RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 90, 10 January 1935, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events (By Kickshaws.) A council of freezing workers has been formed in Hastings. This hot weather the very idea makes one jealous. » * » It may be correct that Hitler’s Black Guards are to be reorganiser!, but amalgamation would have an unfortunate result. ♦ * ♦ Critics of this latest and much advertised Franco-Italian accord are whispering that if you give a certain country a cord it will end by hanging itself. ♦ » » “Would you kindly, through the medium of your very interesting column, settle an argument?” writes “Hikanui.” “Was the part of Christ in the motion picture ‘King of Kings’ played by H. B. Warner or Henry B. Walthall?” [By Warner.] > It comes as a surprise to learn in the news that New Zealand can boast the only whaling industry in the Empire. We can therefore boast of an old profession that not even England can better. One by one these old things are disappearing. Empire whaling like Empire besom making is on the decline. Indeed the making of brooms from heather is now said to be an art only known to one man. The making of a heather besom involves secret processes known only to Mr. Christopher Bell, of Durhajn. His tools are 200 years old and his skill will die with him. Few of us want heather besoms to-day. Fewer still know a besom when they see one. Perhaps the most curious trade of all is the making of wooden ploughs. In this modern steel age it seems impossible that wooden ploughs could find a market. Yet at Maldon, Essex, England, there is a firm thafhas been making wooden ploughs for the last 130 years. On certain clay land they are better than the steel plough.

One trade that might well be resurrected In New Zealand is the making of houses from earth. We are inclined to imagine that bricks and mortar, wood and corrugated iron, are the recipe for house building. It may come as a surprise to many people when they realise that even to-day houses, and good ones too, are made from earth trodden, into the consistency of rock by special means. These “cob” houses have stood the test of -.ime iu many lands including England A few may even be seen in this Dominion. As a matter of fact, Empire whaling is by no means the only old-time art that has been reduced to a family affair. The ancient trade of charcoal burning is in the same categorv. This ancient trade may be seen carried out to-d.ay iu the New Forest, England, exactly as it was 1000 years ago. Indeed the same family has been in the trade for that time and what Mr. Purkess of 1935 does not know about charcoal burning is not worth knowing.

When one starts to look around the world it comes as something of a revelation to discover that trades one imagined to be dead hundreds of years ago have still persisted into the 20th century. One reads about Ancient Britons covering themselves with woad. But one never dreams that it is possible to find the actual woad industry still in existence. Yet 25 people in a small village near Wisbech, England, still find employment in this industry which has come down to us without a break since the days of Boadicea. The industry now is admittedly on its last legs, but only 25 years ago 100 tons of woad was produced in a year. With scarcely any change in the methods for all that time woad has been grown, gathered, dried, pulped and powdered by hand to supply a lingering demand. Surely there must be some merit in genuine woad dyed material. Many of us would feel proud to own sueli a quaint memory of the past. Perhaps when nobody can recall how woad was worked the demand will arise again—too late. *

The small navies of the world, it is said, are considering a naval treaty of their own. This will raise all manner of little points which may be used as excuse for a series of delightful conferences at some of the more charming spas of the world. No doubt the merits of Panama as a naval power will receive due consideration. Panama is no menace oh the sea at the momentHer navy consists of one ship moored in a lake and manned by two caretakers. No engineer would dare to get up steam in the Panama navy because the boiler has rusted through. Indeed there was talk of Panama gelling her navy, and this may have happenedThe owners of other small navies will have to decide whether Panama be allowed to patch up the boiler in her navy. Ecuador no doubt would be against the project. The navy of this nation also consists of one ship, but it is in better order. In fact, if it could hilt steam into the lake which garages Panama’s navy Ecuador could sink it in no time —that is if they did not forget to bring the shells; and the guns were mounted again.

The Swiss navy has become proverbial. but as a matter of fact Switzerland has a most efficient navy that serves its purpose admirably. Lake Geneva forms part of the Franco-Swiss frontier. The Swiss navy consists ot fast motor boats to deal with smuggling. “Battles” are not uncommon antLthere have been casualties within recent times. In contrast to the Swiss navy, if the Shah of Persia, decided to pay a courtesy visit to Britain in a unit of his navy, it would involve half his navy. The other siiip is -perfectly capable of firing salutes, -but there is some little doubt about her steaming capabilities. It is, however, only fair .to point out that during the Great Mar Britain borrowed half the Persian nav' to assist in the patrolling of the Tigris. The only country that does not seem io have any navy at all is Andorra, thousands of feet up in the sky in th-i Pyrenees. Wait a moment, there is a navy in Andorra. It consists a dinghy manned by a gendarme. Certainly Andorra would have to be included in the conference of the minor navies of the world.

‘■With all these clever people in the world-penning poetry and phrasing prosy poems —I thought I’d send you my simple piece. Could you print it in vour column? I hope so. My nom de plume is ‘Rosaline’ —being a mere woman, of course —

[Kickshaws prefers the local to the distant poet when he can find one.]

The Muse sits heavily on my brow. So must I pen a, line, In neat, untyped and stylish row, Mv efforts thus incline. To rise to giddy heights unknown To scan a distant peak, The Muse upon my brow has flown. My pen has sprung a leak. —“Rosanne.