FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 183, 24 October 1927, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN”

A BLOW-CP ANY DAY With so much loose explosive oil about, news of a really fine, spectacular and destructive blow-up may be expected at any time now. A Wanganui motorist draws attention to tlie danger which is seen but ignored every day. “The lack of care shown by garage employees in handling benzine is amazing,” he says—and he refers not to one or two centres, but to “all parts of the country,” having but concluded an extensive tour. The Wanganui man adds that it only needs a spark to ignite benzine fumes. Any number of the big garages have any number of clients ..and employees walking about with lighted cigarettes in their hands. The sparks are there aplenty; and there are many leaking benzine taps. In other words, the stage is set, and it only needs someone to lift the curtain, as it were, to see the tragedy that is necessary to teach the lesson. ■‘GOD WOT.’”

Of all the ridiculous prosecutions in New Zealand in late years, that brought against a motor salesman in New Plymouth might well be a classic. He was charged with using a motor-car without being the holder of a licence and with using an unregistered car. The claim of Sergeant Martin was that a wedding “was not a bona-fide place to demonstrate a motor-car.” Overlooking the sergeant’s conception of a wedding as a “place,” we might also acquit the magistrate, who thought it “a mighty good place.” It was a day out for the S.M. “I would be glad if the sergeant would suggest how the defendant can be convicted,” he said. The sergeant’s suggestion was that a wedding- was a place and that the defendant thereby came “within the law.” The defendant gave evidence that he not only drove people free to weddings in order to demonstrate the superiority of his brand of soap (beg pardon —of car!) —he drove them to funerals. It gives us hope that our own funerals may be attended. Perhaps it was this factor that turned the scale against the sergeant when the magistrate dismissed the information. God wot! WHITE 'OR BROWN? Good Archbishop Julius seeks to care for the bodies of men, as well as their souls. “Half the people of Timaru believe it is essential to eat the whitest .bread they can get —and that is why we haven’t a decent, upstanding man in the place,” he told a Timaru congregation last week. “The same applies to Christchurch and Dunedin . . . we live on starch, which is only fit for collars.” Those Southerners must feel hurt to be told they haven’t “a decent, upstanding man” among . them. No one ever said such a thing about. Auckland. Still, Is the lamentable physique of the Southern male due to eating white bread? If so, what of the splendid physique of the female of the species, of which we are often told, and which we sometimes see? Does she eat brown bread? There has been a controversy raging for long in England over this very matter. “Eat brown bread” advise several very eminent physicians. “Eat white bread.” advise many others, just as eminent. The latter say white bread is quite good enough as part of a varied ration, and that the greater food-value of brown bread is discounted by its comparative indigestibility, whereby a great deal of its nourishment is lost. And since doctors fall out, who can be the dietetician?

HIDDEN CHINESE It was frankly admitted in the Auckland Police Court on Saturday, when Leong Young was fined £lO for having overstayed the time allowed by his temporary permit, that there were other Chinese in the Dominion who should “give themselves up.” Following on the news of wholesale attempts to smuggle Chinese into Australia —the Chinese concerned taking a big risk of death in order to be landed there—this was a very serious admission, and one that should be more perturbing to the authorities than is apparent. If Chinese will make such desperate endeavours to enter Australia, where they are absolutely prohibited, they will not lack resource In attempting to enter New Zealand, where they are not. Exactly how many Chinese who are abusing their temporary licences, the authorities ought to know—and the police should be asked to dig them out, without waiting for them to “give themselves up.” How many are in the country without any right of landing whatever, the authorities do not know; but no doubt the police wouid come across a few of them while searching for those who are overstaying their Jeave. Race aliens in New Zealand, according to official figures, numbered 5,526 on March 31, 1925, and of these there were 3,229 Chinese. But there are some people who laugh at these figures in relation to the Chinese and say the.v could almost be doubled. If there is any doubt about this matter it had better be inquired into—and now is about the time to commence inquiring