CURRENT TOPICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 44, 19 January 1935, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

(By “Wayfarer.”)

From America comes the report tha„ a girl was married while m a trance It is usually the bridegroom.

Just Right.—-Minister : Do you taka this man for better or for w on.. C oloured Bride: No, sail. Jes as + lie am “arson If gets any better the good. Lawd will take him and if he gets any worse, all’ll ’tend to lam mahself.

“You sav you stood up?” said the magistrate. ‘‘l said L stood,” replied the bumptious witness It one stand-., one must stand up. There is no other way of standing. Oh, lsn t then Two pounds for contempt ot court. Stand down.”- * * * *.

On Monday morning, for the first time in its history, the long record of conventional dignity in the Magistrate s Court at Palmerston North was broken. When the mercury stood sullenly at 80 in the shade, a Justice of the Peace in his shirt sleeves sat on the Bench, and with apparent coolness of judgment assisted in the administration of justice for two hours. Counsel, officials, police and witnesses were not brave enough to enjoy this freedom, which was granted to the police and Court officials in Christchurch last week. * * . * *

A London journalist attended a city dinner recently and among the tilings lie. noted war, the serving of the wines as follows :

With the oysters—Chablis. With the soup —Madeira and punch With the fish —Hock.

At this point Grand Marnier and Cointreau, both potent liqueurs, were served, and the banquet was then 10sumed : —-

With the joint—Champagne With the game —Ditto.

Then came vintage port, and after that coffee a.nd cigars plus old brandv. And everybody walked out, straight as a -die, he says. Wonderful folk, the City men. # #

Within thirty minutes of being told of the sudden death of Councillor Percy Kennett, members of Dover Town Council were amazed to see him walk into the council chamber smoking a cigar. The retiring Mayor had said that news had been received that Councillor Kennett had died that morning at ltis home. The members then stood in silence for a few moments, and it was decided to send a letter of sympathy to Mrs Kennett. Shortly afterwards the door of the council chamber opened and in walked Councillor Kennett. Apparently a telephone message was received from the village of Smeetli conveying the news of the councillor’s death, and this was passed on to the Mayor.

“Mind your p’s and q’s” is frequently heard. It is an ancient sur viv a I (bays an overseas writer). In olden times England had a great number of ale-houses scattered throughout the rural districts. In these inns the yokels from round about used to have convivial gatherings each day. To simplify bookkeeping, a big slate was placed behind the ale-house door, on | which was recorded the number of | “pints” and “quarts” each customer , imbided daily, a settlement being de- ! manded each week. Strange to say. erI rors were very often made. Stranger still! These mistakes were always in favour of “mine host.” Thus, on every settlement day, as each rustic went up to pay for the number of pints or quarts of ale he had presum.abiy consumed, liis cronies always impressively said to him, “Mind your p’s and q’s.” * * » * *

Though the distribution of tickets for the Irish Free State sweepstakes is prohibited in England, so perfect is the organisation that shortly after this year’s lottery on the Liverpool Grand National had been opened they could be bought anywhere from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. The smallest villages of Wales also had their quota. Those entrusted with the sale of books of twelve, which permit of two free tickets or alternatively £1 in cash ior each Look sold, include tinkers, tailors, butchers, tobacconists, publicans and men and women engaged in mills, factories, forges, warehouses and offices of high repute. This may appear a rather extravagant assertion, but it will be readily understood when it is explained that a Lancashire tailor, when Irish sweepstakes first came into being, put down the thread of cloth to pick up the threads of sweepstakes, and as a distributor lia.s through his machinery made £25,000 in the thirteen sweepstakes so tar promoted.

Reference in the news this week to if request- being made by the silversmiths of England tor the granting of a special hall-mark to be used on all silver fashioned in Britain in this year, that of the King’s Jubilee-, brings to mind several interesting features of the hall-mark system. The hall-mark is a set of marks stamped on gold and silver articles at the Goldsmiths’ Hall, London, or the assay offices to attest the genuineness ot the metal and the date of its testing. The series is usually of five marks: (1) The standard mark indicating the standard of the metal, e.g., 18 for IS carats; (2) the hall-mark indicating where the assaying was done, such as a leopard’s head crowned for London, and an anchor for Birmingham; (3) the duty mark used between the years of 1784 and 1890 showing that the necessary duty had been paid; (4) the date mark, a letter of the alphabet for each year, which varies in design in cycles; and (5) the maker’s initials,-they being lormerly emblems, such as a rose or a star. *** * , a

What’s in a name? The question is apt to those who scan the line of English Sovereigns to see how many have achieved, as, this year, His Majesty King George V. will do, the Silver Jubilee of accession to the Throne. Since the Conquest, thirteen monarchs have had this distinction. Going farther • back, Ethelred, Alfred, and Egbert also the Throne tor more than a quarter, century each. Of sixteen Silver Jubilees Henrys and Georges hold eight. Apart from the three early English Kings mentioned, others who have reached the Silver Jubilee are Edward 1. and 111., Elizabeth, Charles 11., and Victoria.

None of the monarchs has seen more progress, faced greater complexities, yet shown greater wisdom or has come closer to the hearts of the people than George V. has done. And none of them could have had so great, a feeling of security of Kingdom or Empire us our present King, who, apart from his knowledge of his subjects’ unbounded love and admiration, has, in bis equally well-loved family, the most perfect insurance of continuance of the present happy order. The date of the celebration of the accession is May (5. A thanksgiving service in St. Paul’s which the Royalties will attend, and to which delegations from all parts of the Empire have been invited, will inaugurate the celebrations. Similar commemoration services will be held throughout Great Britain and the Empire. For three weeks afterwards, London will be be a great naval review, and, at • a time not yet advised, a military review. London will be floodlit at night on an en fete. On June 16 or 17 there is to unprecedented scale.