THE PASSING SHOW.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17750, 29 June 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE PASSING SHOW.

THE Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, has given us a good mark. He is Impressed with the apparent desire of oitlzens to make their surroundings beautiful and he congratulated the town on its progress and the people on their citizenship. There certainly seems every indication that Hamilton is beginning to take a new lease of life. The inertia caused by the slump is being replaced by prosperous activity and there are many signs that citizens are becoming Increasingly anxious to enrich their minds and to find in music and kindred arts expression for those aspirations which cause them to reach out after the highest, just as the laughing child longingly grasps at the elusive thistle down. Results of the patient labours and the great enthusiasm of the Beautifying Society and the solid work of the council are now showing in the beauty of the town and in the refinement which visitors are quick to notice. The readiness of the people to give service and money for charity is also worth remembering. Yet wc may all pat ourselves on the backs. It will do no harm, provided we remember that there are possibly still a few little things that could be improved.

Such a calamity as the recent disastrous earthquake causes the kindness and sympathy of human nature to shine forth through *ihe heavy clouds of sorrow and loss. From far distant parts came offers of assistance. One Hamilton citizen bubbling over with generosity and fellow feeling and enthusiasm was anxious that the Camp Fergusson Queen Carnival committee should hand over the £SOO received oyer and above their objective. The spirit animating “Fair Play” was commendable. But while this might have been a splendid opportunity for the Camp Fergusson people to do their little deed of kindness and of love, perhaps these authorities are aware that even to this question there are two sides. Funds .collected for a certain purpose can scarcely be used for another without a “by your leave” from the subscribers. We are sometimes the most generous when we are giving away the other fellow’s money. However, we may be sure that Hamilton will do its bit. The announcement of a benefit concert is an excellent be£inning - * . .

“Faith” was most kind to come to “Free Lance’s” aid with enlightenment about evolution. “Free Lance" is not at all reluctant to confess that when confronted with this hypothesis and with the complicated statements of the anti-evolutionists lie feels hut a babe. Perhaps that is why “Free Lance’s" greatest concern was for the duller primary school children sometimes already overburdened with and yet required to know something theory of evolution. But “Free Lance” is feeling very “bucked” over the fact that “Faith" has put him in Hie class with the good, kind folk. To have been put with the vindictive people would have been much less encouraging.

“Free Lance” is inclined to think that evolution in schools is less important than the question of Bible in schools, and that when those who have the welfare of the men and women of to-morrow at heart are able to surmount their differences and their doubts sufficiently to find a common ground upon which they can meet with the

Comment and Criticism.

(By “ Free Lance.”)

object of finding a way to give the children the Book which will do more for them than all else, New Zealanders will become a great people. In a Christian country surely in time effort will be made by the State to ensure that every child receives regular Christian teaching.

Hamilton seems about to be favoured with some “revival fire.” At the risk of being accused of presumption one would like to advise evangelists not 1o adopt Billy Sunday as their model, for in this city we like to Imagine that we are not quite devoid of refinement. Jowett, the famous preacher, in a letter published in his biography, told how Billy, the cultured evangelist addressed him as a “whitelivered, black-hearted wag.” “His tabernacle holds 20,000,” he said, “and the ministers arc penned in an enclosure immediately on Billy’s right and as he knows just where we are, he fires his torpedoes at us before we even show a periscope. He lets go a fiery shot at us and then retires across his huge platform, making silent nods at us. At. one moment observing that one or two of us looked slightly resentful, fio raced again towards us shouting ‘I don’t care whether your collars are buttoned at the front or at the back.’ That was too much for me, and if I hadn't had a collar round me in the shape of a jaegar belt, one of Billy’s audience would have gone all to pieces. . . Another pleasant remark made in the course of a sermon on Pentecostal power was addressed to the 10,000 women who were present, ‘Never mind your spring cleaning! Come out to the services! The bugs have been there so long, they’ll do no harm staying a few weeks longer.’ Another classical remark was: ‘What we want is stewards that will stew and deacons that will deac.’ Deploring the way the church runs to machinery and organisation while the vital personal element is lost, he ventured, ‘I expect to read before long that somebody has Invented an electro-huggo-grapho-squeezophone, so that a fellow can stand in New York and hug and kiss his girl in Chicago!’ ” # * * • At an informal gathering the 'other evening one of the speakers talked interestingly of the difficulties of school teachers. Usually so many types were found in the smallest class. There was the child of most active mentality—quick not only to learn and remember, but so aware of itself and its classmates as to be a problem; the abnormally sensitive child; the thoughtful, studious boy or girl, and the one whose slowness was sometimes pathetic and often likely to hinder the whole class. Regarding the latter, the speaker told how, during one of the recent terrific gales lie was endeavouring to make a beautiful and valuable lesson as simple and as interesting as possible. Some of the children were most receptive, but one little chap's eyes had a very vacant expression. After a considerable time the boy’s hand shot up. The teacher was delighted. Surely here was real response or at least some impression made by the vivid lightning and the rolls of thunder which would help him to gain the child’s sympathy. "Well?" he inquired with a smile. The shrill voice with a most prosaic note said: “Please sir, it’s raining.” No doubt the teacher stilled a sigh as well as a laugh as he assented and proceeded to try again.