WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 3, 28 September 1921, Page 4

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM (By T.D.H.) /. The Conciliation Council is agitated to decide whether "gardeners” embrace nurserymen.—A misprint, 1 no doubt, for nurserymaids. The Soviet has bought two airships from Italy which are to be taken to Moscow.—Perhaps th,is is the ground for the persistent rumours that the Bolshevik leaders are meditating flight. Belfast’s week-efid is the worst in its History.— It always is, until next week comes. Mr. M'Villy says the railways have been trying to carry on "in accordance with the traditions of the past.”—That accounts for taking the trains off, but I hope they will draw the lino at pulling rails up. Item from the cable news:—A Polish gentleman with a revolver tried to puc three pills into Marshal Pilsudski but instead was grabbed for hitting Count Graboski. He also attempted to Polish himself off. A Musicians’ Society has been formed, in Wellington. I saw in the social columns on Monday that the president and his wife had taken Miseha Levitzki, the \ piano virtuoso, to a place where King Jazz is the big chief. Ho did the same , to Jascha Heifetz. I suppose that the function of a Musicians’ Society is -to teach visiting musicians how to jazz! But I must leave that question to the lady editor! The new air route across the Syrian Hesert is open, and one can leave Cairo in the morning and dine at Bagdad.— , Even if you do not arrive, in time for dinner, you will still have desert at hand.

Some people certainly are bprn lucky, as witness the firm of tailors who were prosecuted in !the Magistrate’s Court yesterday for their success in advertising thear wares. Not only did they draw a croyvd so big as to block the traffic op'posite their place of business, but the police were good / enough to prosecute them for street obstruction, and thus direct further attention to their enterprise. And to round off the story the Magistrate .'held them blameless. Which reminds me that the law as~”interpreted ■ by some Magistrates is on occasion a fearful and wonderful thing. For in--stance, in the case Of a man charged with street betting ig_England recently, the offender appeared to have quite a good defence in a denial that fie was "loitering.” The presiding Magistrate, however, quickly disabuse*! him of any hopes he might hold on this ground by 'ay- -• ing down the law'asfollows: "If you take betting slips you are loitering. Even if you were running down.the street as fast as you could, and a man gave you a betting slip as you ran. you 'loitered' in the eyes of the law.” It may be hoped that this unlucky punter got a better run for his money on. tho racecourse than the Magistrate gave him. \

A certain New Zealand mayor, with a fancy for large words in the wrong ‘ places, was asked after a severe earthquake how his new warehouse had fared., He replied: "I ran out into tho street." and as I looked back I could distinctly, see the brick walls osculating from tho' perpendicular in a most violent and perfunctory manitef.”

A cable message 'reminds us that, it was two veai-s ago on Monday since the breakdown of President Wilson, the idol with tile feet of clav. Mr. Wilson’s ideas and ideals made trouble onougn for himself land his "self-determination” theory has made trouble enough for Europe. ' A man’s temperament is his misfortune, not hip'fault, and Mr. Milson’s defect was to be without either the gifts of human sympathy or humour. Of all the peacemakers of two years back. Mr. Lloyd George is the.only one who survives. Tn a recant hook, "Profiles of' the -Peacemakers,” Mr. Lloyd George is described e 8 the "arch-wang-ler,” and his motto is said to be. "Whatever 'happens, never allow yourself to become sour.” Of M. Clemenceau w P nri> told that his eves have n look of sadness almost of suffering. But they are not’sympathetic, "they ere the eyes of a cvnic, whose vision has rnerced life to the quick, who has no illusions. ir<> tender remembrances; of one who. fighting all his life alone, against, great odds, shill finds himself at the end of it alone, and still firfitimr.” Let it was this old cvnic who did as much as any man in saving Europe and civilisation.

The Alavor. nt the Early Settlors’ Association.‘said there used always to be nlentv of monev on the West Const in .he old digging days, -and he never sow anv pennies or coppers.—lt is, an torienl fact; however, that frem Canterburv brought the first gold out from the West Coast.

"No,” said tho old man. sternly. "I will not do it. Never have Iso d nn y- , thing by false representation, and 1 will not ’begin now.” For a moment he was silent, ami i clerk who stood before him could se» that the better nature of his euiplojcr was fighting strongly for the right. "No,” said the old man, again L z will not do it. H is an inferior grade of dime ami I will never pass it off as anything better. Mark it. ’A Shoe, Fit for a. Queen,’ and put it in the window. A queen docs not have to do much ua a ing.” RUNNYMEDE. INews par: There is agitation in EnglaS to prevent the sale of Runiiyniedo field', where King John signed Alagna AmV "Not a Afoney Grubber,” writes me:—' Tho Board' of Sellers nil agreedThe Goyei’Tiniont foresaw tho need Finance was getting Dean Inge had often told them j ' And so they-thought It could 1» bought Histone field of Runnymede. And! now they have a new combine. All registered, and placed in line AVith agencies for house and land And things the public understand And praises sing Of everything x Whene’er they see the money sign. The London Tower is for sale Land's End, and' part of Tmusfail, The Bank of England and Bydo I arte, Thev put reserves on tor a lark And John o’ Groats By many votes AVas transferred gratis, after dark. They cabled out the other day To see if we could give away Orakau and old battlegrounds For eighty-five or ninety pounds. And Wellington They ventured on AVas worth as much as they could pay ! Such desecration teems An outrage on n, country’s drcams Where is Tradition’s guiding light, That tells of Afagna Charta’s flight? And history * It seems to mo, Is naught beside the gold gieamn!