FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 261, 25 January 1928, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE'LOOK-OUT MAN”

LABOURED IN VAIN — A message from Wellington says that there “was much heart-burning on the part of bookmakers and early double-takers” owing, to the horse Crown Area being wrongly listed in the acceptances for the Metropolitan Handicap. “It meant a big thing for bookmakers whose Sunday work in terviewing clients was to a large extent wasted,” says the writer. Strange. We always understood that bookmakers were prohibited in New Zealand. * * * TWO BRAVE DEEDS — Men have received the coveted Victoria Cross for deeds which showed less bravery than that of the nameless tramp who saw a lad with a foot wedged in the points of a railway cutting, and, after vainly trying to remove the boot, twisted the lad’s foot until it was clear of the line, lying down beside him as the Manchester express thundered over them. Here was heroism indeed. In war, it is perhaps easy to be courageous when surrounded by one’s fellow men all anxious to play a part in the day’s engagement, but this act of a lonely tramp stirs the imagination. As a culmination to the epic deed a few shillings were presented to the hero! It’s a mad world. Another magnificent act, involving a sacrifice of life this time, is reported from Christchurch, where Mrs. Gertrude Taylor, aged 66, in an attempt to save a deaf child from being run over by a tramcar, lost her life. “The nobility of Mrs. Taylor’s death,” said the coroner, “must, I feel, assuage the grief of her relatives.”

THE DAYLIGHT LIMITED “Dear L.0.M.: “It was my experience the other day to suffer a journey from Auckland to Wellington by the Daylight Limited express train, which, incidentally, takes twice as long as the Flying Scotsman traverses the same distance, or near about, from Edinburgh to London. But comparisons are not fragrant. I would prefer to see you urge your many readers to make the journey once this summer. And for two reasons: (1) So as to see in glowing sunshine the superb beauty of the National Park, which has not yet caught the popular fancy of this backward community, and the glory of the remnant of true New Zealand bush in the King Country. (2) So as to become determined beyond all influence or temptation never to travel again by the Daylight Limited. It is the dustiest and grittiest train in the world.”—Yours, Ordeal Over. * * * WHY NOT? — ’ Politicians are aghast at the impertinence of a dog-racing bookmaker in North-East London, who has placed in circulation hundreds of treasury notes bearing on the reverse side the name of “The Old Firm” and the hearty assurance: “Safe As a •Bank.” Something of the same nature seems to be indicated for the dog-racing bookmaker’s clients. A wreath of rosemary, say, with the inscription, “Goodbye For Ever.”

PEN MIGHTIER THAN POLITICS

It is always interesting to learn how much money the big men make in the great game of politics. Some of them do rather well at it, while many others get more wages than they earn. Mr. David Lloyd George, O.M. (he is one of the very few statesmen who have won the coveted Order of Merit) has found it necessary to te.ll England something about his emoluments and earnings a.s a man of affairs and as a journalist. He confesses that he never -would have referred to his success in politics and with the pen “had it not been for the calumny insidiously and privately spread by men and women of the baser sort” concerning the Liberal Party’s nest-egg of a million or so, known as the Lloyd George Fund. It was really not necessary for him to say that he had never touched a penny of this fund for his private use. Since leaving Ministerial office in 1922 Mr. Lloyd George has worked hard as a journalist to earn his livelihood; and with some success. “My articles,” he says, “have appeared in almost every great country in the world, and my emoluments from this source during these four years have been much greater than the aggregate of my salaries during 17 years of office.” This is big hunting in the jungle of journalism. As a Minister of the Crown he never got less than £5,000 a year, so that in 17 years he received £85,000, as against an aggregate of £ 2,000 as an ordinary M.P. for 21 years (payment began in 1911). With liis pen, however, he has made over £21,000 a year. Of course, if the great litle man had. not first won fame as a statesman, his earnings in journalism probably would have been £lO a week, and severe sub-editing.