WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 1, 26 September 1921, Page 4

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Irroconci'able Senators nre trying to destroy A.merioa’s new peace'treaty with Germany. —Tho state’ that tho Borah .has como to Dodge in it.

Parliament, the Minister of Internal Affairs told a questioner, will be too busy this session to deal with the question of the quality of gas. Presumably another case of quantity ousting quality.

The Holland Party says it has no confidence in the Government because it imported! coal when the miners would not produce enough of tho local article to keep the home fires burning.—Well, Carpentier also felt sore _ when the knock-out came, but he didn’t turn round and blame Dempsey.

The Motor Vehicles Act shows how baseless is the Labour canard that tbe Government is doing nothing for unemployment. In fact, it is anticipated by experts that a yigorou's immigration' policy will be needed before all vacancies for deputy-assistant sub-regis-trars of motor vehicles have been filled, to sny nothing of tlie posts for chief and' supernumerary inspectors and understudies.

An unfortunate gentleman whose financial affairs had led to a Judge and jury f ordering him a year’s rest at the public ■< expense, was being escorted _ from the, dock when the policeman m charge tugged at his elbow. “Excuse me. ho •, whispered, “you don’t want to let your house, do you, sir?”

“Aiion” tells this good story: “Did I ever tell you how we came to take Periin. ,Doo?” said , °. ld 1 ma T . as we descended to the deck below to examine his charts. ‘Tt was a veiy bit of work and meant a lot lor -unghind at that time. When we foj> k P 0 session it was an unknown island. It is now one of tjie most important coaling, stations in the world. It was in the days before the canal was opened: and it belonged to nobody, or Turkey-1 sup-, pose it was Turkov, but she dldn t count. -well, at any rate, wo had a very wideawake Governor at Aden in those days.. 'l’ho French were building the canal, and a couple of French warships conung, round the Cape put mto Aden for coa Tho Governor was very polite and dql everything ha could to make their stay pleasant. There was a bla dinnei. 1 which all the officers, wore invited and a. dance afterwards. Nobody asked them where they were bound, but they volunteered thi information that it was Cochin China. Tho wine flowed freely everyone had a good time and they didn't weigh anchor till late m the morning. But they .werent going to Cochin China-ftt least not direct, they. turned up at tho supposed unoccupied island of Rerim to find to the l r surprise a flagstaff on the highest point of tlie island flying the Union Jack and a company of British marines calmly exevs.s, ing on the shore. That’s how wo «o» Perim.” . , “But how was it done? I queried. “Oh, a woman! One of the young French officers confided to a girl at tho dance. She told the Governor’s aldo-' do-camp, and so while the enemy slept fifty men were hurriedly embarked, anil got’ there six hours in advance.”

I feel, sure,that there is no foundation for the -rumour that tho loaders of (bo Oppositions in tho House of Representatives are thinking of drawing straws in order to determine the .order of their challenges to tho Government. Mr. WiL ford, who can count something like, a dozen heads at his ca.ucue, will insist upon his right to go first. If there !» anything left of the Government, Mr. Holland will hurl his seven followers against tho Reform .ramparts. ShouM bo fail. Mr. Statham. Mr. Witty and the rest can take their turns. Leadore of Oppositions have to guard their rights rather carefully in these, days. Mi’.; Statham, like a second Little Claus, is entitled to say. “Gee np, my one horse.” But if he drew the fong straw and pro- , ceeded fol shout, "Gee up. my twenty' / horses," there would be breaking of heads on tlie Opposition benches.

Sitting! in the sun at the far end of ’ (ho Muritai Road on Saturday. I lazily . watched the week-and Gollan’s Valley trek go by. It is the ambition of my life to walk to the lagoon at the bottom of Gollan’s Valley, round tho beadh -oast the other lagoon to Pencarrow lighthouse, and thence along -the beach heme. I have tried it three Saturdays . now, but Gollan’s MgJJcy seems to bo, one of fh-ose mysterious valleys that have no end. You climb along the sid« , of a bog, and after you havo gone' on for three hours or so you cheer r.p your’ partner by telling him that the sea i» hist round the next corner, but the only, thing around any of the corners is another corner, and the bog wetter than ever.

Tho Gollan'e Valley contingent comprises all sorts, young and not so young, fit and maimed.’ They go in /ours and fives, in twos and threes, and singly; irmed, unarmed, dressed, undressed—- ■ -opt for running* pants and jerseys— I every man jack with a valise on his ack. Finally, came what I judged to bo the Tararua Tramping Chib’s person-, all.v conducted tour—in a brake with two horses. Very wisely they do not go down- Gollan’s Valley, but across to the wilds of tho Orongorongo and the ranges. Except tlie brake passengers they were all tremendously energetic. It was down the valley itself later on that I came on your true philosophic walker—a figure in the distance with panama hat, evsryday clothes, but with a sweater instead of waistcoat, a a ulster over one arm and a satchel on the other. He camo at a leisurely pace, as a man well contented with tho world and himself. At what the kinema people would call a "closeup," he proved to be a well-known senior Civil Servant. Passing tho time of day ho told us he had left -town on Tuesday, taken the train to Kaitoke, walked over to Featherston, thence to Mnrtinborough, down tho eastern side of the lake to the Lake Ferry Hotel, around the shores of Palliser Ray to Orongorongo, and from there on Saturday to where wo met him. I mentioned Hie encounter to a friend on Saturday evening. "Why,” he exclaimed, "the man must bo mad!” Which goes to show, as Thoreau tolls us. that not every-■ hody’can be a real walker. "No wealth.” says this old philosopher, "can buy the requisite leisure, freedom, and independence which are tho capital in this profession. It comes only by the grace of God. It requires a direct dispensation from Heaven to become a walker." TO A PESSIMIST. (A Poem by Alfred Noyes, which may, help some of us in these hard times.) . < Life, like a cruel mistress, woos The passionate .heart of man, you say, Only iu mockery to refuse His love at last, and turn away. To me she seems a queen that knows How great is love—but, ah, how rare! And, pointing heavenward ere she goes, Gives him the rose from out her hair.