RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 38, 8 November 1933, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events LOCAL AND GENERAL

(By

Kickshaws.)

Some say Wellington had its summer on Friday last.

That rabbit recently reported to have run amok must have been reading the names furriers call it when it’s dead.

It is officially denied that in an effort to settle this war debt matter tlie Poet Laureate has been asked to lien an owed to Uncle Sam.

Te Kooti’s historic flag that has at last found a resting place in a museum is not the only Maori flag with a history. Doubtless it will take its place for all time beside the famous Moutoa flag that is still, it is understood, the property of the Wanganui River Natives, although the flag is now in a museum. This flag was given the loyal Wanganui Natives after the battle of Moutoa in 1864 by the European women at Wanganui. At a special function held in the Market Square ’ the flag was duly presented by Mrs. Logan, the wife of the commander of the British troops in Wanganui. Incidentally the Union Jack known as the “Johnny Walker” which was hoisted by a man of that name when it was heard that the Maoris had been defeated at Moutoa is also in the same museum. Wanganui seems to be the accepted last resting place of all New Zealand’s historic flags. For the Hauhau’s flag, a frail piece of bunting pasted on to stiffening paper, is also in •the same museum. The story goes that this flag with “Kenana” and three “3’s" on it was found caught in a tree by the avenging party who were chasing the Hau-haus. • t * If Te Kootbset the fashion for special flags in this Dominion it is only fair to add that he was by no means the first person to depart from the accepted Union Jack of the Empire. Westminster Abbey, for example, has a special flag of its own presented to the Abbey by Queen Bess. It is flown on all important occasions instead of the Union Jack and caused some little surprise when it was seen flying during the unveiling of the Warrior’s Shrine at the Abbey. Most churches, as a matter of fact, fly the red cross of St- George instead of the Union Jack. But this flag flying business is hedged around with more etiquette than might be imagined. When the Queen of Norway came to London recently the Norwegian flag was conspicuous by its absence. It had been discovered by the authorities at the last moment that she was not entitled to fly her own flag in a foreign capital because she was the wife of a reigning sovereign. Yet as a British princess she was entitled to raise her own standard. • • • News that, a woman who has just died in Auckland has lived in the reigns of four monarchs is by no means a record. After all most of us have lived in the reigns of three monarchs, and it is not improbable that we may yet live long enough to be able to claim a total of four. As a matter of fact there died in Ireland the other day a woman, the Hon. Katherine Plunkett, who had lived in the reigns of no fewer than five monarchs including the whole of the record reign of Queen Victoria. Some two centuries ago there lived a man 'in England who claimed a total of six monarchs but it is now thought that he was exaggerating his great age. Certainly a Chinaman who recently died is supposed to have lived through the reigns of no fewer than eight monarchs, but again there is no conclusive evidence to uphold the claim. At any rate everybody who is over a hundred vears old can claim to have lived through some of the greatest changes ever recorded in history. It was only in 1833 that kerosene was discovered and considered to be a great luxury. Some seven years later the first postage stamp appeared. It was not till 1870 that the telephone was invented and before 18S0 submarines were unknown. As a matter of fact the span, of one life time covers as much history in the 18th and 20th century as the span ot a whole series of life times covered to the previous centuries. Only recently there died a man, who, when a boy, saw Napoleon. There is still a widow of a Waterloo hero alive. Indeed, only three year's ago there died a nian in Ireland who was actually born during the battle of Waterloo. A life span practically covers the history of New Zealand and two life spans and a bit covers that of Australia, provided of course, the life spans are record breakers. It is a fact that Mrs. Mary Bucknail who died recently could truly claim to have grown up with California. The house in which she was born was the first house built in her home town. She saw the gold rush of '4B. the cession of California to the United States of America; aud actually was one of those who greeted the steamship Oregon bringing news of California’s admission to the Union. History is not as old as the history books somehow make it appear.

While ou the subject of contrariness in Human Nature, mentioned in this column, it is a fact ‘that it is more difficult to get good fish in Grimsby titan it is in Loudon. One cannot get a lobster in the Orkneys for love or money, but one can buy au Orkney lobster iu London for half a crown. It is the same with Dover soles. There are no Dover soles in Dover. Out here in New Zealand one encounters much the same problem when one wants to buy the very best of apples. One has to go to England to buy a good New Zealand apple, unless of course, one robs an orchard. Do people iu Stewart Island have the same trouble with oysters? Certainly it is as easy to get Foxton whitebait in Wellington as it is iu Foxton, unless one goes down to the river to catch one or two. Yorkshire pudding ib another thing that one meets far more often elsewhere than in Yorkshire, although. when they wish. Yorkshirewoinen can make very good Yorkshire pudding in Yorkshire. Wellington, however. lias one thing that cannot be obtained anywhere else. It is i>eculiar to Wellington and loses its virtue if it be taken away. The winds of M ton can be obtained nowhere else in the world.

“Could you please tel' me. through your interesting column, who is the world's champion tennis player—J. Crawford or F. J Perry?" asks Curious.” Levin. Crawford, by winning the singles at Wimbledon, won wliat is generally considered to he the equivalent of the world’s championship.—Kickshaws.