NOTES BY THE WAY

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4606, 6 October 1934, Page 5

NOTES BY THE WAY

(By Rambler). It is claimed that all our roada are going back. This proves that even the longest lane has a turning. Definition,: An optimist is one who firmly believes that civilisation will survive in spite of everything done to save it. Political barometer: —The new Democratic Party, venturesome; the Coalition Government, anxious; the Labour Party, jubilant; Douglas Creditites, optimistic. A man in Russia has received ten years for marrying 58 wives. The ten years will be at least peaceful—might even be termed a reprieve. All this trouble arising out of Roosevelt's New Deal is due to the suspicion of the workers that the cards were stacked against them. I wouldn't mind betting that- in some parts of the world the Wairarapa visitation will be reported as an earthquake rather than a bit of rough weather. So "Smithy" is going to fly across the Pacific to the United States. Perhaps he is going to take his plane back! The art of coaxing money back to work is proving just as difficult in New Zealand as in other parts of the world. A famous group of financiers in Australasia hardly found it so.

Atmospherics are born with tails and heads, says a learned American scientist. Strikes me they have some body, too —and you can tell they are born by the row they make.

There is likely to be some traffic congestion in the air with the flight of the godwits to Siberia and the Centenary Air Race taking place at the same time.

A change to the "old competitive system" is forecast for U.S.A.—It is being gradually acknowledged that N.R.A. stands for "Now Run Awry."

The Auckland Society of Arts objects to the sanctioned lotteries being called "Art Unions." Why not do away with the silly hypocrasy and call the gambles "State Lotteries"?

After reading details of the burning of the Morro Castle I think I will travel in a British boat on my next tour of the world. I think there is really something in that old British tradition, "Women and children first."

The publishing of weekly lists of road fatalities has resulted in 30 few'er lives being 1 st —better results than are obtained by the multiplicity of signs at our level crossings.

Miss Gloria is the first woman golfer to win a championship round using only one club. She wore trousers, but was otherwise reverting to the good old days when men were men and one club was quite enough to settle any argument.

The theory of the United States politicians is that the. people of Britain should economise in tarder that they can pay their war debts and that the United States should spend to keep the money circulating and prevent gold going into cold storage.

Yes, my people, there has been a shipping disaster, two air disasters, a few political disasters, financial disasters, races for armaments, German embargoes and all the rest of it, but what most people have bought the papers for in the last two or three days has been to see how Don Bradman is recovering from appendicitis, and how "Smithy" isn't going to fly in the air race.

It is reported that the horse is coming into its own once more, and some of the old hitching posts in Te Kuiti may yet be brought into use again. We'll also hear the ringing sound of the anvil and see the village blacksmith in all his romantic grime. Back to the good old times, perhaps, and no further use for the sign: Under the spreading chestnut tree The village smithy snoozes; No nag, since 1923, Has been to it for shoeses.

At last the matter has been settled. The New Zealand Government, the mighty Coalition party, has decided in the face of fierce opposition, that the period for which Parliament is elected shall henceforth and forever be that covered by the.spari of four years, and by reason of their munificence in granting this great favour to future Parliaments, the Coalition party has as a small _ measure of reciprocity considered it meet that they also should have their year, too —and they mightn't go back again. But in spite of the greatness of the measure many of the Goverriment benches were not filled when the Extension Bill came forward. Somehow it makes me think that, despite that it just went through Parliament with all due pomp and ceremony and execrations from the Labour Party, it was all decided in the long, long ago when George and Gordon were on full speaking terms. And then Gordon said, "We're not too popular." And then George said, "We're out in 1934." And then they both said, "As sure as Labour is alive, we'll still be in by thirty-five." It brings a pleasant recollection to the taxpayers' faces to picture them singing that piece of doggerel, brightening the country's dolour—but "they'll still be in, by thirty-five"—as for the years after—some publications used to term their public "gentle readers." George and Gordon may not call their taxpayers gentle voters.