TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 25312, 15 June 1935, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Short-Tenn Security. “The proof that there is no profit in war is beyond challenge, but it remains true that defeat is an immeasurable calamity,” writes Mr J. A. Spender in the Observer. “Both these propositions have been brought home to the world by the Great War, and we have to face them both if we are to find the way of peace. Here, in fact, is the main trouble about armaments. Beyond doubt the competition in armaments was one of the causes of the Great War, but it is useless to tell an Englishman or a Frenchman that he gained nothing by the great fleet or the great army which saved him from being conquered by the Germans. Sir Norman Angell is undoubtedly right when he argues that security by armaments will, in the long run, defeat itself, and that our aim must be to replace it by a collective security in which the law and not the litigant will be armed. But, unhappily, there is a time lag on this process, and security in their time is what all the Governments demand. It seems to me impossible to deny that short-term security can be obtained by armaments, and I rather think the pacifist would be in a better position if he frankly acknowledged that and posed his problem as that of advancing from the short-term security of armaments to the long-term security of the League of Nations.” Public Bores. An American newspaper, with a mind conscious of right, has opened a crusade against the social evil—bores. Its readers are invited to say who is the greatest public bore they know; there is no invitation to delate to the paper the worst bore of their personal acquaintance, saying why. Yet public bores, asserts The Times, are the merest amateurs, easily avoided and so deprived of that first prerequisite for good boring, inescapability. Public bores are only called so by those who do not like them. The word bore in their case is no more than a discourtesy title. Their continued presence in public life, in print or on platforms, is bitter testimony to the fact that somebody, after all, must like them. They have a market and it is with the hope of diminishing their audience that their despisers call them bores. A man is a bore who keeps repeating things which are familiar and unpleasant, and who hammers away at something you want left vague or in oblivion. There is no controversial public figure who is not called a bore, but only a few men in each generation really qualify for the solemn and long-winded enunciation of portentous, inevitable platitudes. There is a small class of pie very distinguished who have to be invited to be present at all sorts of gatherings and, being present, to hold forth. Such are truly the public bores, but they are only bores by grace of public civility, and they are very much to our credit. Rebuke to Croakers. In a maiden speech in the House of Commons Budget degate, Captain Harold Balfour, M.P., took occasion to rebuke the croakers, quoting from Macaulay’s words written in 1830 as follows:—“To almost all men the state of things under which they have been used to live seems to be the necessary state of things. We have heard it said that 5 per cent, is the natural interest of money; that twelve is the natural number of a jury; that forty shillings is the natural qualification of a county voter. Hence it is that though in every age everybody knows that up to his own time progressive improvement has been taking place, nobody seems to reckon on any improvement during the next generation. ‘A million a year will beggar us,’ said the patriots n 1640. ‘Two millions a year will grind the country to powder,’ was the cry in 1660. ‘Six millions a year and a debt of fifty millions,’ exclaimed Swift. ‘The high allies have been the ruin of us.’ ‘A hundred and forty millions of debt!’ said Junius ‘well may we says that we owe Lord Chatham more than we shall ever pay if we owe him such a load as this.’ ‘Two hundred and forty millions of debt,’ cried all the statesmen of 1783 in chorus. ‘What abilities or what economy on the part of a Minister can save a country so burdened?’ ... On what principle is it that, when we see nothing but improvement behind us, we are to expect nothing but deterioration before us.” “On what principle,” continued Captain Balfour, “is it that to-day we can see nothing but improvement behind us and expect nothing but depression and worse times to be in front of us. I firmly believe that apart from all the acts of misgovernment and good government of our rulers, this country is becoming richer and richer. Now and then there has been a general stoppage. Sometimes there is a short retrogression, but as to the general tendency there can be no doubt A single breaker may recede, but the tide is coming in all the time.”

Last evening the Dominion Meteorologist issued the following information: An anti-cyclone is advancing across the Tasman Sea, but is losing intensity. Pressure is still very low to the east Forecast: Winds south-west to southerly and moderate to strong, turning to south-east in > the north and west and to north-west in the far south. Seas in New Zealand waters rather rough north of Farewell Spit and between Nugget Point and East Cape; elsewhere moderate. Eastern Tasman Sea: Moderate to strong but decreasing southerly winds, seas moderate to rather rough. Weather cloudy in eastern districts and the far north and south, with rain at times on the east coast from Cook Strait northwards, north of Auckland and south of Nugget Point; otherwise fair to fine. Temperatures cold, with some frosts and fogs. •

There was a record frost of 26 degrees at Mount Somers on Thursday and another record of 23 degrees at Hackthorne in the Mayfield district, states a Press Association message from Ashburton.

The Invercargill public will a be privileged to hear Master Warwick Humphries, the New Zealand boy soprano, and Rhona Hill, elocutionist, also Billie Addis, solo dancer, at the Civic Theatre on Thursday, June 27.

The Director-General, Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington, states that mails which left Wellington on May 14 by the ss. Maungariui, via San Francisco, arrived at London on June 12.

Mr Gerald Griffen, who will address his first Invercargill audience on Sunday night in Everybody’s Hall, has been received everywhere he has spoken with enthusiasm. Mr Griffin is a brilliant speaker and an authority on his subject. It will be remembered by many readers that Mr Griffin, in company with Herr Egon Kirsch, the noted Czechoslovakian author and linguist, were recently refused permission to land in Australia to attend an anti-war congress. They fought and overcame this decree and eventually delivered addresses in many parts of Australia.

The depositions, and the charge of his Honour Mr Justice Blair to the jury, together with a report by the trial judge, in the case of Charles William Price, who was recently found guilty of the murder of Evelyn Mary Madden, have not yet been considered by Cabinet, but it is understood that they will shortly go forward for consideration. After Cabinet has considered the papers there will be a meeting of the Executive Council, which consists of the Gov-ernor-General and members of the Cabinet, and a decision will be made whether or not the death sentence should be carried out.

Referring to the establishment of the Mortgage Corporation at the annual meeting of proprietors of the Bank of New Zealand yesterday Mr William Watson, chairman of directors, said: “It will possibly occur to you that the Mortgage Corporation may prove to be a formidable competitor for advances against farming properties—a class of lending, I may say, which constitutes a considerable portion of our loan business. I do not anticipate, however, that the operations of the Corporation will affect to any material extent the volume of our advances to sound farming customers, the majority of whom will, I consider, prefer to continue working on overdraft rather than on table or fixed mortgage. Neither do I think that other than relatively a small number of our farming customers will need to take advantage of the provisions of the Rural Mortgagors Final Adjustment Act.”

The following applications for admission to membership of the New Zealand Society of Accountants have been granted (with the status of A.R.A.N.Z.):—Auckland, Messrs R. H. Browne, J. L. Clegg, D. S. Cox, L. S. Drake, C. G. Fisher, J. G. Frear, P. L. Hunter, W. Mason, E. R. Porter, P. F. Prescott, F. D. Reeves and I. F. N. Renaud; Hastings, Mr W. Kean; Gisborne, Mr E. T. Chrisp; New Plymouth, Mr F. B. Reid; Raetihi, Mr J. Aird; Palmerston North, Mr W. H. Horsfall; Wellington, Messrs J. C. Cull, A. L. Garbett, H. C. M. Renner, J. B. Stephenson and S. R. Wood; Christchurch, Mr P. R. Smith; Timaru, Messrs D. G. McNab and G. G. C. Reid; Dunedin, Messrs F. G. K. Gilchrist, J. M. Hood, P. I. Mac Lean and J. H. Wakefield; Invercargill, Mr W. F. Rigby. Transfers of status from A.R.A.N.Z. to A.P.A.N.Z. have been granted to Miss Mollie Johnson (Auckland), Mr J. Williams (Tauranga) and Messrs J. B. Black, F. Charlton and R. A. Davison (Wellington).

Ladies! Our Hosiery Department is the place in the city to buy. Best quality at, lower prices. See our values first. Wicks’ Ltd., Cash Drapers, Dee street.—Advt.

Children’s Felts 4/9 to 7/11. French Berets 3/6. Children’s Wool Gloves, o—6, 1/11. Navy Wool Gauntlet Gloves, 3—6, 3/11.—At Miss Noble’s, Dee Street.—Advt.

Newest Suits and Overcoats at big reductions at Carter's Rebuilding Sale. All makes of Blankets at Bargain prices. Stock has to go to make room for builders. (Advt.)

Warm woollen jumpers and cardigans are being cleared at sacrifice prices by THOMSON AND BEATTIE during Stocktaking Period: 5/-„ 7/6, 10/6, 19/6 buys winter comfort that would cost double in the ordinary way. See these woollens displayed in the showroom.— Advt.

Reading and travelling, the fumes and germ-laden atmosphere of townlife, the cinema, the constant irritation of tobacco smoke—all these take a heavy toll of your eyes. Is it any wonder that they often feel dull, hot and heavy, that they get inflamed, and water easily, that eye headaches are so frequent. You can relieve these troubles with OPTRINE. This safe and gentle tonic lotion cleanses the eyes of all impurities, soothes away soreness and irritation, and keeps your eyes clear, alert and vigorously healthy. 3/- per bottle, GEO. H. BROWN, Dispensing Chemist, 125 Dee Street.—Advt. AFTER SHOPPING What a pleasure after a busy day's shopping to sit down and sip a hot cup of Tiger Tea. How it soothes and refreshes. You can buy this full, rich, wholesome tea at any grocer's for 2/10 per lb. Order it to-day.—Advt.

Any lady who is contemplating a New Fur Coat this Winter, would be well advised to inspect our range of the finest quality Fur Coats in Southland. All classes of skins at prices that are truly the lowest in the trade for the high quality of the goods offered. We make up on the premises to your own style, any class of coat at no extra cost. Your own choice of linings, etc. Satisfaction guaranteed. Inspection invited. THE MUTUAL FUR COY, Manufacturing Furriers, Tay Street,— Advt.