FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 114, 4 August 1927, Page 10

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

“THE LOOK-OUT MAN

HAPPY fish: The gold fish that “swam in a little glass bowl, as dear little gold fish do,” 1 was never so happy as the fish off Aberdeen must have been recently. Here the waters were made beautiful by Customs officers, who poured away 3,000 gallons of pure whisky spirit, J 5 over proof, representing a dutiable and salvage value of over £15,000. The whisky had been washed ashore in casks, from a wreck; but as it was liable to a duty of £5 a gallon, and salvage charges, it seemed an uncertain proposition to market, so it was "dumped.” The fish must have been splendidly elated; but, contrawise, there must have been many sad hearts in Scotland when news of the awfu’ waste was made public. PLAY AND THE YOUNG IDEA To teach the young idea how properly to avail itself of its proclivity for play is the worthy work in which the Auckland Playground and Recreation Association is engaged. Indeed, in the words of Mrs. N. E. Ferner, who is forming a ladies’ auxiliary of the association, “no more important work could be carried on in this city than in organising for the welfare of the children.” The truth that a tree will grow the way it is trained will be ever-apparent in its application to children. There is nothing which has a greater effect in the early moulding of youth than play, for play may be good or ill, according to the manner of the play and the quality of the players. The aim of the Recreation and Playground Association, which has for 10 years been doing valuable child welfare work, especially among the poorer children, is to get the youngsters to use their spare time to better purpose than roaming the streets in search of entertainment. It is significant that the probation officer has stated that wherever playgrounds had been established fewer children from those areas had come before the courts. Grown-ups could do worse than give a hand to push the playground movement. TEARS AND LAUGHTER How near are tears and laughter! The Look-out Man read a book (or some of it) a night or two ago which, from a literary point of view, was absolutely ludicrous in its effort to be tragic. The author was serious, but his story was a burlesque. This brought to mind the little-known fact that “Three Men in a Boat,” the bestknown work of J. K. Jerome, who died just recently, was not originally intended to be funny. It was written soon after the author’s marriage to the daughter of a Spanish Army officer. This masterpiece of humour grew, it appears, out of a serious design—an historical and descriptive work to be called “The Story of the Thames.” But, “luckily the author’s effervescent love of fun ran away with him,” as a brief biography of J.K.J. in a London weekly put it. The writer added that the death of J. K. Jerome brought tears to the eyes in the same measure that of old his works had brought laughter to the lips.

SCHOOL FIRES AND MUSIC The Education Department has notified that it will not replace pianos or gramophones which may be destroyed when schools are burned down—nor will it insure these instruments, which are bought with monies subscribed by the parents of the pupils.. School committees must for the future, therefore, remove their music-makers to a safe place prior to each fire. U.S. AND US Yes, we are growing up some. “The United States has come to look upon New Zealand as a vital factor in the commercial world to-day.” So says Mr. Julian Foster, who has come to act as the Dominion’s first Trade Commissioner from the United States. Just at present the balance is very much on the wrong side for New Zealand in trade between the two countries. In 1925 we imported from the United States goods valued at £8,626,959, equal to 16.44 per cent, of our total imports. Our exports to the United States for that year were valued at £484,975, equal to 7.S per cent, of the total. If, as is stated, Mr. Foster is here not only to foster United States trade, but to encourage Dominion exporters to place New Zealand products in America, then he is very welcome, for any overflow of the American dollar-pile would do as much good here as anywhere. The hope may be politely expressed that Mr. Foster will give his first consideration to “goods out-going.”