ANDOM SHOTS

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 85, 11 April 1925, Page 18

ANDOM SHOTS

BY*

Now that the echoola ere reopening "This Freedom" ought to be a popular book among parents.

The tramway-bus rivalry eeems to be as old as Shakeepeare, for we find a character in "Henry IV." saying, "Thou dost give mc flattering busses."

A motor car recently travelled from Wellington to Auckland on top gear. Several other cars, however, have made the trip on their reputations.

The British Foreign Minister fears that there will be another war. It is understood, however, that nations making this war will be prosecuted for incurring debts before they have got their discharge from bankruptcy.

There is fresh talk of doing away with school prizea. Abolition would have at least one good result. There would no longer be any need for speakers at prize-givings to tell the unsuccessful solemnly that not every boy or girl can get a prize, and that they need not be ashamed of their failure.

It is possible for cross-word puzzles to contain hidden dynamite. A certain theatre included a puzzle in its programme, but did not find out until too late that "the most popular theatre" in the puzzle represented the name of its most serious rival. The moral is, look a gift cross-word puzzle in the mouth.

The hoax in South Africa, in which a poem by Shelley was submitted as original and given third place, reminds mc of a competition in which the identity of a much more popular figure was hidden. Travelling in the United States, Mr. Charles Chaplin came upon a Charlie Chaplin competition, and had the happy idea of impersonating himself. He was not even placed.

In years to come "the Tecent appointment 'by the Auckland City Council of a woman sanitary inspector, who is to pay special attention to restaurants and food shops, may be taken both as a milestono in progress and as a. proof that the world is slow to make use of women's brains. We have had sanitary inspectors for a long while, but why no women in the business? Woman should have special aptitude for detecting undesirable conditions in places where they eat and sell food. Housekeeping is supposed 'to 'be her speciality, though perhaps the advanced woman scorns the idea. At any rate the new inspector, with about a thousand premises to keep an eye upon, will have plenty to do. I wonder what ehe -will say to the idea that forks and not fingers should be used to 'hand out food.

The head of the London drapery firm who is ashamed of his trade, cays "woman could be quite as happy in a bath sheet" as in fashionable clothes. The question, however, is rather, would she be as happy? Virtue is so often a matter not of ability but of desire and will. Moreover, what docs Mr. Jacoby mean by a bath sheet? What sort of a thing is it? Is it possible that he has in mind the rubber sheet that is hung round shower baths to keep the floor dry? A woman garbed in one of these might look odd. Does Mr. Jacoby suggest that these should be worn in the style of the old flowing draperies, or may they be handed over to dressmakers to be cut into the shape of skirts? And would colours be permitted or does he wish to see all women dressed in drab grey?

Mr. Harold Schmidt, one of the candidates for the mayoralty, has adopted the apple as a sign. The symbolism may be variously interpreted. In Greek mythology the apple was the symbol of love, because it was given, by Dionysus to Aphrodite; of strife, because it was an apple that Eris threw amongst the guests at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis; and of fruitfulness, because Gaea gave golden apple 9£o Hera upon her marriage with Zeua. Also it was the apple that tempted Atalanta to lose her race with Hippomeme3—"Absit omen," Mr. Schmidt might say. In the Scandinavian mythology apples were the food off the gods, and I suppose a Mayor may be considered a minor, or a local, god. Then there is the apple that grew by the Dead Sea, and, though beautiful to the eye, turned to ashes at the touch. Whatever happens, however, let us hope that Mr. Schmidt will not get the pip. There is something in Bernard Shaw to the effect that parents send their children to school to get rid of them. I haven't got the extract, and I may be, doing Mr. Shaw an injustice, but if he means that parents ought to keep children at home and educate them, I think it would have done him good to be in some New Zealand households during! the last few weeks. (Mr. Shaw, like! many other persons who are dogmatic about children, hasn't any of his own.) Let Uβ take a glimpse at the conscientoua New Zealand mother conducting a school at home during the epidemic period. There are four children, one at a eecondary school, and three in dif- i ferent standards in a primary school.) Two are settled to their work in the j living room, one in a bedroom, and one i on the verandAh. George is wrestling with the first things in Latin, of which he has the lowest opinion, and mother has to summon up from the remembrance I of things long past, rusty knowledge of declensions. Mary has a sum, A, B. and C rowing. Tom has to write a composition on a trip to fairy-land, which subject he, being a most unfairy-like child, is contemplating" in bewilderment, i Horace is as deep| as he can be in I geography. Mother gives them all a j start, and goes to her house work, to be interrupted, first, by a S.O.S. call fro'Jn Tom, who ha 3 not arrived within eight of fairyland; then by a squabble over the ink by the two using the living room, j and then by an appeal from Mary to ! explain A, B. and C. While all this is going bn the grocer and the calls; a friend rings up for a long chat on the telephone (you know how some people , simply cannot stop talking on the j phone); the bottle man calls for pro- i mised bottles, which are under the' house; and two neighbours come in toi Irorrow things, and stand upon the order! of their going. "School" over, George i falls on a. stone and cuts his knee; Mary j wanders off somewhere without saying anything to her mother; and a period of: strange quietness on the part of Tom Iβ j explained by the fact that he has been ; painting a cross-word puzzle on the side j of the house. Then,- when , father comes home in the evening, he says jovially: "How's everybody ? Had a nice quiet day, I suppose?" .