PASSING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 3

PASSING NOTES

“ True it is that in these days man ean do almost anything except obey. True likewise that whoso cannot obey cannot be free, still less rule; he that is the inferior of nothing can be the superior of nothing, the equal of nothing.”—Carlyle. People say that Carlyle is almost forgotten, but this profound observation is worth recalling when we see on all sides revolt against all authority and discipline. The most marked feature of the latest strikes in Australia and sometimes in New Zealand is the rejection by the workers of all control even by their own leaders. A' recent cablegram from Australia said that the miners’ leaders were trying to draw up a code of discipline with penalties for disobedience; but their efforts were in vain. Now come our own railwaymen in Canterbury who challenge the right to “hire and Are” workers and say they will wrest this right from “the employing class.” But in their case who is their employer? Why, the • Government which they themselves helped to elect. Surely someone must be in control even under Socialism. Even if they are granted their request for workshop committees with the right to hire and fire you can’t have a committee in charge of an express train any more than you can nave the crew in charge of a battleship going into action. “ Civis ” has too much admiration for our engine drivers who carry great responsibilities to suppose that they would let a committee control their speed or dispute about the signals. " The modem tendency Is to take aides with those in subordination against those in authority as if all order and discipline were a mere demonstration of selfishness and brutality.”—Eucken. The railwaymen tell us that if any man is dismissed or suspended for any reason except being under the influence of alcohol a stop-work meeting will be called. The right to hire and fire must be challenged. Scene: Rallwaymen’s Clubroom, Christchurch Engine driver enters: I say, you chaps, I met a friend at Ashburton so •I left my train to find its own way home. X suppose the fireman or the guard brought it in O.K. But you can’t do that. You’ll be sacked. Engine driver: Not on your life. I wasn’t drunk, so they can't even suspend me. Point duty man: That reminds me. I forgot to switch the points last night end two passenger trains collided. But it’s all right. I had no drink all day. Guard: It’s not all right—it’s all . wrong. My wife was on one of those trains and I’ll knock your block off if they won’t sack you. Apprentice: Ha! haj I punched the foreman on the nose to-day, but he daren’t even suspend me. Enter Mr Semple: Enough of this. Here’s your running shoes. You can all' beat it. You’re a lot of “ rat bags ’’ and “ shuffle busters,” and if you’re not careful I’ll put you in the Upper House, where you can babble all day. ” His hyacinthine locks Round from his parted forelock manly hung clustering.”—Milton. Last week we related the sad story of the Builder and the Billiard Room. This week comes another sad story of the Boy and the Barber. It appears that the other day a Christchurch barber was prosecuted for charging a boy under 16 the sum of Is 6d for cutting his hair “contrary to Price Order No. 141,” which fixed the price at Is. Apparently the charge for a hair cut increases with age on the assumption that, as our locks decrease, our financial resources increase. One might have hoped that, as we grew older and balder the charge would decrease. But the principle seems to be, “ Charge what the traffic will bear.” So the boy with an abundant crop of rebellious hair gets off for Is, and no count is taken of the work involved. Moreover, the poor barber is on what is called a “tough spot,” for even if he cuts the boy’s hair at a loss he cannot ask the Price Tribunal for permission to increase charges as most tradesmen can. For, by some strange rule, the barber is controlled by what is called a “stabilised order” from which there is no appeal. He is not under a “price order.” Would it not be more just if the Government said, “ Mr Barber, you can charge the boy what will pay you; or you can give him an army cut, which means running the clippers over him till he looks like a convict—that will only take 30 seconds. If he objects, let his hair be cut at home by mum or dad. We are not going to waste the time of highly-paid Price Tribunals, Stabilisation Boards, law courts and inspectors in giving a boy a cheap hair cut when he spends money freely at the kinema and the ice-cream bar. The customer is not glways right, so charge what will give you a profit.”

"Nothing is so galling to a people, not broken in from birth, as a paternal, or in other words a meddling Government.” —Macaulay. > But the most grotesque feature of this case of the boy and the barber is yet to come, We are told that the barbers of New Zealand are now about to approach the Government “for a subsidy on hair cuts.” For this purpose the president of the Canterbury and Westland Hairdressers’ Association solemnly said “ he was at present organising balance sheets to place the position before the Government.” No doubt, in due time the barbers will add another to the vast throng of producers, manufacturers, and tradesmen who are subsidised by the general taxpayers or, in other words, by themselves. For these subsidies, which already exceed £5,000,000 or more, do not come out of the air or the Reserve Bank, but out of the pockets of the citizen. It is the old story of taking in each other’s washing, and some day the system will collapse. Meanwhile, some officials will enjoy themselves working out what it costs to cut hair —which will be easy if everyone has to be content with an army clip. But will they not also have to check up the cost of a shampoo, a shave, a permanent wave, and curling a wig? And is there any reduction if you have all these at the same time? Why not cancel all this machinery, and if a barber overcharges go to his rival or go on strike and let your hair grow and your beard too? There is too much regulation.

“ The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”—E. Philpotts. Mr Semple’s proud boast is that housewives will soon be able to do their washing “ with their fur coats on.” Why they should want to' work in this way he does not make clear. But his claim seems a modest one compared to some of the marvels of science talked of in America. It seems that soon the housewife will there be able to dispense with gas and electricity, for in their place she will lay in a stock of “liquid heat.” This peculiar stuff will enable her to cook without fire, to freeze without ice, and to warm the whole house to any temperature desired. Nor will she have to worry about leaving her work to answer the door bell; for the face of a visitor will be reflected on a screen in the kitchen. All the housewife has to do is to press a knob beside her, which will open the door—that is if she wants to let the visitor in. Her windows will be fitted with glass which one can see out of but not into, so that passers-by are visable but the observer within remains invisible. Telephone messages will be recorded in our absence. Electric waves will heat our bodies without heating the room. Those who like reading in bed will have the pages of their book reflected on the ceiling and can turn the pages in bed—if the wife permits. We can shop by television without the labour of visiting the various stores. In fact, Mr Semple will have to put on his running shoes and make haste or he will soon be an old Tory. Civis.