THE SEASON FOR A SMILE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1931, Page 12

THE SEASON FOR A SMILE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —.Christmas will soon be • here. Perhaps you will allow me space for a few words of cheer. We have just had a most wearisome election. I never remember such a collection of dismal tales before. The principal topic of all the candidates was- 'that we owed eight millions more than we did a year ago. Eight millions means nothing to us, just a lot of figures. We will have forgotten all the dismalities in a year or so. It was quite remarkable that not one politician had sufficient of the milk of human kindness to stand up and telUus a few cheerful lies. I, for one, should have been most grateful to him and would have gone a long way to hear him. Something to put a cheerful glow in our hearts. I experienced a slump before; sold wheat for Is. 10d., shot a hundred pigs and all my calves, and sent a lot of butter to Sydney, for which I got no returns. I put it up in 561 b. totara kegs with galvanised hoops. They cost me 3s. 6d. each cask, and I lost them. Now that hurt worse than losing the butter. We recovered from that depression, as we shall from this one. But we never got down in the dumps as we are now. Might I suggest when you meet a friend now smile, or try to, shake him by the hand and wish him a Merry Christmas, and no doubt he will wish you the same, and try to pass a smile along as you go. It will cost you nothing to help to cheer some poor souls who foolishly think .they have nothing-more to live for. Cheerio! —I am, etc., A. C. BRETHERTON. Stratford, December 18, 15)31.