RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 232, 28 June 1935, Page 10

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events

(By

Kickshaws.)

Will beards return? asks a writer. It's going to be a close shave if they don't. # ♦ ♦ We understand that those 152 seconds are counted as the blackest in Camera’s career. « * * It is officially stated that there is no need for anxiety concerning water supplies in Britain. The most that we can say for the last week in New Zealand is that it has done its best to reassure us, too. j ♦• « * “Will you kindly tell me the date of the first day of winter in New Zealand? This is to settle a little argument,” says “F.K.” [Astronomically the seasous start as follows: —Summer, December, 21; autumn, March.2l; winter, June 21; spring, September 21. Meteorologically they are as follows:—Summer, December-Feb-ruary > autumn, March-May; winter, June-August; spring, September-No-vember. J * $ # If it be correct that beards are in danger of returning at least the country will be saved time. Barbers may not approve of the trend to the beard, but facts are facts. Someone has calculated that if the male population of the civilised world grew beards no less than 50,000 years per annum would be available for other purposes. This represents the time wasted shaving. In bygone centuries the beard was something to be considered in the affairs of nations. A beard, indeed, not only saved time, but it added no little to the financial standing of the grower. Have we not got it recorded in history that when the Portuguese admiral, Juan de Costra, wished to borrow a thousand pistoles from the city of Goa, a solitary hair of his beard was deemed sufficient pledge as security for the money. Before now a king of France had pledged the hairs of his beard one might add. Ou more occasions than one three hairs from the royal beard were considered sufficient security for loans running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. * # 4*

The only stronghold of the moustache and the beard has been the Services. While the Army permits the moustache, under due control, the Navy tolerates the beard. The thirty-four-inch moustache of an Indian sergeant probably marks the military limit to an appendage whieh, after all, has no military value except after business hours. During the war, however, even tlie beard wa>not encouraged to penetrate into the Army. Only four officers wore beards, including the King. General Smuts, Mr. Augustus John and Captain Waldenstrom. In the days of the South African War even Whiskers had all but vanished. We have to thank Queen Victoria for the military moustache. She was a firm believer that the moustache made the soldier. When the proposal was first made in the ’sixties that beards should be allowed in the Navy on account of the mess that resulted in trying to shave in a gale the Queen suggested that they be worn without moustaches, "as the'latter have rather a soldierly appearahce.” Unfortunately the Queen did not appreciate the fact that shaving would still be necessary if the moustache were banned. In this way the Navy got its face coverings. « « ♦ News that there are 46 millionaires in the United States of America on the dollar rating is at any rate an indication that things have looked up slightly in that country during the last year or so. From 1919 to 1929 there was a steady rise iu the number of millionaires in America. The numbers rose in fact from a modest 65 to the respectable total of 513. Then came the slump. Of the total of 513, only 20 survived the slump. The remainder ’had to be content with less than a million dollars a year, and some with nothing' at all. It will be seen, therefore, that although the millionaires in America are not as flourishing as they were just after the war they are on the upgrade, having doubled their numbers in the last year or so. There was a corresponding fall In the ranks of British millionaires during the' slump, but not in the same proportion. Normally there are over 500 millionaires iu Britain, on the £lOO,OOO a year basis, but during tlie slump the number fell to under 200 all told.

It wouiq be interesting to know who is the only American millionaire mentioned in the statistics who boasts an income of over live million dollars for the last year. One could make a shrewd guess that either Mr. Mellon or Mr. Ford or Mr. Rockefeller must own to this income, which is over £1,000,000 a year. The last named claims that God gave him his millions. AVhether this be true or not the fact remains that for some years past he has had tha pleasure of giving every year £1,500,000 of his God-given money for income tax purposes. If it be true that Mr. Andrew Mellon is worth £5O million he must have an income of tfell over £1,000,000 a year. Mr. Henry Ford aud his son Edsel between them usually pay in income tax a sum in the neighbourhood of £750,000 a year. If that be the case their individual incomes must be well over the £1,060,000 a year mark. In contrast to these millionaire totals it is curious to see that there are usually less than 200,000 families in America with incomes of £lOOO a year or. more. Thus not 1 per cent, of the American people are rich, or even comfortably off.

‘•Regarding ‘Fairlead’s’ description of the Battle ot the Sea of Japan.” says "Ginger Mick,” "the ‘Historians’ History of the AVopld,’ Vol. XXIV, page 662, mentions that a division under Admiral Kataoka reported by wireless telegraphy the arrival of the Russian Baltic Fleet between Iki Island and Tsushima. The uses of wireless so long ago as 1905 by a navy will probably surprise many readers.”

“In yesterday’s ‘Dominion’ a writer advocated the return of the beard and guaranteed (practically) the regaining of the ascendancy over women.” says "Hair! Hair!”, who, as a result, has felt constrained to break into verse:—

Turn up your albums, note your forebears who wore Hair stiff and strong, you must really feel sore That your dial’s unadorned — the remedy’s plain Though bald, you’ll be rushed when chin sprouts again.

Then wear only sandals and long flow ing dress; You’ll outdo grim Epstein, all must confess, AVlicu you’re married they’ll write, “and while the crowd cheered The young bride just burled her face in his beard t”