FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 372, 5 June 1928, Page 9

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

“THE LOOK-OUT MAN.’’

THAT HARD LOOK Mrs. Mary Ellen Smith, on learning that women were not entitled to admission to the Canadian Senate, declared that the iron had entered the souls of the women of Canada. Now we 'Know why so many Canadian women wear that steely look In their eyes. TUNNEY’S LOVE FOR MAN Lecturing on Shakespeare at Yale University, Gene Tunney, world’s champion “pxig,” expatiated on love for our fellow men. We ought to learn to love our fellow men better, he said. Shakespeare taught how. Millions of dollars are to be paid by thousands of spectators to witness Tunney give a practical demonstration on July 4 of how to love a fellow-man, Tom Heeney, to wit. Doubtless Tom will show his affection, too. The “fans” will hope that there Is not to be too much bugging. * * M A USE FOR ALSATIANS The noble-looking Alsatian dog has been condemned in Australia on the ground that he is a sheep-killer; also that he exercises no useful canine function, and that his intelligence does not exceed that of the average mongrel. The L.O.M. could find a “useful canine function” for an Alsatian —to eat the steak that the L.O.M. cannot masticate, and then to bite his butcher who has had the “hide” to increase the price of beef. PIGEON-SHO 0 TING Intense indignation is expressed at the shooting of homing pigeons in the Carterton district. Several birds were killed, and others returned to their cotes with legs broken or otherwise mutilated, and died. The indignation is justified; but the same suffering is endured by all birds when shot and wounded —and pigeons that are deliberately released from traps at shooting matches often escape with broken limbs, or otherwise sorely wounded, to die in the bush. And they suffer pain to the same extent as we do. Shooting homing pigeons is a crime; to shoot less valuable pigeons Is sport, of coui-se! DEAN INGE ON VORONOFF Dean Inge’s latest is an attack on the monkey-gland rejuvenation theory. “Revolting to all pure-minded people.” He says it is monstrous that Voronoff’s claim to be able to extend life by the inter-association of apes and human beings should be listened to. But if we use medically the thyroid glapd and the pancreaes of calves, of other animals, why not monkey-glands? Isn’t the ape the nearest approach to man in form and intelligence? Not only has the monkey been used to rejuvenate man; but man has been used to rejuvenate the monkey. It is on record that an anaemic ape in a great zoo was restored to health and activity by several transfusions of human blood. But that ape doesn’t now undertake civic responsibilities or go to church in a stiff collar, any more than do "rejuvenated” men climb veranda posts and pull faces. WE, TOO If the advice tendered by Sir Wallace Bruce at the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Australia is of value to Australia, it should be valuable also to New Zealand. In his presidential address, Sir Wallace Bruce referred to the ill-effects of excessive borrowing in Australia, and he quoted a recent statement of Sir Lennon Raws, who two years ago occupied the same presidential chair, to the effect that most of the ills from which Australia is suffering at the present time are of its own making. Sir Wallace Bruce, however, made the rather striking suggestion that during times of prosperity Governments should be as stringent as possible in the expenditure of loan funds. He said that economic activities at such times do not require any stimulant; they move along by their own force. Being thus careful in prosperous years, the Government would, so to speak, create a reserve borrowing power which could be used when seasonal conditions were adverse. In such a way, periodic depressions could be substantially modified. The Hobart “Mercury,” however, thinks that such a course would be a very dangerous expedient. “In our view,” it says, “borrowing to some extent is inevitable, and in some respects desirable. A young country cannot possibly be developed without borrowed money. pur trouble, however, has been that in the past a good deal of money has been borrowed for ill-considered schemes, and consequently a great deal of it has been wasted.” WISE USAGE BENEFITS “On the other hand, it is said, many necessary and useful projects have been brought about by the wise usage of loan moneys. It seems to us that there should be a well-thought-out policy in each of the Spates, and for the Commonwealth .as a whole. Schemes of borrowing should not he made merely from year to year, but there should be a well-defined programme, spread over a period of years, so that development could take place on sound and practical lines. If we could free the expenditure from political influence, and thus avoid the devices of the vote-catchers, most of our unwise borrowing would cease. Such a desirable state of affairs, however, would be extremely difficult to accomplish. All that we can do is to sound a note of warning as to the danger of excessive borrowing. Sir Wallace Bruce would have us spend more in times of depression, whereas from the economic point of view that is just the time when the greatest care should be exercised in spending. On the other hand, if prosperous periods are met with, surely that is precisely the right time to plan and put into execution well-thought-out schemes of vigorous development.”