PUBLIC OPINION.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1928, Page 1

PUBLIC OPINION.

th'e CHRISTMAS SPOUT. “It is a good t..>ng to observe Christmas Day. But there is a better tiling than the observance of Christmas Day, and that is, keeping Christmas. Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you ; to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world: to put your rights in the background; and your duties in tbe middle distance, and' your chances to do a little more tnan your duty in the foreground ; to see that your fellow-men are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts,hungry for joy ; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is no what you arc going to get out of life, hut wnat you are going to give to life : to close your brink of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness—arc you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.”—Henry Van Dyke, in the “ Western Christian Advocate.” STREET LIGHTING. , It is an oiliT thing that the first extensive trial of electric light should also have been made on Westminster Bridge. That was in 1858. Twenty years passed before electricity was proved a practical proposition on Waterloo Bridge and in tbe British Museum. By the end of the century, London had electric light over 20) miles of streets. People who remember the nights when a street-lam]! was either a fish-tail gas-burner or a jigging electric arc will be ready enough to admit that our lighting systems' have been vastly improved. But we are still some way from complete diffusion and uniformity of light. In these days of fast traffic and of many streams of traffic at different speeds a glaring street-lamp is a source of clanger, and even more dangerous is an arrangement of lamps which compels us to look into gloom and to pass at a stride from deep shadow to bright light again.—The “Daily Telegraph” (Lon-: don). CATARRH AND COLDS. Catarrh and colds have been misunderstood and abused as ailments, and have not been credited with valuable work as a curative factor,” said Air. Eustace .Miles in a recent lecture. They are largely Nature’s way of dealing with and making ns harmless as possible, or else eliminating, poisonous acids or toxins and irritants. Among the causes of catarrh and colds may be chill or irritation of various sorts; or excess of sugar ;or excess of salt—a very common influence in producing catarrh ; or too fast eating; or deficiency of exercise that would relieve the body of waste-matter through the skin. The permanent cure would be particularly by a strict diet of the right foods and drinks, with plenty of waterdrinking, preferably hot \\atei, tiier with abundant deep and lull breathing, and healthy exorcise in the open air.” ' THE NEW IRELAND. In days long past Afr Tim Healy was for many years the best-known and: perhaps the best-liked member of the House of Commons, and when, at the close of his career, he was made Governor General of Ireland, in recognition of his gallant stmgles for tlie freedom „f -his beloved country, everyone was certain that he .would discharge the duties of his high office with dignity and honour. Tim Healv hits not disappointed his admirers, and with ehnracterstic courage and generosity he has taken the opportunity afforded by his official retirement to speak a word on behalf of England. “The English,” he said, “during my few years of office have never interfered in any Irish matter. You have hoard talk alxrnt our foreign King, hut, he is a gentleman.” A fine tribute from one honest and sincere man to another, and we may bo sure that George A . will appreciate this compliment from the old Irish patriot as well worthy of a king’s acceptance.