CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 31, 31 July 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

EPIDEMICS IN SCHOOLS. Several Taranaki primary schools are at present closed owing to the prevalence of epidemics, chiefly measles. It is to be noted that in no case have these schools been closed until the disease had a firm grip. The official mind is obviously quite unable to grasp the point that il the schools were closed as soon as the disease made its appearance its spread would be stopped. The idea seems to be to carry on as long as possible in order that the greatest number of children should be affected. No medical man would have the slightest hesitation (if he had the power) in closi»g a school if one pupil developed an epidemic disease, knowing, of course, th< inevitability of contagion under school conditions. At the New Plymouth infants' school there is at present a particularly well defined epidemic of measles. The authorities obviously believe that it will be time to close the school when the infection is well distributed, tho mere fact that a score of children are absent being considered an insufficient excuse for closing. It is a little remarkable that careful parents who have common sense enough to know that the only way to prevent their children taking the disease is to keep them away from school are not allowed to use their discretion. In short, the truant officer has tlie power to insist that a child shall attend school and get measles, or bring the careful parent to court, where he may be charged with a breach of , law. There are no two opinions about the reasonableness of closing any school that has a single case of measles. While the very stupid method obtains of insisting on the attendance of youngsters until the infection is carefully spread by the authorities, we have no chance of adequately fighting childish complaints.

GENERAL BOOTH. General Booth, the creator and commandant of that great organisation, the Salvation Army, is one of the world's most notable men and is one of the best examples extant of the power of an unconquerable spirit to dominate a weak body and keep it alive. This wonderful man is eighty-two years old and never in all the years of his life has he had normal physical health, yet he has performed unheard-of prodigies of work and organisation, always—-and this is the most remarkable feature of his career—without benefit to himself. Indeed, the Salvation Army is entirely admirable for the self-denial on which it is based. From its General down to the least of its administrators there are men of talent and individuality who might easily have achieved financial success foT themselves in many lines of life. The General is, like most great souls, possessed of undying courage, and so because he fears that the time is short before total darkness comes, he is using it up to dispose his forces. There is a chance that the surgical operation to be performed on his eyes may save their sight—and there is the other chance. So ho is going to rush round Britain, the United States and Europe before, the operation occurs to see that all is in order. "The Army will not die when I die." he cheerfully told a great meeting, "and it will be merely a case of 'The General is dead'—long live the General!'' There is no record that this Iont;, lean gnnius with the hawk face ever failed to get what lie wanted—for others. So when the British prison authorities told him he couldn't possibly take bis soldiers and bis bands and his methods within the walls of the gaols, lie just persisted, and got there. His people are doing better work than anybody else with the prisoners at the moment. The late King Edward helped General Booth and his Armv in a remarkable degree. General Booth, conversing with a man now resident in Taranaki, told how the late King sent for him in connection with the Army's schemes. "T was nervous," said the veteran, "and didn't know whether to walk in backwards or crawl on my hands and knees, or to bow low or high. When T was ushered in, I was nervous no longer. The Kins; came running to me, both arms outstretched—and in a minute we were yarning away like a 1

I couple of schoolboys. His influence made great Army achievements possible." »Xt is not so very long ago—within the memory of most adults—that the Salvation Army was born. It was jeered at, stoned, attacked, reviled, ill-treated. General Booth kept pegging away. It is known in every quarter of the civilised world not for its brazen instruments and its shouting, but for the quiet, pelfsacrificing work that it does in th« cause of humanity. Behind it, in front of it, and in the middle of it stands the intellectual giant, General Booth, frail to feebleness in body, but with a mind more potent for leadership than most living men. It is a matter of worldwide interest whether his sight will be spared—and it is of interest to him merely because he may use his eyes for the benefit of the people.