you have stated in your leoturo that you consider capitalism and the 'private ownership of land the cause of nearly all the misery ot the poor; do you not consider that this misery would be very much reduced if the licensed sale of spirits was abolished?" Mr Mann evaded tho question by replying that, "I believe in the municipalities owning the public-houses." At South Dunedin just recently, where a Socialistic lady lecturer was speaking, I put a similar question, and did not receive an answer. At the conclusion of Mr Mann's lecture • last Friday, in the Garrison Hall, the writer handed to Mr Mann the following question i " Recognising the very, ardent desire that Mr Mann has to benefit the poor and the oppressed, would lie not bo far more successful if, while advocating his Socialists propaganda, ho also used all his influence to persuade the electors at tho next election to vote no-licenso. seeing that we all know that no-licensc has proved a very great blessing to those whom Mr Mann is pleading for, both in Invercargill and Oamaru?" On Mr Mann reading the question, whenever the -word no-liccnso was hoard by the opponents of no-license a murmur of disapproval was heard, but Mr Mann, to his honour be it said, immediately declared that the question was respectfully put, and deservod a respectful answer, which answer w66 reported by you thus: "Ho had dealt with essentials. Tho question of no-license, like Kreetrade and Protection, was just now non-essential." . •Oh, what a pity that such a man as Mr Mann, professing to be making his lifo work of travelling and working for the benefits of those whom he declares to bo downtrodden, pooh-poolis the drink traffic as a non-essential—the traffic concerning which the late G.O.M. of England, Mr Gladstone, declared, " that the evils resulting from it were greater than the combined evils of war, pestilence, and famine.". Will you allow mo a little more space to endeavour to show my Socialistic readers that Mi Mann is not leading them right on this point, by quoting a few lines from a small pamphlet, "Hints on Health and/ Temperance," by George A. Piric, M.A., M.D., published bv request, for the use of scholars in the Fifth and Sixth Standards in Scotland? "Continued drinking habits cause terriblo injury to the brain. Sleep af night is almost impossible. The powers of thought and action are greatly impaired; the skin feels numb, the muscles tremble, . will-power and self-control arc gradually destroved. Strong drink causes 40 per cent, of all cases of insanity, 90 per cent, of all crimes of violence, and much of the poverty in our land. It is certain that for every man in whom oxcessivc drinking causes insanity, there are 20 in whom it injures the brain, blunt* the moral nature, and lessens, the capaoity for work in lesser degrees." Earnestly hoping that my Socialistic reader will not look upon this question as a mere non-essential, but rather as a very 6erious consideration, involving a very important duty for which they are responsible, and which gives them the opportunity of being a factor in bringing the greatest blessing that can bo brought to any country by their simply "scoring opt the to pliue," —I am. etc., James Stewart. 74, Manor place, June 17.