FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 151, 16 September 1927, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN” REWARDS OF MERIT The principal o£ the Technical College suggests that pupils who do work of exceptional merit should be awarded medals, to assist them in obtaining employment. It may be pointed out to Mr. Park that there are hundreds of men throughout New Zealand, wearing medals testifying to the exceptional merit of work done while in khaki, who are at present unable to obtain employment. O BLESSED THIRST.' “There are conditions which promote a thirst,’’ said Mr. Burnett, M.P., with all the inner knowledge of the declared “strict T.T.,” during a debate in the House of Representatives, last night. Mr. Burnett went on to quote the author of a book on the Sudan, who, after describing the awful sandstorms and burning heat, said they were well worth while, if only for the thirst they aroused. Apparently overcome by the pitiable plight of Members who were being prevented by a long and “dry” debate from lubricating their strained vocal chords at Bellamy’s, the chairman Implored Mr. Burnett not to pursue the subject any further. But one need not go to the Sudan, or even “somewhere east of Suez” to raise a thirst. Those from the cities of plenteous liquor who venture into the wilds south of Auckland —into the King Country to be precise—can tell you that. And they can tell you that in this area of prohibition, where there isn’t one solitary “curse” in the way of a pub, not only can you raise a thirst, but you can most effectually quench it. In fact, they raise more thirsts than sheep in the King Country—just to quench them. THE PERFECT COUNTRY What is the perfect country? Is it such as New Zealand, for instance, which is commonly (and in some respects erroneously) presumed to be a democracy? Is it where every man is as good as his neighbour, and Jack is as good as his master?' Is It where a man may do as he likes, short of murder or robbery? It is ably observed by Sir Francis Younghusband, in an address on “The Perfect Country,” that man cannot go against the nature of the Universe. He might wish to work clay and night on end for a month, so that he could go off for two months' holiday but he can’t; he cannot err very far from either side of a “mean.” Being loyal, and seeing his Sovereign at a football match, he would like to walk up to him and shake him heartily by the hand; but he can’t. No Sovereign could survive if at any time anyone of his many millions of subjects could shake him by the hand. The most perfect country will be that which best conforms to the Spirit of the Universe —perpetually striving to know better. “It will be no classless country, in which all are on a dead level of uniformity,” says Sir Francis. “It will be a steeply-graded society. But it will be so fluid in its structure that those on the lowest grade—as we all are when we first came into the world—will be given not only opportunity, but strong help and ardent encouragement to rise to the very highest.” lasat as * as at %%&%% %at %

rli yli rH rlt rH Wi r!t “CONVICT IS" Horatio Bottomley is not resting after his prison labours. He has commenced a series of articles to the “Weekly Dispatch,” under the heading of “From Broad Acres to Broad Arrows” —by “Convict 13.” His was an unlucky number —perhaps that is why he did not secure release earlier, despite the efforts of influential friends. “I promise,” says Bottomley in a foreword, “to publish something which, I avow, will send a thrill through the heart and conscience of the nation. The public will learn from me, for the first time, the truth of the‘great prison underworld.” In a comment on this publicity, “Public Opinion” observes that few will question Mr. Bottomley’s right to deal with the question of prison reform in the light of his own experiences, adding: “Manj r ex-prisoners in years gone by have related their reactions to the prison system, and in all matters of reform there has always been a readiness to weigh the views of those who have been in a position to judge the effect of the conditions in force on themselves and others.”