Oddments

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 April 1948, Page 4

Oddments

A ballot was held recently for some soldier settlement blocks in the Walcha district, New South Wales. On the lithograph one of the blocks was marked “Browns.” There were 646 applicants for 15 blocks and the block marked “Browns” went to a Mr Brown. * * * * * A London correspondent writes that heads of airlines are meeting there to “slash away red tape from impending world air travel.” Just to show that they are dead keen on simplification they have called their organisation “The Government Forms - Sub-committee of the International Air Transport Association Traffic Committee.” flc V * * Coloquial English is looser than people realise. There was an example recently in a Melbourne court. Mr M. Goldberg (solicitor) was crossexamining Detective E. Skinner, of Brunswick. He asked: “Are you pretty well known in Brunswick?” Detctive Skinner replied: “I have been here for five years, and am pretty well known.” The presiding Magistrate (Mr Meehan): I do not like the use of “pretty” as an adjective. Mr Goldberg to the witness: I venture to say every second person raises his hand to greet you. Would you say you were very well known? Detective Skinner: Notxthat. I am fairly well known. And Mr Goldberg said with a sigh, “I will let it go at that.” . * * * * * This from the Melbourne Age: “The two things by which ancient Egypt is best remembered are, I suppose, mummies and pyramids. The pyramids were built by regimentation and a priority system. The bodies were mummified by (1) coating them with a preservative; (2) steeping them in antiseptic solutions; (3) wrapping them in a multitude of bandages. The theory was that the soul would perish if the body did not endure. “We get pyramids of trouble in Australia; even a pyramid of production —notice how it tapers away at the top. Regimentation and priorities? Well, look around. Mummies? Yes, and by the same old process: coating with Golden, Age paint; steeping in security solutions; wrapping in a multitude of controls, coupons, regulations, and red tape. The basic theory is that the soul (ideology) would perish if the body (Australia) were not embalmed. “There’s one important difference, however; the Egyptians waited till people were dead before they mummified them.” r —The Seeker