Under Currents

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17284, 21 December 1927, Page 6

Under Currents

IN THE DRIFT OP LIFE

(By " Seeder."

LAZY?

An American friend sends me a page of a weekly news supplement with the heading "Why Lazy People Live the Longesl,'' and a list showing that New Zealandcrs arc the longest-lived people on earth, and Australians come next. My friend writes a rollicking "Ah-haP at the top of the page. Don't imagine that the taunt is serious. If our longevity was due to laziness wo could comfort ourselves with the fact that the Americans are also comparatively long-lived and that the Asiatic pepoles are, by the same showing, much more energetic than the Germans, French, British and such; for they die younger. The whole article is one of those absurdities that are manufactured to provide the weekly magazine pages of American papers. Its basis consists of some experiments on insect life. There is added a trifle of platitude about overstrain in athletics, with copious illustrations, mostly irrelevant, and then the table of longevity of the different peoples, which does not at all fit the story. And that's how you make that kind of newspaper. It's very disappointing to us lazy folk to find the promise of longevity in the headlines so poorly borne out in the substance of this full-page "story."

THE TERRIBLE 808.

In the years before the war good people with proper ideas of the sanctity of property were wont to gnash their teeth at the name of Bob Semple. He was accounted the reddest of the Reds. In Parliament he was almost as bad. And here is the same Socialistic Bob rebuking the anti-Socialist Coates Government for not paying due regard to vested interests. Now could anyone fail to enjoy a merry Christmas in such a delightfully topsy-turvy world? The discussion arose over the Government's interference with the enterprise of the bus companies on the Wellington-llutt road. When the question came before the Wellington City Council Councillor "Bob" said he held no brief for private enterprise—he would have all transport, services under State or municipal control—but he would countenance no man being robbed of his rights and his property. His meaning was (presumably) that the Government is out to run the private buses off the road, and our Wellington correspondent says this is its obvious intention in increasing its fleet of buses from six to twelve.

90 YARDS' HANDICAP IN 100.

Now if the Government sets out to use its unlimited, capital and credit and its privileges in the way of freedom from taxation and lawsuits to crush the opposition buses it will have an easy run. It is coolly taking a handicap of 90 yards (or 99 if it wishes) in a 100yards race. It would seem to be fairer to buy opt the opposition. At least the people who have put their capital and efforts into developing this public service should be entitled to compensation. True it is that the Government up till now has allowed the bus concerns to take a big handicap themselves in the competition with the railways. They have had the use of the roads at far below oost. The cure was, of course, to make them pay for the roads, and the petrol tax is a move in that direction. But that does not satisfy the Government in its new zeal. Having pampered the bus companies hitherto, it now goes to the other extreme. Now when a parent decides that it is time to stop spoiling little Tommy it is hardly necessary (I contend) to turn round and hack him to pieces with a meat-axe. Whether the buses should be allowed to compete with the trains and to cut up the roads is another question. The issue in Wellington, apparently, is whether the private bus concerns are to be ruined by Government competition (aided by enormous unfair advantages), and whether they are to have no compensation. And it is Red Bob Semple who protests against this socialistic "robbery" 1

THE ARAPUNI CONTRACT.

Here is another ohance for the State Socialists (from whom Heaven preserve us) to chortle: The Government has taken No. 2 contract at the Arapuni hydro-electrio site out of the hands of private enterprise. It remains to be seen whether the State engineers and workers can make a better and quicker job. Public enterprise seems to be a necessary evil in some cases. Now and then it achieves success where the individual fails. An instance was recorded in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph in October last. The Wath Urban Council had let a contract for 119 houses, which had to be completed within a certain time in order to earn the Government's subsidy. The contractor had stopped work on the job, and the Council was in danger of losing the subsidy owing to the houses not being completed in time. The Council set to, finished the job within the allowed time, and saved £6500. For all that success, you may have your doubts whether a State or municipal monopoly of housebuilding would be a blessing. The State might offer a choice of a hundred different designs, but Mrs Housewife would probably find all of them unendurable.

ANOTHER APOLOGY PENDING

Speaking at the Southland A. and P. Association's dinner last week the Hon. G. J. Anderson said he had not come prepared with

figures to prove that Southland was far and away the most progressive province not only in sheep and in cattle but in fine-looking girls. No belter draught stock could be found anywhere.

HIGH COST OF SCENERY.

When a place gets dressed up as a tourist resort it is very often good-bye to it to the common ruck (writes "T.D.H." in the Dominion). Take the Milford Track. One has to walk all the way, but the wet climate makes it necessary to put up at the huts, and for using the huts the full tourist rate apparently comes into force. T.D.H. was siven a schedule of prices from the tourist office at Dunedin a year or two back, from which it appeared that the minimum cost of going over the Milford Track, even after finding one's owii way to the foot of Lake Te Anau, was £lO or £ll a head. This, it is true, included steamer fare across the lake. It seemed a lot to pay for a few days' walking trip, but that was the charge, and that appeared to be the end of it. The Milford Track may be very beautiful, but a ten-pound touch for a pedestrian side-trip on a holiday is keeping the animal herd off the scenery with a vengeance. The position, of course, is easily understood. The Government cannot afford to do it for less because next to nobody goes there: and next to nobody can afford to go until it is done for less, and there A'ou ara.