POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 151, 23 December 1935, Page 8

POSTSCRIPTS

Chronicle and Comment

BY PERCY FLAGE

Let us get this right, italy urgently desires peace—at her own price. Before the Cardiff Test we were told that the All Black team was "in th# Jap of the gods." Yes, and the gods . seem to have let them down. Personally we refuse to believe those war bulletins issuing from Addis Ababa and Rome, because the war hasn't started yet. 1 If that fellow Kruskamp can drop- - kick a 15-stone opponent around the ring, what would he do with a Rugby It was Montaigne, a truly great sage, who observed: Man is certainly stark mad; he cannot make a flea, but yet he will be niaking gods by the dozens. What with the defeat of the All Blacks and the sensational: success ©i! McAvoy in New York, Saturday was a great day for all true Englishes—except Mr. Baldwin and his late Foreign Secretary. ~ ■ ■ ' . * ■,■*■■ #'.... > .'-..-■ ": .'•':'' - i -■'■'• MANGAIA FABLE. " ' t Of a certain outsize Maori' dame the spouse of a former Resident Agent, a lady whose dignified advance -resembled, that of the "Great Eastern" under full sail and steam. Bedight in the full habiliments of civilised femininity, she filled the eye; but a treacherous piece of. elastic wrought her Waterloo. Upon a day, crossing from the Residency; to the P. 0., a snapping sound was heard, and instantly, th* ■ lady's plump ankles were. festooned with the folds of what appeared to be a voluminous nether garment ■of red silk. The lady, squatted hastily, while vi resopnse to her'appeals a "scrum"; of other Native dames gathered round ■ her. A girl, sent in haste to the Rest- \ dency, came back with a green sillc object, which was hastily,donned under cover of the scrum.' Dignity restored, the lady rose again, and resumed the even tenor of her way, pretending that . the red garment didn't belong to her. TUKAPA KOKO. Mangaia ; - • ■ i ■ .. , ■ c.i. ■ " ■. ■'/■ ■:■:■;.■■■: ■ . ■•■■.'. in reply. ;. . ;.*■• .. ' "Pearleen."—Have !" mislaid that Christmas rhyme. Would.be glad of a" ' copy.' . ~ ■■■-■■:, / -~;■ . "Anne How," "Leone, and Me," "Dole/ "An Old Lady," C.R.A., "Carry On," "Brownie," G.S.T. (Marton), S"Ali Baba"( that card is -almost worth framing),- "Here's Hoping", (how did you know we wanted a -nail file?), "Tukapa Koko" ,(Cook Islands), "Napierite," "Will-Gee," .and others: Thanks, everybody, and the jolliest of Christmases and New Years to-you At ' ' .. . ",■ ■ ; ... ' . "Jenny Wren."—May have' to hold that one over until our return from the tall timber.' Arid to you also—happier, days.. .. .'',■:' ; . :;, ■'• D.^Leader' (Falmerstbn :North).— Thanks for appreciation. If our ■pen. has faltered latterly put it down to-• tired brain.. ' i'■■■■■■• / The editors of (1) "Tihe,"' (2) "Idle HoHurs" (magazine-of; the Form VB, Wellington College).—Bright lads—the ; lot oflyou:' Here's rriprp power to your ; funnybbheV arid a'mem'o'rable holiday. 'No'Narhe.—Thanks'for the souvenir and good wishes. .Happy days to you. ■ . \ / THEN—AND NOW. ..-.■•' Those sixpenny telegrams now being -advertised remind us that postal-facili-ties were accepted without demur until they became cheap. The next G.P.O. centenary will be that of the Penny Post ■- in ,1840,- and one of the features ! of the occasion should be a selection of the criticisms1 of the scheme. Here is a. typical one--(from; "Chambers's Journal," May 20, ,1837):—■ , ; 'We consider this one of the most ' visionary schemes ever put forth. Mr; Hill, like most political economists, commits the blunder; of making no allowance for the-passions, the feelings, the ■ habits, and the. stupidities of mankind. Imagine everyone .having to buy stamps beforehand for his letters, or having to pay a pennyrfor every letter posted!' ... Looking at human society as at present existing, - we are. sure that; it would never .work. . _," -■ ..<* v >; ".' \ /■• Plainly the passions, the feelings, and even the stupidities of mankind have changed a good ideal during the century. ' . .... , .;:. _,-.. _■ -.."... GOOD THING. OVER. The Christmas rush makes us'annoyed, It'renders life' a restless Void, .'";' Everyone' scurrying here and thert ; As if they had no time to spare. ■ We're jostled round in shops by those Who usually seem so comatose, . But who at last have thought it time They parted with.'- their hard-earned, . dime," - •..■■'. •, v--- '. . '"".■" ' And joined the seeking. common herd , Of shoppers who have long deferred ' Their annual trek, in search of what. ; Must not cost ,more than they hay« ■•■■■ got- ■ - ■■■' ■ . .' - '. \ Then uncles, aunts, and cousins all ■ May; glory in their Christmas haul v That cost us hours of careful thought :. That they might like the things we bought, ■■-.•■' ■■ ■: '■ •' And though some people^ think it's fun,, I'm very glad when it is done; ■ , ' ' ■ LAST-MINUTE SHOPPER. : * ■'■~-*. ■•*'.■ 31-OUT OF. 32 JOCKEYS, FINED. "Racegoer" (Upper Hutt), who sajt that he can give us --the winner of th*. Auckland Cup if; we can,pick the big • sprint, asks if it is true that an Australian starter once fined all the riders but one in a race. It is a fact. The , starter was that strict \ disciplinarian* and peppery gentleman, George Watson, the occasion was the Caulfield Cup ■ of 1892; won by the gallant little Paris from a huge field. There were thirty-two runners, and the only jockey 5 to escape a fine of £9 .was Gainsford, the. rider of Bungebah. They had no barriers in those days, and after try-ing-vainly to get the field off in some-' thing like alignment Watson,, his temper sorely frayed by the tactics, of some of the lads fighting to "beat the pistol," handed all but Gainsford. a fine embellished with -a few; vigorous epithets. A great deal of dissatisfaction was expressed by the owners, for it-was left to them, in many cases, to ~ pay . their jockeys' fines, .and', they;, lodged an emphatic protest with the V.R.C; committee. The result of it was that George Watson agreed to discontinue inflicting fines andi instead, to report -disobedient riders to the stewards, who would fix the penalties •which they thought were justified. In all probability it did the.starter a good turn, as it relieved him of a great responsibility. If the jockeys were under the impression that the penalties under the new system would be less severe, they were sorely disappointed. The next March at headquarters Georg* Watson reported a number of .-rideri for having refused to obey his orderj and the stewards suspended the .crack jockey, Power, for three months, whii« six others received various terms oi from two months to one month each.