WHY WE SHAKE HANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHY WE SHAKE HANDS.

The habit of shaking hands is now so common that you have probably never stopped to think why we do it. The custom is many centuries old. Hundreds of years ngo there was a very important reason why two men should grasp each other's right hand when meeting. The right hand was the sword hand, and the handshake prevented either of them secretly grasping his sword and striking the other. In time it became general to surrender the sword hand as a token of friendship, and from that our presentday custom developed.

AEROPLANE PAINTING CONTEST. Aeroplane pictures certainly are popular with Budget readers. Peter Pan was especially delighted to find so many excellent entries among the hundreds that came in—seeing that Wendy had boasted so much about parrot pictures. The following is the list of the six Yvonne Rutledge, Westmerc, a<*c 10. Raymond Woolford, Mt. Albert, age 12. John Irvine, Sandringhnm, age 12. Jill Purdie, Parncll, age 8. Wallace Eriksen, Sandringham, a R e 12. Anne McCrystal, Glendowie, a R e 8. Certificates of merit were awarded BLUE: Beryl Weston, Whangarci; Betty Blenner'r.asaett. Pukckohe; "peter Weston, Mangere: Pauline Bayliss Mount Eden; Colin Wrigley, EllcrslieIris Coulthard, Onehunga; Margaret Bowden, Epsom: Barbara Rose, Matamata; Loin Anderson. Hobsonvillc; Prudence-Philcox, Parnell; Ailsa Wallace, Auckland; Iris Powlcy, Sandring ham; Laurel Hipkins. Otahuhu; Ruth Carter, Remuera. PINK: Margaret Broadwood, Epsom; Edward 3enioHernc Bay; W. Olphert, Napier; Annie Telfer, Maungakaramea; Valeric Fielden. Papatoetoe; Irene Boland. Onehunga: Berys Mulcock, Remuera- Malcolm Stewart, Mangere; Shirley Nunn< New Plymouth; Verna Harlev, Newmarket; Daphne Kelly, Hamilton; Miriam Fyson, Hawera: Dawn Conwav' Royal Oak; Alma White, Hamilton' Helen Haszard, Epsom; Ronald Norton' Remuera; Joy Calder, Papatoetoe' Nancye Hammerick, Avondale SouthCraig Burrell, Remuera; Marcaret Vant, Te Puke; Colleeh Clotworthy, Devonport.

NIAGARA ONCE RAN DRY. It was early on flm morning ol March 31, ISIS, the falls suddenly ran dry and continued in Hint state until early the next morning. People in the neighbourhood were awakened by the stillness, and all day sightseers vandered rtryshod out in the bod of the river and along the edges of (lie bare precipices of'rock over which only small streams were trickling. The previous winter hud been very seven', causing ice. of unusual thickness to form on Lake Erie, and when the spring 'break-up came a great gale first piled the ice /locs on top of one another into huge walls, and then drove them into the Niagara River with such force that they formed a mighty dam, which stopped (lie How of water into the river until the enormous" pressure from the lake broke it down.