FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 716, 16 July 1929, Page 10

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN.” KING HIGH While the King of the Belgians was bathing at Ostend, thieves took his gold watch and money. Sing a song of sixpence, wonders never end — The king was in the briny, bathing near Ostend, Laughing like a schoolboy, splashing his equerry, Swimming in the North Sea, innocent and merry. His watch was in the cabin (the day was bright and sunny) Sneak-thieves entered and, counted out his money; And when the door was opened they hadn’t left a -thing ... Wasn’t that a scurvy trick to put across SQUIDGE. SEA FEVER By all accounts, there is "something doing” in the Tasman sea. Some days ago a mariner whose word was presumably as good as his eyesight reported a tower of water near his ship. This came on the heels of the disclosure that many dead fish had been seen, a sight faintly reminiscent of the dark hour through which Christchurch passed when some inconsiderate person poisoned nearly all the trout in the Avon. Now there is the added evidence of an explosion and rapidly-moving column of smoke and water seen yesterday by the .light-keeper at Farewell Spit. Of course, it's no joking matter, but if the old Tasman does decide to play up, it might do the job properly. Already a portion of its floor has been heaved up near Karamea, and if the reported disturbances are symptoms of a similar occurrence on a grander scale, the time may come when we shall be able to motor over to Sydney for the weekend. A MILLION CHICKENS It is credibly reported that the latest subscriber to the engaging pastime of claiming Chancery millions has so far convinced himself of the legality of his claim that he is now planning what he will do with the money. “Asked what his plans for the future would be, Mr. Everingham said that probably after taking a trip abroad he would continue to live in New Zealand. He would build a modern residence and retire to enjoy the fruits of his good fortune.” Well, now, that’s just too modest of Mr. Everingham. He doesn’t entertain any of the craven doubts that led a Dunedin railway porter, engaged on a similar mission, to make sure that he could drop back into the old job if his quest failed. In these cases of lost fortunes waiting to be claimed, it’s always a little difficult to understand why the intervening relatives have been resting on their oars. There’s no point in saying a claimant may not have had any intervening relatives, because any such admission on his own part would be rather damaging to his claim. . . * WHO DROPPED THAT STUCK:’ So Hamiltofi has acquired another Moth. Soon they will be whizzing about all over the skies like seagulls or starlings, and there will be filling stations and other refinements propped up somehow in mid-air. Incidentally, there is going to be a big job for someone, putting the laws that cover air navigation—in America it is legally termed “avigation”—into decent shape. If a suffering pedestrian is bumped by a car, he or an obliging eye witness usually gets the offender’s number. The processes of the law accordingly follow fairly clear lines. But suppose a golfer whiling away the happy hours in bunkers and out of them is struck on the head by some implement dropped overboard from one of an air fleet overhead. The unhappy man recovers, and, of course, goes to court.: but who is there to say which plane dropped the monkey wrench ? TAKING THINGS EASILY The reprehensible custom which led burglars at Hawera .and New Plymouth recently to take away not only the contents of the safes, but also the safes themselves, was in evidence at Hamilton over the week-end, when a gas-meter containing 30s in cash was skilfully detached and borne away. Some allowance must be made, of course, for the man who makes off with a slot gas meter. In his case the venture is something of a gamble, like the purchase of a locked trunk at a railway auction sale. He may find something inside, and he may not. Anyway, slot gas-meters are really not among civilisation's better-class refinements. Speaking as one who has often gone the rounds of the neighbourhood trying to change half a crown, the L.O.M. thinks they might well be dispensed with altogether. Again, there is the sad case of the lady next door, who went out to bridge and forgot all about the roast in the oven. There was no chance that the gas -would burn out. because she had just put in three shillings, a kind of provident insurance against bridge losses.