NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 99, 17 December 1931, Page 4

NEAR AND FAR

Eyery-Pay Expressions "The "devil to pay" is a common enough expression, but how many people know that it is nautieal in origin? ^According to "Naval Customs and Traditions," by Rear-Ad-miral Gerard Wells, the complete saying should'be: "The, deviLto pay and only half a bucket of. pitoh." The "devil" was "a very large, important, and diffieult seam of , tfie .ship to caulk, and half a bucket of pitch would he totally inadequate to -pay' it," To "pay," by the rway, means- • to pour in hot pitch after qaulking, to defend the oakum from the wet, and is deyived from poix,. the Fr^nch word for pitch, says John.o' London's Weekly. Further Removed From the Ape Primitive man is further removed from the ape than had been hitherto believed, the Tnternational Congress of Archaeology and Athropoloby rer cently learned from a paper read by Professor Sergio Sergi, of .Rome. Professor. '.Sergi's paper ,dealt with the Neanderthal man, who has- been !visualised hy sqientists: as having had arms that hufig low and ,a stpoping posture similar to that of the ape, Signor-Sergi, however, after long researches has found evidence to prove that the Neanderthal man, though not erect, held himself commonly much straighter and walked like a . human — always on his f eet. The paper indicates that at the, period of the Neanderthal man the human type had developed considerably beyond the conception hitherto accepted by science. > "Radio Active At-Homes", Some amusing stories are told about broadcast electioneering in the recent British campaign, not everyone, apparently, appreciating the privilege of getting politics' over: the air. Some did, however, and a writer in "The Spectator" describes broadcasting parties a*s a disturhing

novelty. He mentions that "for Mr. Lloyd George on the wireless" was Scribbled across an invitation to such a party, but he inclines to the belief that most guests do not enjoy "these argumentative, radio-active athomes." He finally suggests the foL lowing form of refusal for all future invitations of the kind: "Mrs. X-. much regrets that she«is unahle to accept Mrs. Z's kind invitation to hear Mr. Lloyd George at, .9.20 on Monday. She has already arranged a party to miss. heariug him in her own house for that evening." Golfers Turn Farmers A novel sight was seen on the Hawera golf links last week-end, when about ,20 qf the memhers were busy assisting in the preliminary tossing and stacking of a small paddock of hay. The club owns its own land and farms its sheep. The lambs have proved an exceedingly good lot and equal, in the opinion of good jttdges, to any-on the coast. BuIIet Embedded In Roof ■ While a workman was cleanipg the front of Mr. L. J. Jones' house in Peel Street, St. Albans, he found, three-parts embedded in the jron roof, a .303 rifle bullet. Just how long the bullet had been there, or from where it came, Mr. Jones is at a loss to suggest, but he considers that it must have been nearly spent. Despite this, though, had the bullet been travelling a little lower it would have smashed a window. One of the Best "I got a man who had never been out of London or seen a sow in his life, and he was one of the best men I ever had. I gave him lOs.a.week and after a few weeks, when I saw i how good he was, I, increased it to ! 25/-." In these words Cr. A.- T. MorrisS, at a meeting of the Matamata County. Council, contradicted the impression held by many people that rrien from cities are useless on farms. Narrow Escape ' The State hatchery, National Park, had a narrow escape from cTestructioii by fire the other evening. "Fires had been burning on Maori land," writes a correspondent, "and about 9 p.m. campers had suddenly to turn 6ut, pack their baggage and stand by . to leave. Mr. Parsons, the pianager, had all his f urniture packed . on • a Idrry. For an hour he kept our cars well hosed to prevent damage from , flyi'ng sparks, but the wind dropped just in time, and by 10 p.m. we had ; returned to our huts. Next morning we found that the fire had got to : within 50yds.' of the manager's house. : So this beautiful reserve ,on the hanks of the Tongariro has been dgain spared." Kindly Action . - , , . - .Typical of their kindly interest in the elderly and infirm, a gracefubact was performed hy the Governor-Gen-eral and Lady Bledislpe as they. wero about to step into their car at the Hawera Opera House last week. Sir John Hanham, aide-de-camp to His Excellency, drew attention to a mid-dle-aged man in a wheel-chair, who had endeavoured without success to photograph the party. People crowded about their Excellencies, but Lady Bledisloe cleared a space and stood with Lord Bledisloe while the snap was taken. Brown Beetle Menace ■ Swarms of small brown- beetlgs qre causing serious damage in the Manawata, Shaftesbury and Gordon . dis-, tricts. At nightfall they conje up from the ground in myriads and devour every bit of green f oliage within reach. ,Wil}ow trees,; fpuit trees, and even macrqcarfea .. hedg.eg haye been stripped. Vegetables have been eaten to the roots. Fruit treqs which have been attacked bear resemblance to gnarled trunks.eov.ered with dry white moss. The leaves have been eaten away, and only the white midribs reniain like spiiies.