RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 149, 19 March 1936, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events

(By

Kickshaws.)

A-New Zealander, it is declared, is a sort of improved Scotsman, Hoots! ye canna pent the lily. • » • We knew those sealed roads would he the thin edge of the wedge; now they want to give us sealed cars. It may be true that Germany wants peace with France, but she seems unconcealed about a war to show how much she wants it. . • » • . “May I encroach on your time and space to suggest that you elucidate the answer of 28 eggs recently given to the 'henaud-a-half’ simple problem. The number of 'Eggsactlies’ and similar geniuses are a small minority compared to the number of dunder-heads who read your column (pardon my obtuse compliment) and who, including myself, do not feel convinced that 42 is an incorrect answer,” writes “Scipio.”

[lf U hens lay 1} eggs in H <lay s one hen would lay one egg iu H days. It is very easy to imagine that one hen would lay one egg in oue day. The rest of the calculation is perfectly straightforward. It is the li that distracts the attention because obviously if 2 hens lay 2 eggs in 2 days, 1 ben would lay half the number of eggs iu the same timel.

Many of us would prefer lo die rather than be kept alive with a pair of mechanical bellows. The recent publicity given to this feat does at least show that engineering mechanics are entering into the realm of flesh and blood. Indeed a man iu America who lost his vocal chords was fitted out with a tolerably satisfactory mechanical substitute. At the moment it is not possible to fit a. mechanical ear to replace a dud. Nevertheless all manner of mechanical devices may be had to assist hearing. It is possible, indeed, to cut out the ear altogether and listen with the aid of devices connected to the chest.

New parts can, of course, be provided for cracked skulls. There are many people in the world alive and alert despite the fact that they have metallic plating where parts of the skull should be. Experiments made with mechanical hearts have also proved that it would be by no means impossible to provide an individual with a suitable mechanical pump. Tests have been made oU dogs with results that are promising. One might add, perhaps, that false teeth are by no means exclusive to human beings. A dog has been provided with artificial gnashers, and one might add, a parrot with a false stomach. One day none of us may be all we seem to be.

News that there is to be au exhibition of old New Zealand books is at any rate a reminder that we have started to build up a tradition for old books. In time, perhaps a few centuries, books that to-day may be obtained for a few shillings will be worth a few hundred pounds. At the moment, .-however, we must modestly be satisfied with outown standards in this ‘respect! ‘Whereas there are rich men willing to pay £14,000 for a Shakespeare there are very few people who would be anxious to pay more than £5O for our most valuable book. There is no need to be surprised at this because Shakespeare, after all, was on the job some 200 years before anybody was interested in New Zealand. The Maoris, moreover, have not assisted because they had no books. Lack of the written word is indeed a handicap in the building of a book tradition. It has been left, therefore, for the Pakeha to make his own local standards. We are probabiy still making them. Given time one of our first folios may fetch a fantastic price. nt . « a

Probably the most valuable New Zealand book at the present time is "The New Zealanders Illustrated’’ by Angus. This book was published in 1847, in ten volumes, at one guinea each. It was not a cheap book even for those times. There are two volumes of a smaller book by Angas entitled “Savage Life and Scenes in Australia and New Zealand.” Whereas the larger book in probably now worth £5O? rhe smaller one might change hands for a few guineas. One reason for the cost of a wellearedrt’or Angas is that only a few were printed. There were under 200 subscribers. The book moreover is rarely found in good condition these days. Some New Zealanders may, perhaps, possess some of tbe famous “Bob Thatchers.” His "Songsters” are'now very rare and probably would command a good price if anybody wanted them to complete a collection. This gentleman seems to have published “Songsters” for each of the various provinces through which he troubadoured. They contain some three dozen pages and were bound in paper covers. Perhaps some oldtimers will ferret out other books that in years to come may command higher and higher prices

Whenever a baby gets born weighing* somewhere about one pound avoirdupois we are told that the infant is the smallest baby in the world. Nobody seems ever to check up on the other smallest babies in the world, until today there are about a score of them ranging in weight from some 13oz. up to 20 ounces. Either newspapermen have very hazy ideas on the size of smallest babies or maternity courses should include facts on . the subject in the curriculum.' It' is, however, difficult to know where to start in comparisons of this nature. If wo include midgets in the list tbe smallest baby in the world must have been very, very, small. A: any ratc’Lucia Zarate, born in 1863, grew up to be a woman no more than 20in. high. Obviously, unless she had shrunk considerably when growing, she must have been even smaller when she was born. Her male counterpart, Tom Thumb, was only some 31in. when full grown. He too, cannot have been a very large baby. Indeed, these two, when fully grown, compared very favourably with tbe so-called biggestbaby ever born; that weighed one pound over a stone, and was nearly 25iu. long.

“Could you tell me through the medium of your column what selections are counted for the championship at the band contest?” asks “Inquirer.” [ln reply the following facts have been kindly provided by "Kneller Hall":—“Tbe points for the brass band championship of New Zealand are awarded solely for the two selections in the A and B grades respectively. Previous to 1936 the points awarded included those gained for music in tlie quickstep and also the hymn test: but at New Plymouth the new rule came into force, eliminating tlie quickstep and hymn from the championship, which was passed at the previous annual meeting of delegates of the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association.”]