FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 915, 7 March 1930, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

“THE LOOK-OUT MAN.

HIS HOBBY Giving evidence before the Select Committee on capital punishment, tlu Rev. Mr. Cottrell said he had witnessed 15 executions. He favoured the retention of the death sentence. —Cable. When the Reverend Mr. Cottrell finds his chaplaincy a tax And he feels the strain of over-much haranguing. Experience has taught him that to thoroughly relax There is nothing like a little bit of hanging. Some evenings in soliloquy, he’s charmed to recollect Events on which the memory fondly lingers, And calculates that, those he’s seen depending by the neck Are more than he could count upon his fingers. Though others find amusement in the picture show’s delights, And milder men amuse themselves with shopping, lie gets his fun from witnessing the hangman’s pleasant rites, And the music of the gallows-trap a-dropping! ON THE SPIKE Fashions in flagpoles, as in bathing attire, vary as the years roll by. At one time a plain stick of straight timber was considered ideal for the purpose. Now the well-equipped city building requires a flagpole that is almost as ornate as the radiator cap of a 1930 model motor-car. There is a splendid sample on the top of the handsome new power board building. Tapering like the rest of the roseate pile’s external decorations, the effective mast is crowned by a tall, ornamental innnacle of metal. But you cannot have such trimmings without creating doubts in conservative minds. Someone looked up at the flag high aloft yesterday afternoon, and said: “Good Heavens, what have they got the flag half-mast for, already?” TN THE .S 'HADE Mr. Ban Sullivan, M.P., of Christchurch, has communicated to the Press his belief that if the Government survives the coming session it will be nothing less than a miracle. Coincident with this is the news that Babour has selected its candidates for the various Wellington constituencies. From these and other portents it seems fairly certain that.an election is not far distant, but for their own sakes it is to be hoped that politicians will show a little intelligence in this matter, and if they must have an election, postpone the affair till' after August. Before that the tour of the British Rugby team will be taking place, and with such an important matter as that -to attend to, tlie country will not welcome any trifling distractions. FORBIDDEN FIREWORKS In adult as well as juvenile circles from Penrose to Avondale the restrictions on the sale of 'fireworks appear to be a prolific -topic ol conversation, and it is the consensus that no Government which is without its leader and has only been in office 15 months lias ever devised a saner piece of legislation. Unfortunately there appears to be*a feeling of misplaced resentment among certain people who fear that Guy Fawkes day in future may lose some of its brightness and jollity. On the contrary, it is believed that the occasion will be brighter and jollier than ever, for not only will the good old traditional figure of Guy Fawkes be burned with appropriate derision, but also it is on the cards that the effigy of a popular and unassuming Dunedin knight who wears his whiskers long and speaks in a low voice may share the same fate. The new regulation is also celebrated with a limerick:— Said Sidey, prohibiting fireworks, Away with these juvenile dire works. If children must play, In this civilised day. I’ll find them some suitably higher works. TAKING THE COUNT Royal romances do hot always end in stately cathedral ceremonials in which robed priests and uniformed ! guardsmen fill in whatever spaces are left between the titled relatives of i the bride and bridegroom. Evidence of the fact that there is still many a slip is the cabled news that a Rumanian plenipotentiary has been sent to Pless (wherever that is) to inform the Count von Hochberg of the termination of his engagement to the Princess Ileana. If the Count has any come-back to this curt intimation, he will doubtless send a plenipotentiary of his own by return mail. But it must be embarrassing to conduct such delicate negotiations in this manner. The breaking-off of an engagement is painful enough at any time, without the glare of publicity. In ; less exalted circles the victim either 1 leaves town or mopes about reflecting i that all is for the best. But counts : who take the count can have no such . refuge from the limelight.