NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 93, 10 December 1931, Page 4

NEAR AND FAR

0 . The Longview. The .wisdom pf . taking. the. long view pf a prpblem rather, than acting for immediate benefit , wss ,stre_4sed by Rotarian . ;S. ..Barton,, chairman of the Napier Commis.sion, at the last luncheon of the Napier ,Rotary.,Club, says an exchange. The wisdom of the long view was- -especially --apparent ■ where puhlic finance was concerned, said the commissioner,. who-. suggested that the position of-the election was that of the long .. yiev[ . gga^nst immediate benefit. Some time ago Jhere .was,. cause.. for dissatisfacijion at the way in-. whicE .Neyr Zpalap^'s credit.was heiiig mixed up with that qf Australia in-the ©ld,.Country>.Ho'Wr ever, in the lalest figures, received Jt was shown that this position had been mat.erially ,altered. As. an. example he, qqoted the following prices 'for-five per cent. securities in London: — Queensland 62, South Australia 62,

Tasmapia 65, Victoria 62, t W'P.st Australia 65, -New' S.ou^i l^aJ.es. 5(7, New Zealand 90|. This, he suggested, was ample evidence . of . the ,fact that New Zealand's predit '.W£S, . goqd apd said a greaj; deal. for the wisdom -of those who had carried out the policy, Clever Scholars. "I think we ..couid give -our pupils a richer • curriculum,'' repaarked Dr. J: W. - Mcllwraith (seni'or inspector of schools at Wellington) /-when -speakipg at a teachers', "pocial." "I haye heen struck with the high intelligence of the senior girls and boys. . Rupils in standards; 5 and 6 geem to .grasp far* more than we. .could. grasp, or than, we were asked tto grasp. I would make this plea: that the educa? tion of the senior boys tand girls be made as wide and as deep.as- possible. I would suggest developments along the. ,lines of, modern. history, ' modern geography, and social matters generally." Identification of Timbers.

A lighted match is rarely seen in the dignified precincts of the Supreme Court, and the occasions on which a match has ,been. required. in. recent years in connection with the Chinese oath may be cpnnte,d pn the- fingers of*~one ;-hand. One recent afternoon, however, a witness was given permission ,by Mr. Justice Ostler to strike a match . for the .purpose of making what;:is called the "burning test" of various- timbers. Applying -the fiame to a splinter of wood the witness was able £p say definitely that the. wqod was karrl, an Australian hardwood, and not , jaryah. , He . explained that karri left a whitish ask, while jarrah when burnt resemhled charcoal. Famous Skull Left in Cab. 'i ■ ' . . s. . j One of . the most famous relies in the world, the Taungs skull, which was discovered in 1925 by Professor Rayjnpud Dart, pfL South . Africa, at Taungs, ,on the eastern border of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, was temporarily lost in London recently. The skull, the fossil of ,q.n anthropoid ape, claimed iDy Professor Dart to possess human features, was found by him in a limestone quaryy, .Mrs.-. Dart, his wife,. was taking.it .from. the.. University College to her London address in Great Cqstle Street, when. she lost it. "The skull .was 'ins.,a Mack wooden box,'.' shq statedj:"and witji Professor ! Smith, of University Coliege, I was bringing it from the college, where it had reposed.for some pionths, preparar tory to packing with my . belongiqgs ready for ,my lreturn,f or .South Afjjica. I left it, however, in the cab." Happi|y», rppoyerqd,tke relic; and- handed it over to the police at Nine Ehns. Wine Saves City. The most medieval of all German cities, Rothenburg, which has remained quite unchanged since the Thirty Years' War, is to celebrate the three- : hujidredth anniversary of its hurgomaster's mighty draft of wine which saved the city from destruction by | imperial troops in 1631. The tale rejlates how, Gount, Tilly,. - , commanding j the imperial fprces, breached fhq walls | and entered the Protestant city and | prepared to destroy it. Moved, however, by the prayers of the citizens, the Count agreed to spare the city if pne of the councillors copld . empty a huge bumper of wine at one draft. Tq the recorded surprise of Count Tilly, Burgomaster ,Nush promptly drpined the flagon, without . drawing hreath. The encircling walls, old •towers and ancient . houses stand. tofiay as a monument to. the mighty throat of the burgomaster. Since then, mpreover, there has always heen at least one citizen available with a big enough throat to play, the burgomasteir's part in the annual pageant. Excessive Regulations. "It is high time that something was saijd,ah.out;.the,excessiye.praze fQrvregulations about everything," said a Christchurch business man who complained to a r.eporter that business was being hampered by a multiplicity of regulations. It was even being demanded, he said, that a- permit should he obtained befor.e a radio set was demonstrated, and that p salesman should not install a set unless he had passed .an examination, The installation of a set usualjy meant nothing more than pushing in an electric plug. "I believe," he added, "that there are no fewer than 17 different inspectors who have the right to walk into my shop and interfere." Youthful Initiative. .. „ : . ... , *,. . t .-. One-' small boy at a New Plymouth sub.urhan school is eertainly not lacking in initiative. It was handkerchief pprade in his stajiJarl, ajjd the feaqher had intimated that any boys who tjid.not have handkerchief s would be sent to interyipyfj r tp.fi . l\eadpiast,er. Oue small boy had negleeted to come prejpared for parade, but that hy no iUeajis dispopperte^irhim,- 1 Borr owing. U knife from his deslc-mate, he isurrepr titiously cut a square qut of the lining of his pants.^- '1 he - subterfuge passed muster until one of his classipates informed the teachqujwho made him write a note to .his .mother expressing regret for his action*