FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 595, 22 February 1929, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN/' A MAKO SONG Mr. Zane Grey and his party are having good sport with the game fish at Mercury Island. The sport they say is plentiful And no doubt that is true, But what about regarding it From the mako’s point of view? A trailing fish that looks quite good Although a little still: A snap—and then a burning pain That’s not a frantic thrill. A leap into the sunny air, A splash back to the sea. A struggle and a twisting To gain liberty. Of coursethe sporting malco Bike all has had his day. But after ally it must be fun To be caught by Mister Grey. DEFENCE NEGLECTED A motorist is claiming £25 for damages caused to liis car through collision with, a cow at Papakura. Plaintiff did not say that the cow failed to sound her horn. WANDERING- HALF-CROWNS A report from Wellington states that there is a great leakage of halfcrowns from New Zealand. Most Individual experience shows that money of any denomination has not acquired the excellent art of staying in one place. BIFFING THE BOOTLEGGER There is a move in America for the imposition of more severe penalties on bootleggers. This seems to be a reasonable enough demand, for as the situation is at present, the greatest risk is taken by the consumer. It. has been said that a drink in time saves nine—if its wood alcohol. NAMING A PQBT OFFICE The Post and Telegraph Department is finding it difiicult to decide upon a suitable name for a nonpermanent post office to be opened at National Park next week. Heather Heights, and Scoria, are among the names suggested. Why not Three Peaks, after the mountains in the district? RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS A new railway engine tried out in Wellington yesterday is said to have equipment which does away with double-heading and banking on the steep grades. These last two terms sound like borrowing from the good game of t-wo-up, but probably it is no more than the technical method of describing the clankings which make engines move slowly up hills. GAMBLING IN CHILE The unpleasant habit that dictators have of interfering with the liberties of the subjects they govern has reached irritation point in Chile. That country, controlled by President Carlos Ibanez, has for many years looked with kindly eyes on the human frailty of gambling, hut Ibanez has now Issued an edict that all gambling must cease. Gaming establishments have been closed, with the exception of one at a famous seaside resort, where a single roulette wheel is allowed to remain. Perhaps the edict will not he so effective as the Puritanical President hopes. Gambling is a deep-rooted instinct, and it takes something stronger than law to stifle it.

ih Vr r\- X lie % & SK St a- % -a * SAXOPHONES OR CRIME Admirable attempts to turn the minds of the young to hallowed channels are being made by an American society. One of its slogans is “Teach a boy to blow a saxophone, and he won’t blow a safe.” It is just a question as to which activity is most desirable, and, in any case, specialisation counts these days. SHEET IN A STREET The patient dozens who spend a large portion of their day sitting on boxes in the lane outside Plis Majesty’s Theatre pass the time in various ways, few of them appearing to be satisfied with mere thinking or sitting still. The girls work away with gaily-coloured threads of flimsy nameless things, but yesterday a more ambitious task was undertaken by a patient woman. She hemmed a sheet. More awkward needlework could hardly be thought of for the street, but this patient soul was quite content, and she had many hours to wait before the theatrical reward came her way.