The Passing Show.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17804, 31 August 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

The Passing Show.

Authorities seem to be -waking up to the fact that the way to achieve the muc'h-talked-of and greatlyneeded “agricultural bias” is by carefully planned organisation. Proposals regarding farm schools and suggestions and loans for land settlement will certainly be more efficacious than an immense amount of speechifying about the trend of academic education and the delinquencies of the modern boy who persistently chooses a “white collar” job. One really would like to take some of these indoor workers who are so keen on the "back to the land •question (for others, of course) to some unget-at-able place and give them a few days at a rough and monotonous job grubbing gorse for preference —for a hard boss who was apparently born long before the eight-hour day was heard of and whose ideas regarding household management aie rather primitive. There would be little doubt that they would return sadder but wiser. Under present conditions there are a good many cases where you cannot blame the lads overmuch if they do like town best. Of course, they should be able to sacrifice their own inclinations for the common good and all that sort of thing, but to expect too much along those lines is almost inhuman. The wonder is that so mauv do so well in that direction at such an early age. The remedy is to so improve conditions in the country that at least some of the advantages of the town —particularly in the nature ol hours of work, rates of pay, prospect of advancement and facilities for education —will be obtainable. The matter is one of the most important demanding attention, for a child could not fail to draw some conclusion between blocks of idle land and workless and half-starved men and women.

“My experience of racing men is that thev have the intelligence of an imbecile or of a child,” said a Sydney judge recently. How will that description of themselves suit those smart, 'well-set-up men-about-town who follow the racing and who adopt a superior and slightly cynical air towards those who don't. The originator of the remark is not a parson, whose knowledge of Hie world and of humanity is rather limited, but a judge—and a prominent judge at that-—-one who lias _ had ample opportunity for forming his opinion. While tliere arc some men of wisdom and insight who would seem to be absolute contradictions of the above statement, and for whose sake one would try to avoid taking a narrow-minded view, is it not true that racing, as now conducted —to say the least.—is a form of sport neither uplifting nor inspiring? The racegoer smilingly

Comment and Criticism.

'By “Free Lance."

savs- ‘Well, almost everything has in it an' element of gambling. Milage is one of the greatest gambles. And business even business —is mostly a gamble. often as not, the best man does not win You may reply that you are soriy fo person with such an outlook, that you p - fer some sort of a belief in a destiny t shapes our ends,” mixed with a little or Henlev’s teaching about man being the master of his fate and the captain of his soul, and that you would rather have me shillings honestly earned than twenty-five pounds at another’s expense won simply because you happened to guess wildly and rightlv regarding the chances of some horse" or other you knew next to nothing about The racing man’s parting slipt will probably be about “killjoy" and ‘ oldfashioned," but you may wonder whether he may not soon be the out of date one, and whether some day there will not dawn a day when sport will be clean sport, and when iitan will scorn those things that give him the slightest advantage over his neighbour.

If vou had been expecting any help from the Church on the matter you may find that you are to be left lamenting at any rate as far as some branches are concerned, for a Christchurch minister a few days ago said that the Church did not bar games of chance in any form, but merely demanded moderation in this as in other things. Apparently there are church people who are not averse to a little gamble now and then —that is if it is not too obviously bad. And of course the profits may be a consideration. How easy to be dogmatic and pious until we find that our convictions may cost something. Then sometimes we take refuge behind a policy of wriggling—a practice at which some become adepts.

Several of our Parliamentarians are concerning themselves about the need for finding work for disabled soldiers. The matter should interest every New Zealander. Even from a cursory reading of the leading papers of the Dominion, one cannot fail to be impressed with the number of cases where returned men have been guilty of suicide, the cause being described as “mental depression due to financial worry." Often the reason has been that- the pension has been insufficient or lias expired. Surely those who risked life and limb in their "country’s defence should have their country’s assistance in. time of need. That there may be a few undeserving cases does not alter the .responsibility resting upon those in whose hands is the power of assistance.