PUBLIC OPINION.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1927, Page 4

PUBLIC OPINION.

THE GREATER RISKS.

“There arc greater risks facing-this country at the present time than defeat in battle. If you study 'the history of great countries ,especially countries like ours, which depend'chiefly upon sea power and commerce, you

will find that in nearly every instance it, was not defeat in war that led to their downfall. It was had business and loss of trade. Let Ministers, therefore, weigh in the balance at ibis moment which we risk most in this war weary world, where the other Powers which possess great armaments are our sworn friends, and, at the present time cannot he said to constitute any immediate menace —let them weigh that danger as against the danger of falling into practical bankruptcy, owing to the excessive expenditure, which prevents any revival of commerce, or return to that prosperity to which wo lino been looking forward so long.” Mr Duff Cooper, M.P.. in the llousc of ( ominous.

PERSIAN OIL. “Persia is one of the newest, but. it is also one of the oldest, of the nil count l ies of the world, hi the modern history of petroleum development Persia was a late entrant, in the great race, though it, already occupies a place very near the front. We know, however, from ancient records that in the very dawn of history the inhabitants of Persia knew of petroleum and pul it to a great variety of uses”—Sir John (.'adman, of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

\ HEN’S REST AGE. A hen is in her prime during her first two .seasons, after which time, generally speaking, she does not pay for the food she consumes. This refers, of course, to commercial stock, whose eggs are disposed of for edible purposes. There are many highly-bred exhibition birds that it. would pay to retain the flock where they only to produce a dozen eggs in the course of the twelve months. Birds if this description. however, are not included, as thev belong t ' a class fjni 1 o different from ordinary utility stock. t'pnu many farms dissatisfaction is I;•!i at til: scarcity ol the o“g supply, due t> 1h • fa-t that old birds ore being depended upon (hat are rjuite past their pi ime. and tint should he disposed of years oarli r. Not only do very old ha ’s produce far fewer eggs than these in their first or second season, hut, Hie chickens hatched therefrom lack vigour and stamina. and are generaMv d'fliculi to rear sin eessfullv.

"'HAT MAKES LI EE PETTY AND VAIN? “"ha! makes life purposeless and peity and vain, and indeed intolerable, to thinking men and women!-' It is the thought that ii leads nowhere and means nothing. That is what makes nonsense of all our experience; it takes Die heart out ol all effort; it makes even the sweet things of life insipid and adds gall to embitter them. Kor we cannot- really live without Llie asr lira nee that file means something K'-nd. D we lack Ihe knowledge w hich makes hard tilings worth hearing hern u-o they are seen to he the discipline D ; *t preorves u~ for a belter and a fuller lile. we lack the one thing that

go i - courage to taee and overcome them. \\ c need t () know and to he uhi'e to trust in a love which li.is fast hold of ii.s and will never let us go, and will not fail us. n we dare the great committal of faith. Wo need the as-

surance that beyond the eli(;<|Uered story of failure and striving after better things we shall reach at last a perfect fulfilment of all that we sometimes are and of all that in our best moments we desire to lie.”- Arebdiaeon E. 11. Macniilt, of Leicester.

the curse ok bureaucracies. “ The curse of all bureaucracies is ■exactly the people who have thumbed a dozen tiles or a card-index in one room for so long that the very walls will tell you their brand of tobacco. Of them thole will aiwavs he enough and to spare: the problem is In create movement, not to suppress it. The truth may very well lie that young people are out of place at the desks of government and administration. They should he in the world, testing themselves. adventuring, discovering wlint life is rike. Let the Civil Service he recruited at 10. from men and women

of proved ability and integrity. There will be no lack of recruits.”—“ The Women's Leader.” IE AMERICA ...!■' •• It America bad the international spirit and were prepared to pull her weight in the councils of the world, disarmament would pass at once into the sphere of realisable projects. As it is. while the United States for one set of reasons remains partially aloof from the world and Russia for another >ot of reasons remains wholly aloof from it. no great international policy can advance other than stumblingly.” —“Sunday Times.”