Dunedin Gossip

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2644, 13 October 1919, Page 4

Dunedin Gossip

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The attempts to throw some glamour over the so-called war honours to civilians and soldiers who have never smelt powder, by having ceremonial investitures, have so far been a ghastly failure. In vain does the Governor-General rush around to hold these so-called courts and personally invest the recipients with the honors bestowed for some merit only known to some few. Of course the immediate friends attend to congratulate the honored ones, but the general public laugh at the whole thing and keep away. Except the two nurses, who saw war service, the .man in the street is wondering what exceptional war service has been rendered by the nine others invested by the GovernorGeneral this week. The charitably inclined hope that it is a case of doing good by stealth and blushing to fjnd it fame.” But the average individual laughs sardonically and snceringly alludes to our vaunted democracy. A lady who was present out of curiosity assures the writer that one or two of those honored backed away very gracefully, bowing from the vise-regal presence, while others had a narrow escape from tumbling backward from the platform, provoking quite a giggle. Glancing at the names of those invested one is inclined to believe that in this and other instances, some malicious sprite must have tempted those who made the recommendations to make the selection with the view of bringing the whole thing into contempt.