FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 987, 2 June 1930, Page 10

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

“THE LOOK-OUT MAN.”

WISDOM “Any fool can earn money, but it takes a wise person to spend it.” — Miss Ellen Melville. Now here js a contention that one can appreciate, Sincerely to endorse it none of us will hesitate: The facility of earning any fool can cultivate, , But the spending is the .tiling that takes the brains! In industry and commerce it is easy to succeed— For the absence of a conscience is the only thing you need. Yes, the earning of the money is simplicity indeed; But to spend it takes a genius—and brains! We will agree that nobody requires a master-mind To make a lot of money in the city’s daily grind. But the spending is another thing—and, usually, we find, That the fair sex claims the capital—and brains! FAKITI. SEA PALACES Have shipbuilders reached the limit in the size of passenger liners? The question is provoked by an announcement that Cunard has placed an order for a new Atlantic monster that will cost £6,000,000. In price this is a record, but the tonnage of the projected vessel has yet to be stated, and it will be interesting to see whether or not British designers will follow the German lead and concentrate on speed rather than size. Germany’s Europa, which holds the Atlantic blue riband with a speed of 32 m.p.h., and her sister-ship, the Bremen, marked what may be the beginning of a return to comparatively moderate tonnage. They, are each-of 46,000 tons, and the faster of the two is capable of eating up the leagues of ocean between Europe and America in four days and IT hours odd.

OLDER GIANTS

A ship of, 46,000 tons is no cockleshell, but it can be dwarfed by several of the mighty passenger ships of the present day. Though the previous Atlantic record-holder, Cunard’s Mauretania, is of 30,696 tons only, the White Star liner Majestic is 56,551 tons; and the daddy of them all, the United States Shipping Board’s mammoth Leviathan, is 59,957 tons. She was built in Germany just before the war, christened Vaterland, and sent out to capture Atlantic trade. When war broke out she took shelter in American waters, and was interned. Later, when the United States took a hand in the conflict, she was renamed and equipped with the Stars and Stripes. Nowadays, when Germans travel on the Leviathan, they take a malicious delight in praising her immensity and magnificence, whereupon the American officers reply icily; “Yes, she is a fine ship, but you should have seen the Lusitania.”

CANNY METHODS All is not gold that glitters, muses a colleague whose adventure in a city store the other afternoon cost him nothing more than five minutes of perspiring embarrassment. Strolling about among the counters he saw an electric light fitting that took his fancy. Next to it was a high pyramid of electric lamp-bulbs. As he picked up the fitting it slipped from his hand and flew back, landing squarely on the side of the glass pyramid. There was a succession of sharp explosions and all eyes were focussed on the shopper who stood brushing glass off his coat. An assistant hurried up. “I think 1 owe for a few of these lamps,” said the shopper. “That’s all right,” replied the assistant. “These lamps are ‘duds,’ used for display. The good ones are behind the counter.” Shoplifters must have a thin time in that establishment. TITE CONNOISSEURS The electric bulb incident reminds one of the famous wine-tasting episode at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition in 1925-26. The Governor-General. Sir Charles Fergusson, and his party, were invited to visit the stall of a well-known vendor of New Zealand wines and sample his wares. It so happened that a new attendant had been put in charge of the stall, but he rose to the occasion and made the visitors welcome. Then he selected various bottles from the. big display pyramid and produced glasses. The first bottle was opened and everyone tried a glass. “Excellent,” said an aide de camp. “Splendid,” said the chairman of the exhibition directors. “Fine,” said the general manager. “First-class,” said his Excellency’s secretary. But Sir Charles said nothing. Another bottle was tried. Again enthusiasm, though rather forced. Again Sir Charles said nothing. A third sample. This time the praises were distinctly weaker and Sir Charles said frankly:

“X think there is something the matter with this tvine.” There was. The horrified attendant found that throughout he had been serving the party with coloured water, bottled by his predecessor and placed on display to discourage thieves.