ROUND ABOUT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 138, 20 March 1940, Page 5

ROUND ABOUT

(By Aitchel) I suppose that at Tauranga and Paeroa was heard the usual thing after a race has been run. It is surprising that punters should still endeavour to console themselves and try to convince others that, after all, it was only a mischance they were not" on the winner. How many times docs one hear: "I had the money in my hand and was just putting it down when the tote window shut down." Or, "B meant to he on that horse but Sq-and-So came along and talked me out of it. I ought to be kicked." Or, again, "Do you remember me talking that thing last week? You remember me saying, 'If Strikemepink gets his head past the post first, he'll win?' " What poor efforts at consolation! Doubtless, readers, you have done Hie same thing.. a • » • I seem to have quite a pasli on picking up our contemporaries' errors, You remember the 'maritalmusic' and others of its kin? And the youthful airman referred to last week? Now I see one (and if you don't believe it come up and see me sometime and I'll produce the paper) which reads, as a caption, 'MR HORI-BELISHA.' Now, they are getting very familiar. Fancy calling him George! And that's where they arc making a mistake, anyhow, because his name is Leslie. The only explanation I can offer is that they are trying to New Zealandise his name in the interests of better reflations between this country and the Old Dart. Cementing the bonds of friendship,, you know, and all that sort of thing. « * * « I think it would be a grand idea to start a competition or two iii this column. This Aveek we will have the missing line business. There's a mo' that grows 'neatls Hitler's nose And it's wonderful to see. Though unstained by beer and unmoved by fear It's the hall-mark of tragedy. There is just one nose that that mo* knows And it's kin to a sweep of hair. Through the war's great show Puppet mo' will grow Fill in the last line and win a cruise to China. « # « I was once asked what constituted a reporter's nightmare. That question cannot be answered in one paragraph; a reporter has so many nightmares. One thing which is sure to add grey hairs is a local body meeting. The idea, of course, is to select the interesting parts; interesting from the readers' viewpoint, not the local body members*. That is not always appreciated by the latter. If an attempt is made to record all that is said someone is resentful; if too little is said it is suggested that the situation has not been given a satisfactory airing.

There is even the local body member who says, a week or two after the meeting, that he has been incorrectly quoted. This despite the fact that the reporter has the words written and the member is relying, solely on his memory, the latter sometimes, perhaps, influenced by subsequent comments and revised wishes. What those who complain, should realise is that they have no hope of remembering their verbating speeches. And that leads us to wonder just how much it would be appreciated by some members if their verbatim speeches were published. On one historic occasion this was done by a leading English daily when the twentieth of a series of complaints about the recording of his speeches was received from a gentleman well known in public affairs. I understand that his complaint was not repeated. Then there is that, ever-«present reluctance on the part of the newspaperman to turn down good 'copy*, to reject something the reader looks for. The nightmare of nightmares, however, is to sit through three hemrs of a local body meeting when the best parts are discussed in committee and so cannot be reported; when some speakers ask that their remarks will not be made public; when others ask the reporter to use his discretion; and, to crown the lot, when after an hour's discussion of a subject which, though not of international importance could brighten things by half a column ocr so, the reporter is requested by the Chairman to leave well alone, as a special favour, and the net result r, f a three hour sitting is a brief > report that the body met. > As far as I know these observac lions do not apply to" Whakatane*