RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 187, 7 May 1934, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current „,,. Events

(By

Kickshaws.)

Women who play golf at Sydney it seems have to wear stockings- Wellington enforces hosing regulations in the summer months only. » * ♦

It is stated that Japan is satisfied that China is beginning to understand her real motives. There is nothing like an invading army for dropping bints.

An expert declares that the pound sterlings has had an interesting .cycle. In the end it was only natural that someone should make a note of it. • *

“With reference to your statements regarding the horror of blood held by animals,” writes “L.D.,” “I have seen a domestic pig inexpertly stuck by a farmer, get up and run away, with other pigs running after it, lapping un the blood and squealiug—evidently with . delight. Regarding your other statement about human traits. A man settles in a seat near a wall, usually, for convenience, such as a coat-hanger. Moreover, most men like prvaey while eating. They avoid the central position in a restaurant, the cynosure of all eyes. These reasons seem to me more'feasible than some inherent trait passed down from our stone age forefathers.” [Other readers may possibly care to express their views.]

It would appear that there is a tendency to-day for spectators of sporting events to become too interested in the proceedings. Indeed, little justification can be made for slaying a bantamweight boxer with brick-bats, at Rangoon, as a signal that . the crowd watching the tournament disapproved of the referee. Not so very long ago an important precedent was set at Brunswick. U.S.A., when a prominent business man, disgusted at the slowness with which a boxing match was proceeding. walked into the ring and knocked out both contestants. Some time ago a Mexican enthusiast who failed to agree with the referee whipped out a revolver and shot him, All these efforts, praiseworthy as they are, introduce new elements into'sport calculated to make matters more complicated than ever. Indeed, if the public is to be permitted to take a hand in the proceedings it should be done strictly in proportion to the price of a ticket. Cheap ticket-holders would be confined to words—led perhaps ' by Little Eric. Holders of mediumpriced tickets, say £5O to watch a fiveminute contest, might lie permitted to stick pins in the contestants and knock out the manager. Holders of expensive seats would be given the exclusive right, to carry revolvers, or even machine-guns.

As things stand at present, when a ci-'wd gets out of hand at a sports meeting, things happen that are not in accordance with any previously arranged schedule. A crowd at a football match in England, disgusted with the proceedings, pulled down the goalposts aud burned them on the half-way line. Another crowd walked off Mth the palings that..surrounded the field. In France a crowd sallied on to the field of sport and engaged both, sides in battle, without partiality, favour, or affection. In another famous case, that occurred at Twickenham some years ago. so many people were admitted to watch the game that no space was left for the players. When Sheffield United played Liverpool at football in 1899, the game was so slow that the spectators took possession of the ground and staged a game of tbeir own. There is on record an instance of one spectator who became so excited at a crisis in a Rugby match that he jumped the balustrade, seized a ball, and scored a brilliant try for the side of his heart, amid deafening applause.

No doubt economic experts will manage to work up a show of interest in the conference on debts that has begun in Germany. To the average individual, who knows nothing about economics and still less about high finance, this debt business has ceased to be a worry. It has, indeed, become a joke. Gilbert and Sullivan at their zenith never thought out anything more amusing. Most of the debts of the peace period are connected in one way or another with tile war debts. The general idea about those war debts is that America sent along to Europe a few billions to help win the war. As a matter of fact, fhe money was never sent anywhere. It stayed right there in the United Slates, where it found its way into the pockets of American manufacturers. After the armistice further billions were lent to Europe to help win the peace. This money, like the debt that won tire war, never gpt to Europe at all. It also found its way into the pockets of American manufacturers and producers. Naturally all this money had to be repaid. As England was considered a wealthy, powerful nation owing £390,000,000 in gold, she had to pay over three per cent on the debt. France, a poor struggling nation owing only £1,000,000,000 in gold, got off with 1] per cent. ** I * The natural desire of the victors, after the war, was to make Germany j>ay everybody’s debts. Finance wiz-t ards got busy. The United States of America lent money to Germany. Germany paid it to France, France paid it to England. England sent it back to the United States of America to be lent to Germany. The entire war debts so far paid, several billion dollars, hare been paid In this way—less commissions, rake-offs, and the like, paid to the men handling tlie money on its round trip. When the United States of America stopped lending Germany money, Germany stopped paying her debts. Now there is to be a conference to see why Germany isn’t paying her debts. It would seem that this curious system of paying debts could continue almost indefinitely, or until the whole total had been Used up in commission. Some of the more expert of the experts in America are now beginning to -see that the only way to repay loans made in goods is by repayment in goods. Unfortunately if repayment is made in goods it causes a trade slump in the country to which the debt is paid. Importing more goods than are exported leads to all sorts of troubles. The' man who suggested cancelling the war debts at the end of the war was wiser than anyone. * ' * * There is not the slightest doubt that more than enough power could be obtained at Rotorua to light the town by thermal energy. Indeed the power harnessed to cook all the various Maori dinners must be equivalent to some hundreds of horse power. Nevertheless harnessing thermal energy is rather akin to playing with lightning. It is well known that if only a method could be found to harness atmospheric electricity we would have plenty of power everywhere for everyone. One good flash of lightning if supplied by a power company would cost £5OO. Incidentally wind power on a large scale would also give enormous returns.