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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 2 (May 1, 1936)

Horrors of Civilisation

Horrors of Civilisation.

Such horrors of civilisation will disappear when we exchange whizz-dom for wisdom and can conceive that man's tale is not told in toil alone; that leisure and pleasure can be as profitable to Progress as pressure.

An army moves on its stomach, but mankind moves on its mind. The Chinese philosopher knew more than his laundry who advised “Tread softly and go far.”

One day men will be so enlightened that leisure will be deemed as valuable to human progress as the panting pursuit of pelf, and then the soul of Saturday will be the soul of everyday. Until then let's pretend—

That every day is Saturday,
And we damp dobs of human clay
Are free to be what, you'll agree,
If things were right, we ought to be.
At any rate we're free to play
That every day is Saturday.

“Wild Oats,” the attractive title of a book by Eric Muspratt, is good reading. Among his adventures was a trip round the Horn, before the mast, in one of the old “windjammers.” Half way Home the ship ran out of tobacco —and consternation reigned in the fo'-castle. One day the bosun, rummaging in his old sea chest, found a long-forgotten packet of cigarettes and offered them to his shipmates at six-pence each! They were snapped up before you could say “wink!” Another time (when ashore) Eric had to go without tobacco for several weeks. Picture his joy when he had his first smoke after that! Stay-at-homes who have never had to go without tobacco for a single day don't realise their luck! Here in N.Z. you can get the finest tobacco manufactured—Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish, Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold, at the nearest tobacconist's shop, and they're not only famed for flavour and aroma, but practically free from nicotine because they're toasted. There's enjoyment in every whiff!*

“Holing Out In One.”

Holing Out In One.”

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