RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 82, 31 December 1934, Page 6

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events

(By

Kickshaws.)

The only good New Year resolution to make is to resolve not to make any. * » « The first women’s Test has started at Melbourne. Bodyline, we understand, is a special feature of the game. ♦ ♦ * “Would you kindly tell me when the hop-picking starts, the average wages earned by men, and whether the pickers are required to find themselves in food and accommodation, tents or otherwise, and for how long the season lasts? To whom should I'apply?” asks “L.J.J.” The season starts toward the end of February. The work is done mostly by women pickers. The average return is threepence per bushel, but the price varies. Tents or whares are usu-. ally provided. The season lasts only a few weeks, depending upon the weather. ■ Application might be made for particulars to the secretary of tlie Hop Growers’ Association, Motueka It would, perhaps, be wise to keep an eye on the local newspapers of the hopgrowing area, copies of which are usually kept at public libraries. There is one thing about wishing people a “prosperous New Year,’-’ in that the standard set by the last is sufficiently low to make it difficult for the coining one to be worse. We have, therefore, something for which to be thankful. If the last year had been so prosperous that it could not be bettered, the coming New Year would, indeed, be’ gloomy in prospect. As there is so much to make up and so little chance of the coming year being worse than its predecessor, “Kickshaws” confidently wishes everybody, if not a prosperous year, at any rate a less unprosperous one. The coming year is a curious thing. We know nothing about it until it condescends to unwind itself from the. tangle of Time. When it does unwind, we cannot wind it up again or in any way stop it. Yet next year takes an unconscionable time a-coming, it is over in a flash, and all that remains of it are a few memories and innumerable bits of pa[>er pigeon-holed In some Government -office. $ « * While on the subject of the New Year, “Kickshaws” wishes to- thank the vast array of readers who have written his daily column for him. He hopes they will continue to do so. On glancing at the past year, the glorious statistical fact emerges that readers have „ written SO columns out of some 300 or so. In time this may attain 100 per cent, efficiency, and “Kickshaws” will have nothing to do.at all. Meanwhile, it is perhaps timely to thank all those readers who have sent along a surprising number of mementoes. The variety is astounding. The presents range from hens’ eggs the size of cherries to very much dead eels, not to mention a bottle of Katipos. numerous coins (unfortunately of no.particular value) , and last but not least, a little golden locket. Unfortunately, “Kickshaws” cannot hope to send readers presents in return; even if he knew how to catch Katipos or how to make hens lay extraordinary eggs. Readers will just have to accept this column every day as an unworthy return for the goodwill they have displayed. * • * z The recent reference to the construction of another canal parallel to the Panama Canal is by no means a new idea. In fact, the scheme for a Nicaraguan eanal is as old, if not older, than tlie Panama scheme. It is a matter of history that a Nicaraguan canal connecting thq two oceans of the Northern Hemisphere was first mooted by a navigator named Antonio Galvao, who lived in Portugal in 1550. A few years later the work was on the verge of being undertaken, but, unfortunately, the Spanish Government, noted for its "manana” habit even in those days, put the project off "until to-morrow.” “Tomorrow” never came, and the Panama Canal was built first. The idea of a Nicaraguan canal has, however, never - been allowed to drop. The suggested route was actually surveyed in 1779 by Spanish engineers, but disturbances in Europe caused further work to be dropped. In 1830 a concession was granted a Dutch corporation to develop the scheme. Revolution in Belgium put a stop torthe idea. * * * As a matter of fact, one company actually did start work on the Nicaraguan canal. The forest was cleared off the route for some 30 miles or so, and a ditch was dug 17 feet deep and 280 feet wide. The ditch was only 3000 feet in length when the company, after spending a million, went into liquidation. Since then the Americans have been toying with the idea. Now and then they institute a survey, now and then, the project is discussed in the Seuate. There are certain advantages in this route, as use can be made of a large lake. Actually, the Nicaraguan route for a canal is 180 ipiles long, against some 50 miles for the Panama Canal. The lake mentioned, however, occupies 60 miles of the route, and is situated 100 feet above sea level. One unknown problem in the construction or the canal is the thermal question. Now and again Nicaraguan mountains blow themselves to bits. A distressing habit, but deplorable iu the case of a canal project, because one never knows if some subterranean thermal obstacle will not be encountered, thereby making further work impossible. « « a “I noticed a query about a word of eight letters, but the two words suggested are words of two vowels. I thought of one—the word ‘straight’—says “E.W.8.” "There may be others. With best wishes for the New Year.” [The problem consisted of finding a one-vowel word. “Straight” has two.] "The words submitted by ‘D.K.M.’ are not admissible, as ‘y’ constitutes a vowel,” says “Scipio.” “His reply, however, indicates that the word evaded him, although in ‘strongly’ he would seem to have been close. Both ‘Margo’ and ‘N.J.T.’ have given the only’ eight-letter-one-vowel word that I know. It seems strange that a common word like ‘strength’ should be the only one in the English language. But after tlie extra publicity given tlie question by your inimitable cartoonist, Paterson, it looks as though it must be accepted as an oddity.” * » » “Talking about pronjiecies in the Bible here are a few mor,e," writes “Observer." “The telephone is spokeu of in Job 38:35, ‘Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go. and say unto thee, here we are?’ Electric tramcars in Nahum 2:4. The present depression in Zechariah S :10, ‘For befor j these days, there was no hire for man. nor any hire for beast.’ The apostacy of the present day is foretold in 2 Thess 2:3. We are told the earth is round in Isaiah 40:22. It is proved in Luke 17:34-36. Evaporation by the sun l» told Eccles. 1:7. In the same hook, chap. 12:3-7, we get. a wonderful picture of the anatomy of the human body."