WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 17, 14 October 1921, Page 6

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Tlio thing we fear we bring to past—a timely hint for pessimists. If the heart of the farmer is broken his lungs are still in pretty good shape. Dr. Thacker states that there are 500 million, microbes on a dirty Now Zealand bank-note. —Another case of filthy lucre, apparently. The Victoria. College Council regardfl Air. Parr a huntei - of shadows, but there seems to bo some demand in Parliament s for him to bo a shadower of Hunter Stabilisation of wages —a recipe for keeping up the rate of pay and keeping down the number of men who draw it. Boiled down, Air. AVilford’s commenta on tho Standing Orders suggest that Oppositions tolerate iniquities in. Governments because they hope to become Governments themselves and have a chance to practise tho same iniquities. AVhilo Lord Richard Cecil thinks the British people want moro security in their Government, most of tho colonial people are more concerned about the extent of their Government’s credit. The strike fever is not dead yet, and the latest victim is Alexander of Serbia, who has gone on strike against leaving Paris to he crowned King of Serbia or Jugo-Slavia, or whatever it is called. To, paraphrase ' Shakespeare, some men are born kings, and some kings run away, and some are chased out. Alexander may bo foolish in refusing a. crown, but , he prefers being an ass to being assassinated. His elder brother George came to the conclusion eleven years back that there were pleasanter ways of spending one’s days than in being King of Serbia, ’ and politely renounced his claim to the succession in favour of Alexander, and poor Alexander has no one to pass it on to unless his uncle Prince Arsene is indifferent as to whether he lives beyond his present 72 years or not and will tako on tho task. Tho trouble in the. Palace at Belgrade is that you never know which will be the morning you wake np and find yourself dead. The late King Peter, according to all accounts, needed considerable stimulation to convince himsel' that he was still alive but despite tho rumoured continual presence of dead marines strewn beneath tho throne itself, he lasted out to a rice old age- His neighbour . of Bulgaria made a practice, of bvin o abroad and making flying trl P s to „^ 8 capital when unavoidable, but the Bi garians tired of having an invisible tang, and insisted on permanent residence. Ferdinand thereupon handed over tb crown to his son.

Current reports indicate that the rise in the price of wool has born acoompanied by a rise in spirits in Civil Service circles.

I overheard the elderly cook at my boardinghouse ask the juvenile to go an errand for her, remarking: "Your legs are younger than mine. The waitress, grumbling, replied: "That’s all very well, but they've got to last longer.”

Mr. Hara, tho Japanese Premier, is reported to intend to demand from the AA’ashington Conference "assurances of the existence of mankind.” It is wen to begin at the beginning of things, for the nhilosophers tell us that it is impossible to prove by any logical process f-hat the universe has any existence apart from our consciousness of .it—and naturally it will make all the difference in the world to tho prospects of peace if the various matters in dispute CM be proved tp be mere figments of the imagination.

My friend the Professor snent an even, ingi’in the gallery of the House of Re-, nresentatives this week, and camo away impressed with the notion that the majority of members ha"e very little idea of the history or the conventions of Parliamentary institutions "For instance, savs the Professor. "I could not help noticing the mealy-mouthed way to which men’ibers of tho House referred to tho sister Chamber. It seemed as if the Legislative Council was some entirely mysterious entity, almost unknown to the Constitution. At any rate, the legislative Council, though its actions were freonentlv adverted to, was never mentioned by its hretah referred to, with almost bated, breath as 'another place/ The same rule I understand, is followed by most rnembe . of the Council itself, when speaking of " hat is (lone by the House of Repress- ■ tatives Now. this is running a convention lo* denth. If rarliamentnrinns knew the traditions of their institution 1 they would be aware that the col T oiaf . 9 acts of either Chamber are open to criticism in the Other, ju«t ns much as the arts of a county council or a road board. , AVhat is forbidden bv ‘ custom is citation and criticism of the statements or arguments of some mem P of Hie contemporary Chamber. And .»> once in a while, it does become> nresary to take notice ofl someone has said in tho Ka deno ■ custom has decreed that it shall be done, ” reference to what has been said; ■7„ own rights and privileges.

A teacher in Canterbury recently eefved the following letter I rem the mother of one of her pupils: 'Dear Miss, Nellie Plaved tennis at school yesterincident, surely' The old-fashioned craftsman M other davs would bo shocked at the wayJhey do’things in the works at Detroit in .the United StatesTho craftsman there does not take lingering jov in his handiwork. Anferiean Society of "Automotive. Engineers" was told by ono factory i™pe c tor Hint on occasion he epoke to an. ol operative, whose duty it was to feed a certain kind of plain into a machine. "AVhat is Hint plate?” asked the inspector "P.X.3.” said Hie mechanic. You don’t get mo." said the inspector W hat ?s°te used for?” "Dunno,”.said the <*■ man. "How long have you been on this job?” "Twelve years." ENGLISH! Nows par: Mr. Justice Adams was puzzled by tho word "schlinter. "Your Honour, 'iwas a schlinter that he got upon Hie boss,” u„„4. Said the witness, who had heard abou tho old employer's loss. "Laid a stoomor, he did, surely, worked a shrewd, to land tho oil, Called the bluff, and raised tho ante on tho man who makes us tod. Put the acid on his tactics, nicked a half a hundred quid, Handed otit tho boss a lemon, closed his trap and slammed the lid But ihe learned Judge in horror questioning tho lawyers left, Ascertained that in plain English, the accused was up for theft!