How Joe Hall Took the Count

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 193, 4 November 1927, Page 10

How Joe Hall Took the Count

COULD SPEAK NO DUTCH

WILES OF THE CUSTOMS ■Buffels Willen Somtijda Tezamen Werken . . .” Had negro boxer Joe Hall been able to write those magic words —along with a few more- —as he sat in the smoke-room of the Maheno on October 18, he might have been at large in Australia to-day, instead of being ordered deportation. But C. J. Brossois, Customs official, who speaks German like a German, French like a Frenchman, and Dutch

like a Dutchman, floored Hall in the dictation test by choosing Dutch. Any undesirable trying to enter Australia may be given a test in dictation. If he fails, he is banned. And, of course, he always fails, because the choice of language lies with the Customs. BORN IN BUFFALO, TOO! “Write this!” said C. J. Brossois. when Hall had been equipped with pen and paper: Buffels willen somtidja werken veer eenen aanal maar alleen voor eenen verdedigenden anval voor het geval van eea tijger die prtfoeert em eene koe of een kalf to ddoden die aan de kudde behoort. Maar dit gelukt ook niet altijd want zelfs de tijger met all sijne groote sterkte lean niet altijd zijn slachtoffer nederwerpen. But Joe didn’t write. Although he was torn in Buffalo, N.Y., he didn’t know that “Buffels” means ‘buffaloes.” Even now he doesn’t know what Brossois was saying, although it was perfectly simple: Male buffaloes will combine for attack only when for defensive attack, organised to thwart the attempt of a tiger to carry off a cow or a calf belonging to a herd. But even this is not always successful. With all his enormous strength the tiger cannot always overthrow his victim. Dictation tests are not made to be passed. They are made to keep Australia exclusive. EVEN GAELIC USED When an international criminal sought admittance some time ago, his prowess as a linguist made him dangerous. Fearing he might pass in French, Italian, Dutch or German, the Customs borrowed a red-headed policeman who dictated to him in Gaelic.* Fifty words of Gaelic had the same effect on him as 50 words of Dutch had on Hall. He was done. More Money The New South Wales Cricket Association is putting up the payments made to players and managers. These will be 25s a day, including Sundays, while away from Sydney, and 20s per day, with no Sunday remuneration, while at home. The new scale will apply not only to Sheffield Shield matches but to second-eleven interstate games and the match against Tasmania in Sydney; for this affair it was originally proposed to pay only 10s a day, while the second strings were to draw 15s. An amendment in favour of equal work equal pay was carried.

out for his slow ball as well as a shortleg. All at once he brought the outfield in to mid-on and sent mid-on and short-leg into the slips. HE LOOKED FIERCE If ever a man advertised the fact that he was going to bowl wind-jam-mers—as fast bowling was known in the old days—Spofforth did on this occasion. Even Jack Blackham was so assured of the fact that he stood back, without waiting for the sign, as, in contradistinction to what has frequently been stated in the Press, he frequently did when "old Spoff.” was on the warpath. After getting the fieldsmen on their toes and the batsmen on the qui vive the demon came along with that terrifying run of his?, using his left arm as a camouflage to distract the batsman’s attention from what his right arm was going to do, a slow, insidiuos delivery sneaked along instead of the express expected, which the batsman, playing too soon at, spooned back to the bowler, and was caught. It was a triumph for tactics. Yet the only man pleased was the bowler, Blackham being quite wrath at the deception that had been played upon him. But Spoff remained unperturbed, replying to the angry remarks of his fel-low-men the simple but convincing j words. "Was it a success?”