WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 306, 20 September 1921, Page 4

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

The angry writer in the Paris “Matin'" is on reasonably safe ground when, he predicts that sooner or later Mr. Lloyd George will disappear. Mohamad Ali has been arrested in Madras, presumably for lack of an alibi. Lord Northcliffe says there is no such thing as prohibition in the United States. ’ —Opinion generally has been leaning , that way since the publication of the Northcliffo interview in the "New York Times” last month. The Allied armies of occupation in Germany have cost five milliards of' franca from the armistice to May 1. —A reminder to Germany that the Watch on tho Rhine can only be wound up • with a gold key. Mr. Grouse: Yes, a married man lives, a dog’s life. Miss Snapper: Yes; barks all day and growls all night. Tho Seamen’s Union is of opinion that, tho way to solvo the financial depression' is to increase the pay of the workers so that they can 'buy the whole of tho farmers’ products, and so avoid relying on tho export trade to get rid of them, and make the country self-reliant. If things go on as they are doing the workers will be able to buy up tho wool ’ clip without any increase in pay. This principle has been tried on one of the Channel Islands for many years, and tho Alliance of Labour should, send ’a commission to study it. It is quite simple. The whole population livtfl ia the greatest luxury, undisturbed Viy ■ financial panics, class consciousness,, or anything, else, by the simple principle of each taking in the other's washing. In Canada the general dryness is stated , by the London "Daily Mail” to have brought a new religion, the Church of Omar, blossoming like a rose in the desert; Religious circles in Manitoba • were greatly perturbed last spring by tho announcement that many leading business and commercial people had joined tho new religion, and particularly when it became Im own that the names of many prominent supporters of orthodox churches*were on the roll. In July, a discontented convert’s declarations led to the collapse of the church. It, seems that its applications for permits for wino for sacramental purposes were regarded as excessive, and in tho end the police shut'down completely on the new religion, despite the commandment laid down in its sacred book the “Rubaiyat”: “While you live, drink! For.once died .you never shall return.” It seems that the story of the Maori who rode all night to wee the Springboks play at Rotorua and then slept throughout the match is not an isolated instance of the kind. “T.” writes mo that a back-country enthusiast in Otago who had had a sleepless journey to Dunedin in order to s-eo Otago play one of the other provincial teams, dozed off during the game and only woke up with the cheering at the close of the match. "What’s up?” he asked o passing spec-■ tator. "Otago won," the man answered, as he hurried with the rest of the crowd to the gate. "Good enough,” said the delighted enthusiast, "I wouldn't have MISSED IT FOIL A WEEK’S PAY-" As a keen naturalist, Major Fitzurse has learijed with the greatest interest of tho discovery of footprints of a, strange, prehistoric monster near To Kuiti. Thq Major authorises me to make an announcement of tho highest scientific importance on this matter. It is no less than the discovery that numerous hitherto unknown of animals, apparently survivals from a remote period, have their habitat in burrowings beneath tho city. These burrows end either in the hospital gardens or beneath the buildings. Before he had quite finished his recent task of testing all the liquors on sale to oblige the Licensing Committee, the Major was afflicted with;- a slight digestive disorder necessitating medical treatment. He tells me that while undergoing this treatment he found that through some defect in the building the most extraordinary monsters kept coming into the room he was in at the hospital, crawling up the walls, and even over the bed clothes. Strange to say, the doctors and nurses, apparently to avoid any public gossip, professed to bo unable to see thepi, and gave him no assistance in killing them. The Major tried to .secure some specimens for presentation to tho Museum, as he is sure their inclusion, would put it in a class far ahead of Auckland, but’somehow tho dead bodies always slithered away from him.. However, he had his pocket camera with him and he fortunately had the presence of mind to photograph one beast with three heads, fourteen eyes, and nine legs, and several other unusual accessories, whieti was balancing on the rail at the foot of. the bed. The species appeared to be a cross between an alligator and a Shorthorn -bull, but tho Major hopes to hare the photograph developed in time for the next meeting of the Philosophical Society, so that the point can lie more definitely settled by the scientists. It is quite possible, he thinks, that it js, asimilar species that made the footprint at Hangatiki.

The Boss: What do you mean by such language? Aro you the manager here, or am I? Jones: I know I’m not ihe manager. The Boss (angrily): Very well, then, if you’re not the manager why do you talk like a Warned idiot?”

One -jvoung lady who attempted the treacherous mud-slide which led to the western bank of the Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon gave the lie to; the impression that Dunedin folk have little sense of humour. Immaculately clad with brown silk stockings vising with smooth plumpness from the daintiest “nigger brown" suede shoes, she slipped and slid in the yellow mud so helplesSy, that when she finally sank to her knees a young man camo to her assistant. Hand in hand they floundered up the yellow river of mud. Arrived at the top she inspected herself—yellow i.iuck up to her pretty knees, her smart dress hopelessly bedraggled, and, her ni o t,er browns” converted into Chinese ye - lows” Then turning to her champion she ■''said, with the jolliest snnie And 1 came all tho way from Dunedin for this!”

No one can doubt the tremendous edu■cati,onal value of musical anil elocutionary competitions such as wo have been going through in Wellington of_ late. For instance, the coigmiTnte of the judges are so illuminating to the. immature mind "I fiml,” remarks one oracular Solomon, "that No. 3 has n faeilo touch and expressed the episodical passage u h a nice sense of leggerozza. Her'M°Y an " ) work in th* cadence was beautifully expressed, but she was not elastic enough in her retards and rallentandos, whilst I find that her ondeggiamento was jagged rather than gently undulating Her playing of the acciaccutura left muon to b* desired, but the affretando in the penultimate cadenza was euphonious and delicately pictured. 1 find her to lie clear iu her octave but her play’ ing of the sordino passages left muon to be desired. I find her sense of artistry approximating that of a first-class student, and if she cultivates Tilasclando and the ricercnta she should do verywell. I award her third place with 13J marks.” (Txiud, applause.) WHY? The storm that washed his field sway, Watered my field for the harvest day: Lightnings that burned his proud abode. Lighted my feet on a dangerous road: Gales that’hurled his ship to the deep, Drove mine home to the harbour sleep.