Under Currents

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17574, 1 December 1928, Page 6

Under Currents

IN THE DRIFT OF LIFE

(By " Seeker.")

"BAIRNS IS BAIRNS."" "Mrs Branigan was showing me he? dentist bill this afternoon," said Aunt Selina. "There was twelve and six for Pat, and eight and six for Laura and 25 shillings for Bill. 'Just "because my- children go to the Convent,' she said," 'l've got to pay out like this every few months, and the other folk can send their kids to the free clinic. Now, dear, I'm asking you,' she says •is it a fair thing?' " " "I supposed you sympathised with her," said Dad. "Why, what else could I do? What I can't understand is what on earth schools have got to do with teeth. Does going to a Catholic school keep their teeth from decaying? Or does it put devils in their teeth to frighten the dental . nurses ?, As I told Mrs Branigan, it seems to me that eggs is eggs, and teeth is teeth, and bairns is bairn's. That reminds me, dear, we haven't sent our sub along for the new dentaJ clinic building. Give me half a crown, William." "What!" said Dad, "For a clinic that won't admit the Branigans?" "Why yes, deaf. That old cellar below the Town Hall is too draughty and dreary for anything. It's enough to give anyone the toothache to go there. Thank-you. I'll get Bobby Piper to take the money along. We must have a nev_> clinic. And don't worry. The Branigans will get there before long." ••• • • DRIFT TO THE CITIES, "Farmer" writes: Dear "Seeker."—ln presenting this disturbing problem of the drift to the cities from an entirely new point of view Professor of Economics A. G. Fisher (Otago University), opens a fascinating avenue of thought- He upholds the comforting thesis that the drift so far from being deplorable is "inevitable and desirable," the advantages to the farmer being improved local markets and diminished competition. I have an awesome regard for professors, but, exercising the layman's time-honoured and pernicious priviJege of wanting to know why, I would like a little more light on this vexed question. In support of his contention, the professor cites the case of our old friend Robinson Crusoe, carrying the classic marooned mariner to a point in his checkered career where we find him a man of leisure, comfortably housed and clad—R. Crusoe, Esquire. Let us try and follow the fortunes of the Crusoe clan along the normal road of social evolution. Free from entangling alliances or the exactions of foreign creditors, he and his family—of course he has found a wife somewhere —would increase their flocks and herds like the care-free patriarchs of old. Then on an evil day sonie enterprising avatar of "big business" discovers this happy land, and before the bewildered Utopians know what has happened railways, wharves, etc., are being built for them with borrowed money. Then there is the inevitable boom: Money becomes plentiful, and the fatal habit of spending it on importing luxuries is soon acquired. To meet foreign interest payments and as far as may be the cost of imports, exports have to be provided. As the economic circle enlarges, the ever-expanding deficit must be met by increased borrowing. Meanwhile more and more of the Young Crusoes, potential producers, are drawn to the fleshpots of town. For a time the volume of exportable produce is sustained by improved methods of production, the introduction of machinery, etc., but the difficulty of making ends meet becomes more intense. I wonder would the Professor argue that a drift to the towns is at all times and under all circumstances a good thing. I fancy not. More about "the drift" another day. « # * • CHANCE FOR BUDDING ACTUARIES. Under the "cash order" trading system, which has taken a great hold in Australia and with which New Zealand is menaced, you pay £5 in 20 weeks for the privilege of getting £4 10s worth of credit to buy the perambulator (say) that you're wanting for the twins right now. You just take your £4 10s "cash order" from the canvasser and pay 10s a week from now till near the end of April. It sounds easy. But what is the rate of interest you are paying? The "Seeker" has received many answers to the problem—ranging from 28 to 70 per cent. A leading accountant in one of our Government offices makes it 62 per cent, per annum. That fits in with my own rough reckoning, but I am an ignoramus on accountancy. Has someone else an answer? Our students of the Far East are often shocked to find the poor peasants of China and India thriftlessly paying 12 or 24 or 30 per cent, for loans. Soon we may have Indian and Chinese students coming here to marvel at the gullibility of our people who will coolly pay 62 per cent--9 * * * GIVING A LIFT. The relatives of the Maori woman and child who were killed at the Matamata crossing would have a claim for damages against their would-be benefactor, Mr Randrup—though, being Maoris, they are probably far too decent to think "of such a thing. What a miserable law it is that makes it dangerous for a motorist to offer any tired wayfarer a lift. If we are to have compulsory third-party insurance against accidents, why not make the cover extend to chance passengers? The cost would be a trifle compared with the saving of our national character. Is it to become a characteristic of a New Zealander that he will drive past any old woman trudging wearily along a dusty road? We may yet descend to that unless we get a different law or different insurance customs. « * v • OUR CHINESE WAYS. In China in the old days it was "bad joss" to save a person from drowning. There was a hoodoo or a taboo against robbing Death of his victims. IX you dared to do it, the unfortunate whom you thus kept in this vale of tears would expect you to maintain him for the rest of his days. The hoodoo was potent, and Chinese would sometimes callously* disregard a drowning person's appeals for help. An old boardinghouse keeper of Shanghai told me she had seen people struggling in a flood till they reached a boat and tried to get aboard. The people in the boat pushed them back —not because there was any lack of room but because of the hoodoo. Our motorists are faced witht ft similar hoodoo if they try to rescue anyone from a weary tramp. The Chinese, however* are rapidly discarding their old superstitions. It is time we got rid of some of ours.