POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 8

POSTSCRIPTS

Bt Perct Fulcb.

Chronicle and Comment

Don and Stan (in chorus): The more we are together, the happier we'll be. Writing for money is not very remunerative—as every creditor knows. * ' * * Of course, the World War accomplished something. It ■ demonstrated that war was just a crazy anachronism. When, you read that Bradman is at the top of his form it signifies that he has got to the bottom of the; English bowling. * * * Here's an appropriate name ior that potent drink, alcohol and petrol, some motorists mix themselves: ' Mount Crawford cocktail.. "Dollar Bill."—That Government scheme of free distribution of cow juice to the schools is_, clearly, to b« no milk-and-water business. '\ ..'. ; ♦ ' '. * * - ' :' • DOUBLE-HEADED PENNY. ;/- Last week a correspondent , asked how double-headed (or tailed) pennies - were contrived. As he has promised not to use one in his local."two-up" school; we explain as follows: Take two pennies. The obverse or.reverse of the two coins is ground down until each is about half its usual thickness. The remaining halves are ."sweated" together, and the edge properly treated so that the join is hidden. Talking of "two-up": we were told a story of a fiaxmill hand in the Manawatu who "cleaned up" over £ 120 in a . Sunday "school" and suddenly vanished from the district. You may guess the. rea« son for his disappearance. \. • * ■.•.•■",; :. .';' "RAINBOW" TRAINS. :, Here is a note which, we hope, our railway authorities will read and profit by. It tells of Australia's brighter railway scheme, which may justly be described as a colourful business. .In. Victoria, "rainbow" trains painted red, yellow, blue, and green, are being regularly used. Suburban electric trains have been painted rose-red and moon-stone-grey. The boat train is blue, the overland express from Western Aus» tralia is green and cream. The "Better Farming" train, equipped' to - de» monstrate improved methods of farming, is yellow. This train tours ■: ths countryside; pulling up at wayside sta?. tions.. Its staff of experts' gives1 lee» s tures to local farmers. Railway eh« gines, too, have lost their customary gloom. The country rail motors have been striped like zebras in yellow and black. All .stations and signal .boxes : are being painted green and, cream. Now, Mr. Mackley, what about a-move in this direction when ■ the ■ rail-car problem is mastered? .-.■■' * ; * » . ' •■•■ SCHOOL'S IN. : Do you know that— ' L . . 1. An adroit American has invented an electrically-worked organ, not so big. as a grand piano, which can do everything a full-sized organ .can-do? : 2. Britain is making 1,000,000.000 mora cigarette;; a year-than twelve months ago, drinking ; 100,000,000 more" pints of beer," and .400,000 more cigars?. ; ;s" b;:-;.-;-^-..;.... ui\ 7' 3." The niost successful "film of* 1938 was Chaplin's almost silent film,'"Modern Times," which :is estimated: t"o bring in a, gross revenue of £800:000? ■ 4. T. O. M.Sopwith's.'attempt,to''re., capture \ the America Cup _ (which"' is valued at £10) will cost him in tha -vicinity of £100,000? , '-, ■■".:- -' '• 5. The bongo is a Central African antelope which stands four feet high, is chestnut in colour, arid has twelva broad white bands? ' 6. In 1932 the number of rejections of recruits in Japan was 350 out of . every 1000, which number - increased to 420 in 1934? . ■ , 7. A sheep suddenly attacked . a woman working in the- field at Aplen, near Osnabruck, inflicting mortal, injuries? Well, worms turn, so: why not sheep? : ■.'-.-■ 8.-Hitler has promised to arranga for 500' competitors and 15,000 spectators to attend the Olympic ,Games > in Tokio in 1940? .... ;. 9. "God Save the King" has" been sung in Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit? / 10. There is a Chinese print of the fifth century, 8.C., -which.. depict 3 . men punting a football?. . ## . * WAR DEBT. : Mrs. A.J.L., who "fears and hates/";, war," asks for the. publication of these poignant lines by Catherine Parmenter,-, an American poet. Where are they now?—who once in an April morning Turned to the summons on young and eager feet: . . ... ~ To the ancient panoply, the ironical splendor, ; •„■ ".:;'■' The glorified deceit. . ~ Where are they now? . . . The .flags are no- longer flying. •.■■,-.■■■... Music is lost, and.the dream,...and thß / crowd's shrill cheers ' And even the stifled sound ..of..ft woman's weeping- :.= .- .'. ; So swift, so slow, the years! _"; Under the crosses''white, on a foreign meadow, : ! Mute they are lying who marched in , the spring-sweet sun: Nothing is. here, oi the life, the joy, . the loving ' ' Before a war was won. ~ . And from a hospital's narrow, steelbarred windows ■'. ■ They, are looking with vacant, strangely-haunted eyes, With pale and piteous faces—who once went singing : Beneath indifferent skies. -. • ■. -. And they, the blinded ones, in their lonely darkness, ' .- And they with the broken bodies, the endless pain, ■ . Are sensing too poignantly the harsti delusion ; Of a bugle's clear refrain. Remember them! When the drum 3 again are throbbing, When a people cheer, and the colours proudly soar . . . Remember them .who have paid^-who still ore paying— The old men's debt of. war! * «.'•■'■■ FROM "THE TIMES" OF 1837.' Whether the ruins from which • this noble monarchy is about to be rescuad have been most attributable to the moral or to the intellectual incapacity of our Whig Ministry may perhaps ba a matter of doubt Lord Melbourne, as all the world knows, is ,a mere agreeable voluptuary. ■ The Mar- _ guess of Lansdowne is a plodding porcelain image. The.hospitable Lord Holland is a martyr to good dinners. Poor Baron Glenelg is almost, identical with a moth-eaten bolster. My Lord Palmerston, after having been "boots" to every Ministry for the last 20 years, is now an under waiter upon Providence; and as for Spring Rice, he is little else than an insipid vegetable that may be curried, or roasted, according;to the taste of any party. "Chanticleer," the sender, commentsthus:—That'll give "Our. Bob", something to live up to! "Curried"- hera means "besought ■ for'- > favours"; "roasted" —"barracked" or "heckled.**