RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 93, 14 January 1929, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

. SIDELIGHTS ON CURRENT * EVENTS LOCAL AND GENERAL < (By Cosmos.) “Children Drive Slowly,” reads a W.A.C, sign at Titahi Bay. As a general rule, we regret to say they don’t Paul Pioret, the French frock designer, is a bitter opponent of the dress which reveals a woman’s knee, but his attack has had no visible effect. At any rate there has been no rush to cover. *• 5 * “The desire for financial independence led me to enter the professional arena,” says Gene Tunney. In other: words, he took up prize-fighting bocause there was big money in it

“I don’t believe in advertising,” said the. tobacconist as he turned from the publicity man to attend to a lady ac the counter. “I want a pipe for my husband,” she said, “one of those nice pipes that the advertisement says' drives away every care.”

We are told that the popular song “Marcheta” netted its composer £lO. while the man who ran the risk of publishing it netted a modest £30,000. Nothing daunted, the songster has written a new melody, but on this occasion he has arranged a more equitable royalty basis—with a different publisher.

For the past year the humorous Jour- ■ nals of the world have been greitly concerned with two of modern civilisation's most serious problems. We refer ; to the carelessness of motorists in so far as the life of pedestrians is oncerned, and the indifference of ped>strians to the rights of motorists. It has been proved that the pedestrim regards the motorist as an inhumm monster, while the man behind tie wheel views the man who walks as jtrt about the most callous and stubborn being in existence. The world has therefore been divided into two schoos of thought, each having opinions at distinct variance to the other. “Cosmos’ has now reached the conclusion tha: the only solution to this great problem lies in adopting the most radical measures. He proposes that, for a period of twelve hours, all who are in the habit of driving motor-cars hand their vehicles over to the pedestrians while they spend the day walking about the; city. The elevated pedestrians are then to show the motorists the correct wayin which to negotiate street crossings, pass schools, and behave in congested areas. The former motorists, on the other hand, will conduct themselves as good pedestrians should, and show how it should be done.

At the expiration of the'twelve-hour period those who are not in hospital or police cells are to compare notes and plan a traffic control recommendation for the city council The surviving pedestrians will then take the motorists to the street corners where the remains of their cars are to be collected, that is, of course, provided they are not to be found in one of the queues of disabled cars awaiting entrance to the city’s many excellent repair shops. Another advantage of this proposal is that the streets would be-particularly free from traffic for some days, which would enable the quiet little man of retiring disposition an opportunity of doing his shopping in comfort. The ’> unemployment problems would also be temporarily solved by this proposal. The number of workers would be greatly reduced, while in the motor trade the volume of repair work would be enormous. Broken plate-glass windows, damaged fences and missing veranda poles would also provide employment for a large number of people. But the most lasting benefit, no doubt, would arise fromfhe ability of each and all of us to see things from the-Jother fellows point of view. Few people whe pass along Rintou Street, Wellington, are aware that th thoroughfare derives its name from th' founder of “The Spectator,” one of tte leading English weeklies. Robet Stephen Rintoul, tie first editor of tht journal, was one of the first Britih journalists to reccgnise the necessiy for a weekly nevspaper which pesented a complete record of contaiporary history. Be came in contct with many of the gieatest minds of ms day, not the least ofwhom was Edwtra Gibbon Wakefield, i Wakefield’s enthusiasm for colonial expansion oon enveloped Rintoul, and, in Che Sory of the Spectator” we are tok tha. the settlement of New Zealand oved nuch more to him than will ever b kiown. Wakefield relied to the greatet extent on the judgment of Rintoul, thie the columns of “The Spectator vere always at the disposal of th expert colonisers.” Having at one me been the editor of the “CoioniaWzette, which led a brief but useful if e, Rintoul was a keen student o colonial problems, and it is fitting indel that his name should be perpetuated i one of Wellington’s main thorougnlres.

“C” writes: “An Aucklandnessage published a few days ago sted that Rowlev Hill, the 92-year-old Kbri War veteran, was the sole survivg recipient of the rare New Zealal Cross (New Zealand's own V.C.). Us is incorrect Mr. Ben Biddle, N.Z., is 86 vears old, and is still residu in the Bay of Plenty. He was a nuber of the Armed Constabulary, a te bush scout and an accurate shot. 3e won his Cross in the attack uponie Ngatapa Pa. The enemy’s posbn was bounded on the right by a scald stone ridge, which was command© by his rifle pits. The only way to g.to the pa was by cutting steps intoie cliff. Biddle was one of a dozen vmteers, and although the bullets of tlMaoris fell thick around them, the sk was completed, and Biddle, and fellowprivate named Black, both rewed the award.”

The criminal paradise has (last arrived. Sing Sing, the famous inerican prison, has been elaborately railt and its inmates will in future beaged in sunlit cells. Their needs, edational, industrial, and mental, will attended to by a staff of experts. Relbus and hospital treatment is also toi of the best. There are cells sufficient 1763 men. Of these 379 will be reived for those who can be trusted i to attempt to break away. Each 11 has a window opening out on the pnn yard, and will afford its occupant ter light and air and a good view of t outside world. Into each will be p-a single bed, a table, and chair. Thiells will also be heated. The neWluxury” Sing Sing cost roughly £10,900 to build and equip.