THE PASSING SHOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 43, 21 February 1927, Page 6

THE PASSING SHOW.

(By THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.) On tho authority of competent authorities. by far the larger number of women who cmi•rrnto from Great Britain to Xew Zealand are domestic servants. It MERELY is assumed thev find in MARY ANN. these Fortuna'te Isles "Missusses" who are all ' that Mary Ann's fancy can paint. At Horn* at the present moment a leading London paper is devoting much space to correspondence from domestics and ex-domestics. Here is a typical one: "In I<W I started out in life as scullerv maid. putting in 17 hours a dav for 2/6 a w-e'k at the ape of 15. We Cinderella* are vJI shipwrecked in one common desolation, for we are at the mercy of all the shrews and Becky Sharps of tho nation. Domestic service is s very perilous adventure, and no girl should enter into it unless she has a good home to fall back on. I speak from 40 years" experience." An American publicist aboard the Franconia inquired whether the Xew Zealand health authorities, knowing that influenza was raging elsewhere, organised at FLUMONIA. once to meet the possible emergency. He was assured that the health authorities always announced their ability to cope with any emergency. Ho was "told what happened about the price of lemons during the great epidemic here and mentioned that even in California lemons during an epidemic had been sold for seventy-five cents each. When the malady became epidemic in Chicago a while aj.*o. the Health Commissioner arranged an emergency force of doctors and nurses, orderej the periodical disinfection of all theatres, schools and street cars, and, realising that cold flats made folk more susceptible, issued the warning to landlords of central-heated establishments: "If I find evidence that any greedy landlord has cut off the heat and the tenant dies, I shall ask the State Attorney to indict him on a charge of murder.'' I Distressing to read that the Dominions arc bein? eliminated as far as meat contracts for the army arc concerned because their foreign rivals are able to BULLY sell cheaper, employing FOR TOMMY, as they do native labour. Reminds one that Uncle Sam, of Chicago, does not employ native labour and that he, at least in the past, supplied Mr. Atkins with much meat. During the South African War millions of pound tins of Chicago bully were eaten (or thrown awav) bv the troops. A specially virulent tvpe ofbullv was dished out to the troops "in six-pound tins, one of the frantically foolish things the army does. It meant that a six-pound tin would be issued to a section of four horsemen, one man of the section having to carry it. In short, the veldt for miles was sown with sixpound tins of meat. In those davs some small issues of Xew Zealand bullv were made. There is no doubt that it was the best in the field. It was not specially issued to Xew Zealand troops, but they, like their brothers of the Imperial Army, used to fight for it. The scornful epithet. " Potted Arab," was never used in describing Xew Zealand meat. British tinned bacon was an occasional luxury. In many cases the two-pound tin was simply solid boiled fat. It was extremely valuable for greasing boots with, and for making slush i lamps for the " bivvy." But at times when tho soldier's ration was half a biscuit a dav and nothing else, a packet of candles would have been a meal for a field-marshal. Tho cosmopolitan appearance of Auckland has been emphasised of late years by the frequent visits of large numbers of American ladies and gentlemen. SAY BO! Often by some small difference in dress or manner (which, despite ignorant comment to tho contrary, is almost invariably roost modest and retiring) they indicate the countrv of their origin. Two confirmed Aucklanders walked down Queen Street yestcrdav. The Franconia was lying at her berth." A gentleman of breezy appearance, wearing nice light clothes and very larpe horn-rimmed glasses, accompanied by a bright-looking young ladv, came in the opposite direction. * One Aucklander, greatly knowing, said to his companion in the exaggerated nasal tone supposed to be tho American language, "Say. Bo! What do you know about the Yank!*' The other replied: "Know about him? He's been in Auckland all his life. In fact he was born in Ponsonby." Anyone who would willingly eat an Australian blackfellow would have to be extremelv hungry. He is usually, of all human beings, the most sketchy, emaciated, and BINJTE'S tough as stringybark. It DESERT, is cabled, however, that blackfellows have eaten a black boy in Xorthern Australia, and that two of the diners have been arrested. The blackfellow is not delicate in his eating. A mixj ture of mud and ants is a luxurv, he loves | burnt snake and scorched "goanna." Rock wallaby of unexampled toughness and high , flavour he regards with affection. The necessary flour for the sustenance of these primitive people is pounded from gra.ss seed. A reallv cxcollcnt dish much beloved by Binjie is the larpo fat grub found in the heart 'of forest trees. For some reason the blackfellow calls these things 'birdies.'* A luxurv bevond price to tho blackfellow is the sugarv "stuff that, at the proper season, falls from the gum trees and which the white man caiis •manna." A whole blacks* camp mar spend ji day patherin- a few ounces, and a lick of it is a least for the gods. Reverting to murder, the blackfellow is an unsatisfactory witness. One South Australian wnrrigal had married a while woman. She was large and red-headed, and she used to beat her husband. One dav, in a fit of absent-mindedness, he killed her*with a tomaj hawk. The murderer's evidence was someI thing to this effect: -White fella lubra coma- | long a paddock, fallum up against wire fence ; and killum self." This interesting witness : after escape and recapture, was hanged at | Tort Lincoln Gaol. ! Tl ( Ibey sat expressing dignified opulence on | a ferry boat on Sunday. Both were from ! the Franconia, and both American banker Tnr „_,„ millionaires. So mtrh mP ART could •*■ lcarnt fr OH> carcwrrrrLi™, ,css CODve rs*t>on in which MILLIONAIRE. ,t was apparent that having dollars galore was not in ,t w,th the sensation of making them. Both gentlemen were heavily ovcrcoatcd warmly gloved, and adequatelv scarred in oompi, mtl tlo tb Aurkland Mlmmer d Inej both a-recd without landing at Devonport that it was "a nice liT suburb." Tbev'l buy some photographs to t cll the folk at Lo, A ..poles and thus,. Florida placM ~„„. , , ~ suburbs-yes, sir: Tiny both agreed tb.i those long tnpa around the world were a bore. Neither of thorn would ever take lon- t r i„s again. But what struck one most was what the larger banker mid about the fcrrv boat piiess, he said, "there isn't a comfortable place on the whole boat, 'cept perhaps, in the ! smoking room-and HI bet that even there they haven't got . fire:" He snuggled himself into his heavy overcoat and shivered- Aud Aucklanders undid another waisteoat button