CURRENT COMMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1930, Page 1 (Supplement)

CURRENT COMMENT

OTHER POINTS OF ! VIEW

(By

M. 0.5.)

Bradman slew liia thousands, and. Sir Otto Niemeyer his ten thousands.. & * « • Embittered Australians who are smarting from Sir Otto’s criticism are ' advised to despatch W, W. Armstrong post haste to England to diagnose Engrlish cricket. * * # * With the cables flashing the news all over the world, a pretty dialogue ? ' could be built up, something like this: Sir Otto: Australia is off the Budget equilibrium and is faced -by considerable unfunded and maturing debts, both Internal and external; ,in addition to which there is a very large programme of loan works for which no financial provision has been made. Warwick: Poor England has lost her stability and shows a heavy deficit in ’ the aggregate scores both at home and abroad; there are more Tests to come and few prospects of any improvement. Sir Otto: The only alleviation of the gloomy picture is that, apart from the | £36,000,000 of unfunded debt, Australia by a great piece of luck has no ex- ■ ternal. maturities in?. 1930 and 1931, and that means in effect that the country has a maximum’ period of two years in which to put its house in order. ... Warwick: Dark as the prospects are, ■* .’ and though England in the sum total is possibly 37,000,000 runs behind, there will be no Test, more by good luck than by good management, for another ? r ear which means in brief that Engand has a whole 12 months in which to put herself on a better wicket. Sir Otto: Australia’s standards of ' living are too high. ; Warwick, rudely; YoU can’t say that of England’s scores. Sir Otto, 'angrily: Australia’s credit is at a low ebb. ■ Warwick, with exasperation; England’s prestige is shattered. Sir Otto, continuing his argument with deadly insult: Lower even than India’s. Warwick, stung to the point of recklessness: 1 rate 1 New Zealand cricket higher. Sir Otto: A practical solution of the serious problem is not rendered easier by the natural optimism of Australians, among whom a .general belief prevails, that there is an unlimited market ab-< road for Australian goods. ■ - Warwick; wrth heavy irony: Nothing ? is f urther " from ,fiiy intentions to suggest that. England had. in. any. way the slightest suspicion of conceit but I should merely like to point out that, v , shortly after the arrival of the Australian team, the Observer made the remarkable pronouncement that it looked capable of giving England quite a good fight. Sir Otto, cooling: The difficulty is not beyond control, but demands considered progress and united action and has to be squarely faced. Warwick, relenting: England may yet take a short late cut back to ner former position. . If she digs in and plays the rock, she may win through. ft ft ' ' ft ft Meanwhile, according to the newspapers, the Taranaki Regime nt has had its annual dinner, that is, supposing that there is still' a Taranaki Regiment. If there were no Taranaki Regiment, in the first place would it have held an annual dinner and in the second place could it have held an . annual dinner ? And if it did not have an annual dinner, why was it reported in the papers? That is,.assuming that there are papers. The circumstances, taking it for granted that there are circumstances, i are most disturbing. # ft ft ft This playful argument about the nonexistence of everything io nowhere so neatly countered as in the Lavcngro of Borrow. Walking from. London, he comes ,to Stonehenge and at dawn site tired and hungry by the stones talking to a shepherd. “I wonder whether they are here?” said I. “These stones?” “Yes.” , ■ “So sure as the world,” said the man; „“and, as the world, they will stand as long.” “I wonder whether there is a world.” “What do you mean?” • “An eavth, and sea, moon and stars, sheep and men.” “Dp you doubt it?” • ‘“Sometimes.” ’■ “I never heard it doubted before.” i ' *- ( lt'iis duipossible thdre sJioiild be a ;world;’’ .. ■ ■ ‘ ■ •. ''■y,// • ■ ain’t possible tlipre shouldn’t lie ’h world.”.'. “just, so.” At this moment a fine ewe, i. attended by a lamb, rushed into the circle and fondled the knees of the shepherd. “I suppose you would riot care to have some milk, 5 ’ said the man. . “Why do you suppose so?” . .“Because, so be there-be no sheep, no milk, you know; and what there beri’tds not worth having.” “You could not have argued better.” said<l; “that is, supposing you have argued...” ! ft ft ft ft If the public had reason to doubt the existence of anything, however, it was the existence of the Harbour Board. ■ Until Mr. .McLeod brought the matter Up at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, the board had almost been forgotten. Members met at the port once a month but for all anybody knew they might simply have gathered i round the waterfront and sung all together, “What are the Wild Waves : Saying?’’ In ite extreme modesty and ’i-shyness the board was equalled only . py ;/ e c• . L . • That elderly spinster of Rye, {.So ’excessively modest and shy. She pulled down the. blind ’7; ‘if ; slie.<.Just/Changed her . mind, z /'.Akd (Ik.rom'd ’by the light of her.cyp