RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 285, 28 August 1931, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events LOCAL AND GENERAL

(By

Kickshaws.)

The State Advances Department has been called “the dearest lender in the country." It to not often that terms of endearment of this nature are applied to money-lenders. In their match against Essex the New Zealand bowlers were said to have held the upper hand at the start They should be taught that restrictive methods of that sort are bound to inconvenience even the most deadly overarm bowler. The statement jokingly made by Sir Apirana Ngata that about one hundred years ago “the pakeha took away our national game” of war to possibly correct But it must not be thought that war was the only old-time Maori pastime. There were other games designed to while away the monotonous Interludes between raids. The most surprising fact about these games and pastimes is the fact that they were extraordinarily similar to those played, on the other side of the world. For example wrestling wag a popular pastime in New Zealand long before exotic modern exponents Introduced nose holds, eye gouges, and Jaw strangles. The Maori relied not on these barbarities for victory, but upon charms, chants and expectoration. • • • While an old-time Maori preferred to enforce argument with a weapon he was not beneath settling private quarrels by boxing. There were two schools In Maori boxing circles. One school advocated striking with clenched fists, knuckles foremost, like we do to-day ; the other school advocated striking with the fists so closed that the blow was delivered with the side of the hand. As for parlour games, the Maori knew all the well-known ones. Both "knuckle-stones” and “cat's cradle” were popular. “Knuckle-stones” was played with five stones sometimes as big as shillings. At one time “knucklestone” teams are said to have travelled long distances to play friendly matches with other tribes. “Cat’s cradle” was played In a very similar manner to the English version. The designs naturally differed. Some designs were very complicated and over ten feet long.

An Idea of the Maori's longstanding knowledge of the European game of draughts may be had from the fact that when a pakeha ship visited New Zealand In 1814 ‘a Maori exponent of' the game played and beat one of the crew. Crude variations of draughts had been played not only In New Zealand, but all over the Pacific for centuries. Even the old-time Maori child knew how to enjoy a kite. Some of these kites were sufficiently magnificent to arouse jealousy In a pakeha child if he could have seen them. But It was not kites alone that were calculated to arouse Jealousy. Such attractions as stilts, tobogganing, peg tops, skipping, hide and seek, and hoops had reached a high state of perfection. They were as popular among the old-time Maori children as they still are among their pakeha cousins to-day.

Ministers of the late Labour Government In England handed over their seals of office in the morning, and they were Issued to the new Ministers a few hours later—one might almost say while still warm. This talk of seals in the case of Ministers In England is no empty figure of speech. Each Minister receives a real seat They are supplements but not duplicates of the “Great Seal” itself. Let us therefore never laugh at Totem Poles and similar savageries. For a highly-civilised country has retained in its seals of office a custom just as ludicrous. The “Great Seal,” indeed. Is the key of the realm. Without It no king Is really and truly king. It is the sign and token of executive sovereignty. Normally, the “Great Seal” is kept by the Lord Chancellor. ,

Some holders of that high office are said to have had an anxious time looking after their charge. At least one “Great Seal” was stolen. One Lord. Chancellor, afraid of a similar accident, was at pains to hide the "Great Seal” under his pillow every night

While seals of office are handed from Minister to Minister, the Seal that gives executive power to the King of England lasts his lifetime, unless any changes occur In his realm. For instance. King George has had two “Great Seals,” owing to changes that occurred in the status of Ireland. When a new “Great Seal” Is made the Royal Mint sends it direct to the King. After causing the old Seal to lose all its power by giving it a few gentle taps with a hammer, the Kings hands the new one to the Lord Chancellor. The “Great Seal” consists of two discs of silver, smooth on the outside and elaborately engraved on the Inside. One of these discs is the perquisite of the Lord Chancellor; the other goes to his predecessor. Some Idea of the power that some monarchs attributed to their-Seal to Indicated by the fact that James II threw his Seal nway when flying the country. He thought that with the Seal missing William of Orange could not possibly take over the throne. The latter, however, was quite unperturbed about the matter. He had the nerve to proclaim himself King while the Seal was still missing. Subsequently some fishermen fished up the Seal from the bottom of the Thames when they were casting their nets near Lambeth. * ■ •''.•■

Whether Mahatma Gandhi goes to England or not seems to depend on how he feels from day to day. His trip has been cancelled and “uneancelled” so many times he must be the despair not only of the Viceroy of India, but of the shipping companies. Whether this gentleman is sincere or insincere, there, is little doubt that he Is a puzzle to the Intelligence of the entire Western world. His little habits must be irritating beyond words to those who have to deal with him. One moment be is a man of business, attending conferences, the next he Is a mystic surrounded by all the troublesome details of the cult For example, when the authorities freed him from prison to show their, open mindedness and their toleration the first thing he did was to sound a call for his followers to put more “pep” into their campaign of civil disobedience. When the authorities somewhat naturally demanded an explanation this fair leader most irritatingly fell into a trance lasting over a day.

Nibble, nibble, little sheep, In the meadow on the steep; Keep your muzzle In the grass And let the Kingdom come to pass. • JjJ, goffmtein