FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 68, 11 June 1927, Page 10

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

the LOOK-OUT MAN.

SERMONS WITH A “ KICK ’’ Australia’s first woman minister is to be ordained on Monday at Adelaide. She is Mrs. Winifred Kiek (pronounced “kick”), and she will occupy a pulpit of the Congregational Church. It will be decidedly refreshing for the people of Adelaide to at last have sermons with a Kiek in them. STOCKWHIP AND SPEARS Conversion by stockwhip does not seem to appeal to the aboriginies of Australia. Three of them threw spears at missionaries on Crocodile Island while service was being held, and it was explained, when they were charged with the offence, that the stockwhip had been used upon them. One of the .missionaries admitted flogging one* of his black sheep. The aboriginies, it is reported, were remanded for sentence, presumably until Justice can make up its mind whether it is not rather natural for a black fellow to retaliate with a spear when lie has had pieces cut out of him with a whip. It is regrettably noticeable that there is no mention of any prosecution against the missionary who combines Christianity with a leather thong. FOR WEARY WOMEN The revived activity of Onehunga is remarkable, and, in one respect, at least, to be very highly commended. The borough proposes to build as a jubilee memorial a women’s rest-room, thus combining commonsense with a desire to commemorate its progress. Some boroughs would suggest glorifying themselves by erecting pedestals of marble with the names of their mayors and councillors boldly marked in gold lettering for future generations to marvel at (which the said generation might, in more than one sense), but not so Onehunga. The local Chamber of Commerce, the Jubilee Committee, and the Borough Council are in collaboration to raise funds for a £I,OOO building in which women may rest when weary. It is an effort worthy of all support, and one which could be advantageously emulated by the influential people of other suburbs —who need not wait for a jubilee to begin the job, either. REJUVENATING RACEHORSES

The English racehorse, Pentire, when an undersized colt, was regarded by his owner as worthless and condemned to be shot. Though he looked a hopeless case, a veterinary surgeon begged his life and submitted the animal to the gland treatment. Result, horse wins important race, under second top weight, in great style. There are hopes, then, for some of the alleged racehorses that tail the fields with irritating consistency at Ellerslie. The monkey-gland treatment is badly needed in this country, and the news of this successful case will doubtless lead to its application. In that event, when studying “form” in future, it will be necessary for the successful punter to ascertain whether his fancy has been receiving its regular dose of thyroid extract.

MONS MAN AND BOTTLE-O! While the canteen funds, amassed by the spending of soldiers’ money, are being hoarded, ex-soldiers are on the verge of starvation, and, in some unfortunate cases, compelled (and the word “compelled” is used advisedly) to steal. Take the case of a hero of Mons, with 11 years’ honourable service in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Reduced to the necessity of gathering bottles for a living, he lived on bread and dripping so that he could send some means of sustenance to his family at Oamaru. Receiving a letter from his wife, earnestly entreating money, he grew desperate, broke ihto a cordial factory, and stole some empty bottles. In similar circumstances many men ordinarily honest might have felt driven to a crime of infinitely greater gravity. It was no fairy tale that was told the Supreme Court, to which he was committed for trial. This man, standing in the felons’ dock, had been four times wounded, promoted on the field for bravery, mentioned five times in despatches, awarded the Mons Medal with laurels and the French Medal Militaire, and had been recommended by seven officers for the Victoria Cross. And his path of glory led to the gathering of empty bottles! The Judge thought the ends of justice would be served by a conviction without imprisonment. But the ends of justice will never be served whilst soldiers who fought for freedom are permitted to wear the shackles of destitution. “What price glory?”