RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 72, 18 December 1935, Page 10

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current

Events

(By

Kickshaws.)

Women, says a critic, are getting larger. Well, anyway, they do seem to have outgrown their bathing suits. * # * The summer jackets of the Auckland tramwaymen, it is contended, look like discarded old blouses. In an effort to make a jacket, someone must have macle a bloomer. America is stated to be contemplating tbe construction of ships twice the size of the Queen Mary. If ships get much bigger it will soon be necessary to navigate the land to the ships. ■ * « S Regarding a “Believe it or not,” by Ripley, a reader asks if it is really true that Abbas Mirza, one-time Prince Royal of Persia, became the father of 22 children in an interval of two days. No books of reference go into details concerning the family affairs of this prince. The nearest they get to it is a reference that says: “He was cultivated and intelligent, aud lived more simply than was the custom with the Persian royal house.” One feels sure, however, that Ripley must have verified the facts. • » • News that two world-famous singers of 30 years ago have been discovered in\Ameri9a virtually destitute, is a reminder of the improvidence of stars, and the fact that after they set they must still live. One may well ask, where do the stars go when they set. Some of the women marry dukes and some of the men run public-houses. Their future, indeed, is a mixed one. There is a female impersonator, who made hundreds a week, who is now a racecourse tipster in England. There is a comedian, once famous, who now washes motor-cars in a garage. One comedian well known in New Zealand, once upon a time, was discovered running a fried-fish shop in his later years at Coogee. Another actress, whose name was a household word, wag found in charge of a sandwich shop at Darlinghurst, Sydney. At least one professional car-minder in Sydney, was once well known behind the footlights, and another one-time actor plays his mandoline outside hotels. It is a pity that the profession to which these people belonged does not organise some sort of provident fund or teach stars in their hey-day to put by something for to-morrow.

The annual mysterious disappearance of the swans’ eggs iu the Botanical Gardens. Wellington, quite possibly may be due to rats as suggested.. The fact is that second to man himself rats are the most expert thieves known. They have been known to empty an opened bottle of beer by dipping their tails in it, subsequently sucking off the liquid. As for the removal of eggs rats are expert at the job. Swans’ eggs admittedly are somewhat of an outsize. No doubt, with a little co-operation these eggs would not be beyond theft. At any rate rats have reduced the thieving of hens’ eggs to a masterpiece of co-operation. Tbe usual procedure is for a rat to climb into a nest. An egg is caught between the forefeet and the.rat climbs backwards to the ground. It moves away awkwardly in a series of short steps to the hole. The egg is handed over to another rat which slides it gently down below. Other rats underground place the eggs as they arrive in suitable'dumps. No doubt a colony of rats would not be above devising a plan for the disposal of a clutch of swans’ eggs if the swans could be persuaded not to defend them. # * »

The skill of rats as thieves probably reaches heights in a Zoo not seen elsewhere. Even impersonation is not beyond these wily rats. One visitor to the London Zoo was overheard to say while standing in front of a eage, "Isn t this little fellow sweet, he will eat anything out of my band. ’ The sweet little fellow was a rat that had taken up a stand behind the bars in the marmot’s house. It was doing itself well. Rats have even been known to set up house with the beavers, sharing their food. Possibly rats are seen at their best in the lion house. Far from being afraid of lions they actually walk over them to gain access to a particularly toothsome piece of meat. The lions f°r some reason take no notice of rats. .Some instinct, seems to tell a rat where it is safe to go in a Zoo. While they treat lions with no respect at all they are rarely seen among the wolves, never for long in tbe owl house, or the small cats’ cage. On the other hand rats have no need to be afraid of elephants or chimpanzees. For some reason both these creatures are terrified of rats.

It is not improbable that efforts to abolish tbe historic privilege of trial bj’ peers for peers will cause some little argument when Lord Sankey’s proposals are under discussion. However ridiculous a right or a privilege may be it is never easy to eliminate it. Possibly peers will not object to waive their right to be hanged with a silken cord, but how much further they will go in reducing their privileges is another matter. Whatever the outcome of the proposals the fact still remains that there are many people in Britain who are above the law For example ambassadors, attaches, legation officials, and in some eases their personal servants are above the law. In thcoiy the Embassy of a foreign country is part and parcel of the country represented. The laws of that country alone hold good. The King's Peace is- uot maintained there by the King s forces and no policeman has tlie right to enter even iu pursuit of a murderer. It is on record, however, that a Portuguese ambassador to England was duly tried, sentenced aud hanged for murder by Cromwell, diplomatic immunity or no. Cromwell was technically wrong aud the ambassador, although technically alive, was just as dead as if he wasn't an ambassador. As a matter of fact Peers are by no means as privileged i hese days as many other individuals. Whether or no they will abolish their privilege of trial is really unimportant Members of Parliament are far more privileged than are their Peers. The Houses of Parliament have still some of the sanctity of the old Cities of Refuge of the Jews. For 40 days before Parliament meets aud 40 days after the session ends members of the House of Commons can smile at the man with a warrant. This privilege also includes all .officials of the House down to the hall porters. Admittedly the privilege has been whittled down, and to-day applies only to civil offences. In the olden days it was more comprehensive and included almost every crime Bisliojis and Archbishops are even more protected than are Peers of tbe Realm. Not one o. them can be summarily haled before a magistrate even though he has committed a crime. Tlie only way that 'he law can take effect upon these prela'ea is by the special command <>f the King himself. Clergymen to a lesser extent are free from arrest, but only within their church or while going to or returning from duty there.