POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 31, 6 August 1945, Page 4

POSTSCRIPTS

Chronicle and Comment

BY PERCY FLAGE

"Japan will not repulse the hand that offers a just peace."—Tokio radio. Where's Tojo? * * . * At any rate, most of us will agree that the acquisition of the Bank oi New Zealand is a sample of Nashional Socialism. ■_-■_-■'■ __.__•. * * •■•' An increasing part of the .revenue of the Spanish Treasury—7so,ooo,ooo pesetas last year—is derived from State lotteries. -....* * . # AT WITS' END. Fifty out-of-work tailors stood outside a labour bureau in London's West End and refused to take regular jobs calling for five days' work at £15 a week pressing clothes. They want £5 free of income tax daily for that and other similar tailoring jobs, and know they can get it. This is one reason why British women must pay up to £40 for a reasonably good quality two-piece suit. Utility clothes makers are at their wits' end to find staff. Apparentlythere are plenty of jobs and plenty of men for them, but the majority prefer working at excessive wages for the shortest possible periods. * *' # TO CHURCH. Troops in north-eastern New Guinea take their rifles, Owen guns, and grenades to church. -They have to, for the services are held in the forward areas" within sight of enemy-occupied territory. From Tong, right down the Toricellis to Maprik and the hinterland, army padres and Y.M'.C.A. representatives have marched with the Sixth Division. Far-flung companies and picket posts bavje, on an average, one religious service a day. Most of the services are held in the open" after the'night meal. Burial services have been held on the razorbacks overlooking valleys and hills, where our men have been killed. The V.M.C.A. tent is usually among the first erected when patrols occupy any new area. * * * SPRING. Spring, Queen of Seasons, Your beautiful hand, Gives a Brightening tint To a dull, dreary land. [n magnificent splendour The garden you tour, Giving gold to the daffodils Which once were so poor. I saw you first In a meadow green; The loveliest Season „ I'd ever seen. /,; I saw you again, 'Neath a wattle tree, With lambs frisking round You, as glad as;could be. "R.M.D." * * * WHEN MONEY SPEAKS. At the Supreme Court the other day two men were found guilty of theft. In commenting upon the case the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) observed in the course of his remarks that "it was quite true that the jury had recommended them strongly to mercy, uDon what ground he did not know, but it might well have been that one man had held out for an acquittal, and the other eleven had agreed to a recommendation of mercy as some sort of compromise, as it were." Sir Michael's deductions recall memories of a wealthy New York crook who was arraigned for murder some years ago. The case created immense initerest and the court was packed. Prior to the trial a gangster friend of the accused approached the foreman of the jury: "There's a thousand dollars for you if you can bring in a verdict of manslaughter." The juryman smiled. The evidence against the prisoner was of a most damning nature, and the Judge in summing up was anything but favourable to the accused. After a protracted absence the jury returned into court with a verdict of manslaughter. The Judge was almost petrified with astonishment and it was a moment or two before he recovered his poise. He, however, had no alternative but to accept their verdict and sternly rebuked them for returning a finding contrary to the evidence. The conspirators met the next day. "How the dcvii did you manage it?" said the gangster. "Manage it?" said the other. "I never had such a time in all my life. J For three solid hours I argued and argued, for the whole damned eleven of them were dead for an acauittal!" J.A.W. Pahiatua.