CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 251, 2 March 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

TEETH. Tcetli are mankind's earliest trouble, and under modem conditions of civilised life man has trouble with his teeth as long as he possesses any. If you were to tell the average parent that a sound set of natural teeth was of as much importance [ to a child as straight limbs, normal lungs, good eyesight and a working liver he would smile in derision. People have got into the habit of believing that because teeth decay it is natural that they should do so. It would be equally natural that fifty per cent, of eyes should develop aches and gradually fade away, living that proportion of people blind. We use our eye.s, but not out teeth—so our teeth leave us. They will continue to leave us despite expert dental attention if we don't use them. We are not going ti> vise them, bo science will have to do the best it can to save a mouthful here and there, and to prevent the human jaw from following its furniture. It is probable that the Wellington Hospital will be the first in New Zealand to add a dental department if the recommendations of Dr. Hardwick-Smith are carried out, and if the establishment of such a department saves the people's teeth, it will save the people much disease. It is also probable that, should the dental department of the Wellington Hospital be a success, it will be the rule and,not the exception for mpijt hospitals' to undertake dental work' for those whose means are to6,(Small to buy outside attendance. PresVimitbly, if 'the race were properly fed there would be no need for dentist.?, for the savage man who knows nothing of "oral hygiene" but who can masticate raw corn or sheep's ribs is not troubled with toothache, nor does he lose tcetli except by old age. Seeing that all civilised folk feed improperly, "oral hygiene'' is necessary as a substitute for reasonable food. Dr. Hardwick-Smith recently said: "The mouth is the chamber through i which most diseases of a serious nature find their way, and if that chamber is kept swept and garnished much of that disea.se would be eradicated." We have however, seen a man, who at sixty years of ago, possessed a perfect set of natural teeth who had never used a toothbrush and who had not the slightest idea what ' oral hygionce" meant. But such exceptional cases only prove the necessity for adopting thqsc means without which the average person's teeth are a constant trouble from cradle to grave. It is under modern conditions more important that "oral hygiene" be taught in schools than the ''three R's," for the "three R's" are more easily taught to a child with sound teeth than one whose mouth is full of decay, usually considered to be a natural condition of children's mouths. Physical decay of any kind is the first symptom of national decay. The nation with decaying teeth is ,a decaying nation, and the nation with sound teeth will ultimately "chew up" the nation without. Now Zealanders are prone to tooth trouble, and as it is quite unlikely that natural means will ever be taken to arrest those troubles, it follows that science is the only salvation available, i Some day it will be recognised by reformers that "sound teeth" is of greater importance than plasticine work or physical drill.

THE CLERK. Curiously enough, at least as far as New Zealand is concerned, the clerk has sedulously avoided taking any advantage given to workers by amalgamation and appeal under our labor laws. The possibility is that it would be difficult for any body of clerical workers to decide on a minimum wage or gradations in working worth. It is commonly held that the clerk, who is necessarily better groomed than he who is generally referred to as the "working man," believes himself to be "a out above" the latter, and it is certain that among many "working men" there is a scorn of "the bloke as never takes his coat off." The facts are that the average clerk is much worse off than the average artisan; his responsibilities and expenses are greater, he is frequently an initiator, whose work is more valuable, but less valued than that of the artisan, and the reason for his uncomplaining silence is hard to understand. We have never believed that the clerks of this country refused to take advantage of unionism from a feeling of class pride, although this has been alfeged, for, as far as the average artisan and the average clerk .are concerned, both have received the same initial education and are usually drawn from the same class. Clerks and other clerical workers frequently find themselves in the position of being "superiors" to artisans who may be earning double the wage. The. initiator in New 'Zealand is generally worse paid than the man he initiates for, and this results in a topsy-turveydom that rankles. As far as the clerk is concerned, there is no doubt that his position has ranlded silently for many years, and perhaps in time clerkly organisation may result in some .benefits to tile class. A few years ago it would have been remarkable to find a body of clerical workers banding together for their own protection, although presumably the legislation tliat helped carpenters or bricklayers could be used to help clerks. It is evident that at least in New South Wales there is a movement in thi.s direction, and that clerks are entitled to consideration by the State just as if they were slaughtermen or miners or carters. The clerkly army is a huge one, and, organised, might be a very powerful one, but there would seem to be a difficulty of appraising the value of a clerk's'services or the worth of his power of initiative. Although it is possible to determine what the uniform work of two mechanics may be worth, it is as yet im-

possible to assess with justice the men-1 tal value of each of a group of men. If the clerical workers conclude that each class of clerical work can be properly graded and tlmt any two clerks doing the same type of work are worth the same wage—irrespective of powers of initiative, speed, mental alertness and correctness—unionism will be a very good I thing for clerks.