FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 964, 6 May 1930, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN.” THE DOOMED REGIMENT Mr. A. E. Hefford, fisheries inspector, attributes the death of toheroas on the 90-mile beach to quantities of dry sand blown on to the beach by the recent easterly winds. The suffocating toheroas Were walking hand in hand, And wept like anything to see Such quantities of sand. “If this were only cleared away,” They said, “it would be grand.” “Ii forty maids with forty mops Should sweep for half a year, Do you suppose,” a young one said, “That they would get it clear?” “I doubt it,” said a veteran, And shed a bitter tear. The sandy menace slaughters them Without respect to size. And like the famous carpenter, Whose sentiments we prize, I hold my pocket handkerchief Before my streaming eyes. GOLDEN ORE Another addition to the fashions in flagpoles which were the subject of recent comment has been elevated into an upright position in front of the new railway station. It has an elaborate bronze foundation, and a Shillings golden orb at the top of it. The flagpole on the new T. and G. tower, too, has a golden top-piece. All this suggests that the days of simplicity in flag-poles are definitely passing'. Soon every flagpole will have a golden spike or sphere at the top of it. Even the Railway Department is helping to keep the golden ball rolling. * * * YO-HO-HO America’s latest attempt to evade the prohibition laws is to consist of a series of cruises on which the passengers will embark for the avowed purpose of drinking. The voyages will have no particular destination; they will be merely joy rides to facilitate the rich American’s passionate desire to irrigate himself amid surroundings of ease and comfort. They will see no other country, nor will way ports distract them from their absorbing pursuits. To the man who is prescribed a sea trip by his doctor this will be an excellent way of taking the medicine. It will be like the case of the Aucklander who when ordered a sea trip took an annual ticket on the North Shore ferry and spent most of his time going to and fro across the harbour; only in the case of the latest Atlantic enterprise the medicine taken will consist of something even more stimulating than ozone and sea breezes. WITH FRANKS Reference herein to franking has caused a search of recent postal matter for examples. Letters posted from London in a recent English mail show that London was extraordinarily backward. There was no message for cousins across the seas. Australian mail, however, affords varied examples, including, “Grow more WHEAT”; “Address mail private number and expedite delivery”; “Air mail saves Time”; “Commonwealth Loan now open, apply at once,” and so on. New Zealand examples have lately harped with depressing monotony on the advantages of the telephone. But it was not ever thus, for a sinister communication marked “On Land and Income Tax Business Only,” bears the ironic message, “Post Early for Christmas.” \ s= * * DEATH DIVERS Dare-devil parachute experts are reported by cable to be rehearsing a new turn, in which they drop for thousands of feet from an airplane before pulling the rip cord of their parachutes and slowing up their descent in order to make a safe landing. They are getting’ it down to such a fine art that they keep their eyes on their wristwatches in order to judge Hie moment to a nicety. By this means some of them expect to set up a new record shortly by falling through space for a mile. The fact that all this time they retain consciousness rather knocks on the head the old fallacy that people falling from a height lose consciousness almost at once. Knowledge of this may discourage some of those who seek an easy route to oblivion by dropping over the Grafton Bridge. THE CATERPILLAR CLUB Airmen who escape from falling planes by parachutes are admitted to what is termed “the caterpillar club,” so-called because the ’chutes which land them safely are made from the strongest silk. The little silkworm crawling about among its mulberry leaves thus does airmen a favour. Practice descents or descents for display purposes do not admit the parachutist to membership of the club. It is only the forced descent, usually over unknown country, or perhaps at night, as with two descents made by Colonel Lindbergh, that qualifies him. Not many people, therefore, w-ill be very anxious to become members of this exclusive institution. Most of us like airplanes, but are not a bit keen on caterpillars, ,