RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 72, 17 December 1938, Page 10

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights On Current Events

(By

Kickshaws).

A woman in Cheshire, it seems, was surprised when she saw a newsreel that depicted her husband making glass ships in New Zealand. Well, sq are we.

If Britain criticizes Germany, it is stated that she will answer with her coat off. We hope, though, she will learn to keep her shirt on.

Experts, we note, are looking for good tipping sites in Wellington. Rumour has it that in some places departing guests assert that the vestibule of luxury hotels is as good as any. * » » “I should be interested to have the facts on the proposal to establish ‘Tatts’ in New Zealand as a means of, keeping the money in thp country,’’; writes “Investor.” “I vaguely remem-' ber 'being told at school of some mathe-l matical law of probabilities according! to which heads and tails must come up! approximately equally over a period.* Would not this law ensure that about* the same amount that left New Zea-{ land for ‘Tatts’ would'return to the; country, less of course the percentage retained by the sweepstake author!-’ ties? I understand that this percentage is quite reasonable, though I do not know how much it is. But in any event the amount retained could not justify the statements we read that huge sums are lost to New Zealand by the money being sent to Tasmania. I think that I have read that only a small proportion comes back, etc. Surely those statements must be exaggerations, and very substantial ones too.” [Professor F. F. Miles, Victoria University, has supplied the following:—! “Of the money subscribed a certain percentage is used for expenses, taxes, etc. Ido not know what, in fact, this is, but supposing it were 30 pe r cent.,j then over a period one would expect; that New Zealand contributors would' get back in prizes 70 per cent, of their contributions and the loss to New Zea*, land would be 30 per cent, of the contributions from New. Zealand. The actual percentage deducted is no doubt available. The contentions of tha writer are perfectly correct. • * • It is revealed that the origin of the place-name “Otaki” was caused by the pretty wife of a Hou, who eloped with a warrior. The Hou pursued them. In the course of the chase he named places where he met difficulties. At Otaki the flat land was covered with thick scrub. The Hou had to feel his way. He called the place Houtaki, after himself, and “taki,” “to feel one’s way with a spear.” Kickshaws has fortunately discovered the origins of numerous well-known Maori places, such as, for example, Wellington. A Maori warrior who was dismayed at the lack of interest taken in . him by his wife, decided to do away with her. He was well aware of the fact that detectives would immediately start to ask ques- 1 tions, and might even discover what he had done, if he stuck a ten-foot spear into her in Lambton Quay. He there-* fore decided to throw her into a deep pit. With this amiable idea in view, he stopped a traffic officer on point

duty at 5 p.m. at Boulcott Street intersection and asked, "'Well in town?’’ The traffic officer naturally said, “Yes,” and the place was so called ever after by the Maoris. Eventually the pakebas got to hear of it. f* * *

Possibly readers can supply the origins of other well-known Maori places as well as "Wellington. Perhaps they will be assisted by the curious manner in which that curious place Palmerston North got its name. Early last century a missionary arrived in his canoe at the site where this town if now situated. He carried with him an acorn, which had been given him by his sister’s aunt in Tooting. The Maoris asked him when he arrived what he was going to do with the curious stone he had brought with him. He replied that he was going to plant it in the middle of the railway track that afforded such a scenic feature of the place. - The Maoris said, “Yon can’t do that, because the railway isn’t built yet, not even in spiral time.” The missionary said well, anyhow, any time was good enough for him. He planted the acorn iu due time instead. The Maoris, however, were rather frightened that it would block the track, and they would be unable to t catch the train for the tangi at Paraparam, a' well-known township with a typically British name. So they removed the acorn and planted in its stead a cabbage tree seed. When, the cabbage tree grew up the missionary saw the palm that had grown from the stone, and named the place Palmerston North because he knew there would be another one in the South Island, and he wanted to hear from his sister in Tooting without the letter going astray, as she was sending him some winter woollies for Christmas., * * *

The gentleman who deplores iu a recent interview the absence of sucking pig from the Christmas menu can at least thank China for giving him a delitacy that, we regret to say, is rarely seen on the table these days. It is said that the Chinese invented sucking pig as a delicacy because a lira that burned a litter of pigs in their sty. A lad who tried to rescue them found the meat so delicious when he tried it that he told his father. His father tasted pie meat still hot from the flames an dpronouneed it good. Ha told his friends and the world was given sucking pig. However farfetched tiie story may be it is also on record that tiie gipsies knew the merits of tiie delicacy long before the rest of the world. Maybe they got their recipe from India in those far-off days when their migration was still young. Our ovens these days are not the commodious affairs of those used by our ancestors. Maybe it is for that reason that the sucking pig and perhaps the larger turkeys are spared in larger numbers at this time of year.

Mention of the fact that sucking pig lias fallen from grace as a Christmas delicacy is a reminder of an amusing story that is told about a certain rather boastful French epicure, not that it lias anything to do witli sucking pigs. 'Pliis epicure boasted tliat no disli could deceive bis trained taste. He wagered a large sum of nioiftw that be could tell tiie principal ingredient of any dish that was placed before him. A friend of his, who had an expert chef, took up the wager. At the appointed hour an appetising disli well-disguised with sauce was laid before tiie epicure. He examined the disli, smelt it, nnd tasted several spoonfuls. “All, delicious,” he said confidently. “A specially prepared tripe, without a .doubt,” “No.” answered the host. The epicure made several more guesses. He was no’, successful. At last he paid over the s'akes. “Weil.’ - he said, "it wasn’t in the agreement. lint 1 would lie very inion stef to know what tiie disli did contain.” “Oli." said the host, "just a pair of my old white kid gloves.”