FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 438, 21 August 1928, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN.” WHAT IS IT? A scink lias arrived in Auckland on the Southern Cross. The scink is a little-known creature from the Western Pacific, and will shortly be oil view at the Zoo. The worthy scink Is in the pink j Though yet unknown to fame — i The way it. looks Is not in books; ! Unrecognised its name. What is this scink T Is it a link j With some primeval age? And does it swim By streamlet’s brim. j Or should it have a cage? Now, is it pink? This unknown scink, Or is it blue, or what? Perhaps its dad Fas coloured plaid, Which makes the scink a Scot. Next time young Sue Is at the Zoo , She'll cry, “Well, what d'yer fink? Come ’ere, Alf, Bring Lil and Ralph, This ’ere’s the blinkin’ scinli.” WATER LOGGED A grape contains about 79 per dent, water, an apple 82.5 per cent., an orange 87 per cent., a peacli 88 per cent., and a strawberry 89 per cent. The list Is headed, however, by the boarding-house cabbage and potato, which contain 99 per cent and 99J per cent, of water respectively. BAD POLICY The Prime Minister was fined half-a-crown by the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday. The charge as read by Mr. J. Foster was; “It is some time since you have been in Wanganui.” Mr. Coates paid up with a smile. A member of his Majesty’s Opposition condemns this action. He thinks that the Prime Minister should have been rewarded for keeping away; but then, he is biased. BEER! We have just assimilated the interesting information that, including the Maoris, New Zealand consumed 8.885 gallons of beer a head last year. It is just as well the Maoris are included. Quite a few of them would be hurt at being left out of this distribution. Sam, who has escaped from Minhinnick’s room and is also interested in the figures quoted, has asked whether he can draw his nine-gallon quota in bulk to-day. A’OT EVEN E. AND O.E. Destructive criticism of Government departments is, to many people, one of the few sincere joys they get from life; but so far as the postal officials are concerned, let us temper justice with mercy, and assume, for the moment, office of defending counsel. A city firm had a letter delivered to it last week on which the name was incorrectly spelt, and the address given as E. and 0.E., Auckland. The postal department does not play safe as Commerce does, and “except errors and omissions.” It gets the letters delivered under any humanly possible circumstance.

AN UNFORTUNATE TRIP Lord Dewar tells this story. A conductor on a tram noticed an elderly Scotsman and _a young Scottish lad. The old man was holding a watch in his hand and was studying it with intense interest. Suddenly he seemed satisfied and looked up. Seeing the conductor, he beckoned to him. “What is it?” asked the conductor. “I want to pay the rest of my grandson’s fare,” replied the Highlander. “He has just become 12 years old.” HIS LUCKY COIN Most actors confess to a respect for lucky omens, and Mr. Bransby Williams, who toured New Zealand a year or so ago, is no exception, judging from a story he told recently. An American journalist over in England on a visit drove up to his house, seeking an interview, and caught him in his working clothes tidying up the front garden. The caller, mistaking him for the gardener, slipped a shilling into his hand and said: “Just run in and tell Mr. Williams that a gentleman from America wishes to see him, will you?” Mr. Williams went in, tidied himself up a bit, and came out, greatly to his visitor’s embarrassment. The latter got his interview, and Mr. Williams kept his shilling. He regards it as a mascot.