THE PASSING SHOW.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE PASSING SHOW.

COMMENT AND CRITICISM. (By “Free Lance.’’) A correspondent from Cambridge writes me on the subject of Mr Henry Ford’s candidacy for the Presidency of the United States. He says Mr Ford's anti-Semitism alone totally unfits him to be the head of that great Republic, and quotes the New York correspondent of the Jewish Chronicle as having stated that “should Mr Ford be elected as President it will be one of the greatest calamities of modem times." My Cambridge friend goes on to say that ever since Mr Ford’s candidature was talked of the Jewish community in America has been organising to defeat his election, and expresses the opinion that Mr Ford is either ignorant of, or ignores, the lessons of history and the fate of those who oppress the Children of Israel, He winds up- by stating that “as the stability of the British Empire is bound up with the property of the Jewish people, especially in Palestine. It may be perceived easily how the relations between England and the United States would be affected should Mr Ford get into power.”

To be candid “Free* Lance” must admit not having known that Mr Ford was pronouncedly anti-Semitic. It is, however, common knowledge that many big financial interests in America are hostile to Mr Ford, and that his business success has been won despite the opposition of those interests. Perhaps it is this to which my correspondent refers, since the ability of the “'Chosen People” to amass shekels needs no emphasising, and many of Mr Ford’s business foes may very possibly belong to that race. Even so, it hardly proves that Mr Ford would, if he could, or could if he would, “oppress the children of Israel” were he elected President of the United States. Possibly my correspondent is right in stating that Jewish influence in the United- States is sufficient to ensure Mr Ford’s defeat. The subtleties of American politics are rather beyond my depth; and my friend’s assertion that “the stability of the British Empire is bound up with the property of the Jewish people in Palestine” finds me floundering still deeper. Perhaps Mr Massey will be able to enlighten us after the Imperial Conference—that is, if Mr Wilford and Mr Holland allow him to attend that gathering.

A boy charged with riding his bicycle on the footpath recently, pleaded that the roadway was too bad to ride on. On the other hand a young lady observed walking o-n the road in preference to the footpath, assured a questioner that for pedestrian purposes the former was better than the latter. So there you are! You can’t please everybody, but Hamilton’s streets and footpaths apparently please nobody. As his Worship the Mayor recently remarked, “People can’t have conveniences without paying for them.’’ But with expenditure of the streets reconstruction loan a better state of affairs may be anticipated in due course, and then it should not be so difficult for ratepayers to “part up and look pleasant.”

“Truthful James” vouches for the following:—Railway official, to corpulent passenger making a panting rush from the refreshment room at Prankton station as he hears his train steaming away: “Hi, you are not trying to catch that train are you?” Passenger (irritably mopping his brow) : “No, I’m just chasing it out of the station.” The soft answer turneth away wrath, we know; apparently the unnecessary question provoketh the sarcastic reply also.

Mr Humberto Bidone, the recently appointed Argentine Consul-General at Wellington, has lost no time in endeavouring to establish closer feeling between New Zealand and .Argentina. His idea is that some mew street in the Dominion’s capital city might be named “Repuhliea Argentina,” leaving the courtesy to be reciprocated by the Argentine. Rather a mouthful for Wellingtonians to deal with. How about “Calle da Chilled Beef” or something like that, just to show New Zealand harbours no grudge against the Argentine for having put our nose out of joint on the English beef market.. A “Plaza da Lambano” in Buenos Ayres could then be instituted as indicative of similar right feeling on the part of Argentinians.

The dovecotes in a certain street in Glaudelands were considerably fluttered recently by the sight of a man perambulating grounds in an apparently aimless maimer, the while perusing a document intently. Female speculation ranged from a lunatic at large to a burglar perfecting his plans, but to their relief the visitor turned out to be a sewerage works tenderer studying out the pipe line of a contract.

A correspondent. “J.S.A,” in the columns of the Times last Tuesday mentioned a matter that might well he given consideration when talk of new bridges, level crossings, subways and so forth is going on. “J.SA.” suggests an alteration in the level of the railway line from Frankton to Hamilton, so that trains would run in a cutting beneath the level of Victoria St. and be carried across the Waikato on a structure lower than the present railway bridge. Such a plan, if feasible, has much to recommend it, and one hopes its possibilities will be fully inquired into.

The New Zealand Gazette appearing under date of May 31 notified that the date for an election of members of the Ngaruawahia Fire Board had been fixed for May 30. The announcement of a coming event, which does not appear until a day after the whole business is over and done with, is so jolly useful to everybody concerned, don't you think?

Fossil insect remains found in a quarry in Queensland, we read, complete the chain of cockroaches from carboniferous times to the present day, a period of 4,000,000 years. And yet we line! people spreading borax and stuff about to kill these insects when they infest kitchens. Nobody has any respect for ancient lineage nowadays.

Matrimonial maxims:—The most costly dream Is the one you marry. A good loser wears a winning smile. The first baby is usually a howling success-; later editions are less carefnlkystudied-*