WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 270, 10 August 1922, Page 6

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Lenin is reported to have completely recovered —but the condition of Russia remains the same. There is nothing, to prevent us giving the 'Tasman Sea a new/name—just as there is nothing to oblige the rest, of tho world to use it. Dr. Collins favours medical certificates before marriage.—ls this another addition to the cost of living? Germany still seems to be trying to play a loan hand. Dr. Bumpus cordially approves of the project for renaming the Tasman. Sea. The present name has never been associated in tho Doctor’s mind with any- pleasant memories, and there is no knowing but what if wo gave it a new name the Tasman Sea might appreciate the honour and turn, over a new leaf. Tlie Doctor has made fourteen trips across it, and says this, or any- other, experiment is worth trying. Quite a number of qur place names are obsolete. It is difficult to see why the capital city should be burdened with the name of a soldier who has been dead over half a century, when there are sojnany.living persons who would appreciate the honour of having it called after them', even if only temporarily. Captain Cook also has monopolised the name of our highest mountain for too long. H® never even -went up it, so far as the Doctor knows. Our eighty leading centres of population might very well have tlie names of our present eighty members of Parliament bestowed on them. The new movement should give a needed stimulus to the map-making industry’ in Britain, and among its many beneficial effects appreciably reduce the volume of unemployment there. 'The Doctor thinks a new and more dignified name for the orb on which wo Hve than “the Earth” is long overdue.

With the provincial billiards championship in progress it is interesting to recall that the late Dr. W. G. Grace used to decline that in his opinion billiards was by far the most difficult of all games. Naturally, the “Old Man” placed cricket next; nor,would he hear anything in favour of golf, which he seemed to think was mere child’s play in comparison with tho national pastime —as cricket was for him. Mr. Max Pemberton, the novelist, who in his day rowed for Cambridge University, and has been a golfer, cricketer, lawn tennis and billiards player, also concurs in Dr. Grace’s'opinion. Manya man who has owned a billiards table for half his lifetime is still unable to do much more than make a thirty; break; while the amateurs who can compile a break of a hundred and more can surely be.counted upon the fingers of the hands. Mostjpf us, indeeii, are proud of an unfinished ten ; and when we do make a thirty break, nobody is more astonished than we are.

This question of relative difficulty, especially as between golf and cricket, was once debatetl bv that remarkable athlete, tho late A. E. Stoddart, probably a.s fine an all-round sportsman as Britain ever produced. Not only was Stoddart. a superb? three-quarter at .Rugby, but, as most people know, he was also 0110 of tho most finished “bats” that- ever cantaiited an. English team. Not merely this, but as a billiards player also he could hold his own among amateurs, and he would have been a first-class lawn tennis player if he had given himself to the game. Mr. Pemberton states _ that when Stoddart took up golf his cricketing career was over; but in less than one vear he was put upon the “scratch” mark, and had he persisted ho might have attained championship class. The game presented no great difficulties to him, and he ■would ask at what other pastime a man could become but a little worse than the champions after twelve months’ playIndeed, he had but a poor opinion of tho testing qualities of golf, and abandoned it, it is stated, because it failed to interest him on that. very score. The interesting point, though, would lie to know whnt is the shortest time in which a man after beginning billiards has risen to championship rank.

A connection between the inactivity of Ngauruhoe volcano* and the Taupo shakes has been suggested. During the period of the shakes it is stated that there was an absence of the usual daily shots of steam from New Zealand’s one volcano. American papers record that the Alaskan volcanoes have also been behaving erratically of late. A Seattle dispatch of June 23, for instance, stated“ Just aS Alaska was making extensive preparations to entert'atii m.-i<4’ prominent . persons this summer, its chief attraction, hundreds of erupting volcanoes, suddenly has subsided. This unusual and unprecedented cooling of the big: “smokestacks”- is puzzling North-west scientists, who fear the sp§U of quiet may be the forerunner of a tremendous eruption such as blew the entire* peak of Mount Katmai to atoms eight years ago. The volcano of Illiamna seems to have subsided . entirely while last summer large clouds of white smoke poured from its crater. The smoking peaks of the St. ‘Paul group, and many peaks along the North-west coast ana in the vicinity of Mount McKinley, also have cooled suddenly.”

■They are absent-minded in Britain occasionally. For over a century and a half soldiers were always to be seen on guard outside Drury Lane Theatre during the performances, and. most ppoplo thought this had to do with tho recognition of the playhouse as a Theatre Royal. In 1894, however., a dispute concerning the accommodation of the soldiers led to investigations. IV was found that a. guard had been set one night when George IT was attending the theatre, and the order not being countermanded it had been maintained ever since.

A young but brilliant professor in an American college had an inordinate craze for betting on anything and everything. This led to his dismissal, hut the president of the college helped him to get a post at another college, but advised the head there to do what-o-ev he' could to cure the young man of his bad habit. The professor was rordjallv received at his new college. Conversation had proceeded but a few moments when lie said to tho president: “I’ll bet you seventy-five dollars von have a wart between your shoulder blades.” The president hesitated. “Young man.” ho said, “I never bet. but just to teach ”ou a, lesson T will take vou up.” He ihnreunoit proved to the young man that he was in error, and the professor paid . the sevent-v-five dollars. The . president wrote West, relating the incident, concluding “I hope that I have cured him.” The other wrote back: “J fear the case is hopeless. The da.v ho'left bn rr . bo bet. me two hundred dollars fhot, bo could make you take off your shirt.’’ y CHECK-MATE! I used to write her of her eyes, Her hair, her wondrous voice; In verso I Wooed her tenderly— The lady of my choice. And so I won her, but to-day This fairest of her sex. c Caros little what I write in verse If I will write her cheque®! . —Doii ! Glen.