THE PASSING SHOW.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17714, 18 May 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE PASSING SHOW.

Comment and Criticism.

(By “ Free Lance.")

WE are told that over half a million gallons of water are used annually on the Frankton Saleyards, and that the yards have been favourably commented on by the health inspector. Very interesting and enlightening information to be sure, but would it be presuming to suggest that the directors held a special meeting to ask themselves whether the exchequer wuuld permit the use of a little more water? As for the inspector, he is more to be pitied than blamed, for either he suffers from nasal catarrh or some such ailment, or else the directors invited him along just after spring-cleaning day. This is a delicate subject. Probably that is why the correspondents did not come to a better understanding. Nevertheless, in these days of plain speaking the truth must be faced. The fact is r the public prefers odourless saleyards. People find a difficulty in holding their parcels, their hats and their noses without losing their tempers.

The State does seem to be treating her young servants of fifty or so rather unfairly when she compels thorn to retire on completion of 40 years' service. In Inquiring into the matter the Wellington Chamber of Commerce is showing commonsense. Compulsory retirement after 40 years’ work may have suited the days when people wrote in all seriousness under the heading "Too old at forty.” But when the expectation of life is being increased yearly owing to advance in all branches of preventive medicine and when the fifties and sixties and seventies are associated with experience and wisdom rather than with fossildam, dotage and helplessness, it is time the Government rubbed its eyes and sat up and took notice. Many civil servants, finding inactivity good neither for the mind, the body nor the purse have commenced business in other lines and have been successful. Surely such a proceeding is not in the interests of the State? Sir Joseph Ward’s opinion upon whether civil servants should be retired in the early fifties would be highly interesting.

“Faith” and “Hope” and their associates have been busy with quite a lot of research work on evolution. "Hope” is evidently'a close student of the dictionary if we may judge from the following: "To me, however, as one who has never more than skirted the fringe of the subject of evolution, ‘Faith’s’ faithful attempt to crystallise the many ramifications and reticulations into within the confines of comprehensible compass has left one still very much as one wanting. The amount of ability and patience that has been Wrought to bear upon the subject of the origin of life and evolution of form, seems only exceeded by the inability of the investigators to bring evolution within the category of exact science.” Let us hope their knowledge and talent will be better appreciated tnan that of a certain man who wrojc to a Southern exchange in rather a downhearted manner: “I might have written iny letters, which number nearly a hundred, to the Antarctic or to the Sahara for all the response they have aroused,” he said. Probably there are some nasty people who will say it would not have been a tragedy if the man had written to the Antarctic or the Sahara and that they would prefer that he did so. But

CHANCE. Reluctantly from his miser's poqch We will .meet again, not on a pansied . Time gave us a year, doorstep, Strung with long blue'afternoons, But where jewels vie with their And ending in a tear. own, . And 1 will lower shadowed eyes and Through all that year I yearned, speak For just a kiss from you— Of men that I have known. You held my hand instead and spoke Of women that you knew’. —Michael St. Jean.

of course suoh things do not happen up here. The coldness of the South Island climate is always likely to freeze the flow of eloquence.

One forsees interesting times for the teachers when the children start "Please tell us exactly what man was like before he was like us? How did the spirit get into him?" Perhaps modern knowledge will make the rising generation enthusiastic about the subject. The average person of to-day does not worry unduly about evolution. He has still enough religion left to tell him that the world was created and is maintained by a Supreme Being, and he is more concerned With doing the best he can for himself and his fellows than with probing into ponderous and > doubtful .theories. His attitude resembles the words of a rather meaningless ditty that young folks sometimes sing when they have brought a surprise party to a friend’s house: “We’re here because we’re here,” it goes. And do the learned people who think they know all about primitive man’s bones know very much after all ? ■lf evolution were the study of how we'may instead of how we have evolved it would be more interesting and more profitable. But the "world's best seller” i.s «till the authority upon how' w t c may evolve.

At last the experiment of a children’s picture theatre is being tried. To the Gov-ernor-General and Lady Alice Fergusson belongs the credit for the suggestion which was adopted by the Better Films League. Amazing has been the apathetic attitude of a large section of the people. Many who should have the welfare of the children at heart have been quite‘unconcerned that the girls and boys should be shown reel upon reel of picturisations of adult life which may be incomprehensible, boring or disillusioning. No good will be done by the sweeping and often unfair assertions made regarding the motion picture industry', but the realisation of the fact that children’s needs differ from those of adults is timely.

Inspector Mackay, chief of the Sydney detective staff, appears to be very Scotch and something of an oyster. Usually the alert looks and the coaxing questions of the bright young journalists who specialise in interviews cause even the most reticent to unbend. But the reporters who met the detective on his return from England found him a difficult and unusual specimen. “What is your personal opinion of Scotland Yard?” asked one. "My word, it was a severe winter in the Old Country,” answered Mr Mackay. “Tell us about the police methods in England?” “I’m very pleased to be home again.” “I suppose," said one interviewer, "that you will propose some innovations?" "I never remember such cold weather, as the last winter in England,” said Mr Mackay. Every holder of a responsible position knows the difficulty of finding evasive answers to the straight-out question of a delicate subject. Mr Mackay proved an expert at extricating himself from these tight corners. One wonders w'hether the constant questioning done in his official capacity might not have taught the detective a few wrinkles in the art of parrying. At any rate he can rest assured that the hint ho has given will not be lost on some who may In future be asked a few persistent queries by members of the force.