Topics of The Times

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26227, 10 August 1946, Page 6

Topics of The Times

by Hydra

It' is an extraordinary thing, but . one which happens so often as to be almost inevitable, that whenever England appears on the verge of being down and out, something occurs to restore .our confidence and prove that the qualities that made her great have not entirely' disappeared. In this category, in spite of the patronising attitude of the American press, is the mid-Atlantic incident reported in the cables this week of Captain Milliers versus the American merchant marine and navy. Doubt appears to have been cast on the ability of the captain’s small freighter, appropriately , enough named the Elizabeth, to tow the prize ship to port, but there seems to be no doubt whatever that he was the first to get a line aboard, and although his hawsers were later thrown off by the Americans who had boarded from an--1 other vessel, he is stoutly defending his claim to salvage, which, as the suih involved is more than £1,000,000, is understandable. . It looks like one of those rich opportunities that occur -only once in a seagoing lifetime, so that we have no,, doubt whatever of the truth of the statement that there were plenty 'of “dark looks and curses ” -between the rival boarding parties, although the assertion that .there was no, ■ fighting doesn’t ring .quite so true. It is hard to imagine the British seamen who would let a million slide overboard without a fight.

Although it .has not so far been offered anything, the Presbytery of Southland has beaten the pistol and declared its unwillingness to participate in any profits from the sale of liquor by the Invercargill Licensing Trust. This at least lets the Trust know where the Presbytery stands, and it is possible also that it may ensure the Trust later on against a public snub such as it recently received from the Salvation Army. From that angle the declaration has its points, but it certainly would appear to the casual reader that, in its anxiety to affirm its attitude to the liquor quesion, the Presbytery has perhaps been a little precipitate. After all, if you really must look a gift horse in the mouth, it is customary—it might even be described as courtesy—to wait at least until the mouth is opened:

A correspondent who has been listening in to the House lately has drawn our attention to the opening line ' of the Parliamentary prayer, “ We, Thine unworthy. servants , .”, but suggests that it is hardly necessary for the members to prove It at every sitting.

People in places as widely separated as Miller’s Flat and Outram were disturbed on Monday by a rumbling sound which , was heard coming from s southerly direction. So far as we are aware, there is no record of Mr Semple having been in Southland at that time.

Motorists in the Golden Bay district of Nelson report seeing increasing numbers of Kiwis on the roads at nights. No doubt about it, they should have kept them playing a bit longer.

INTERESTING FIND ORIGINAL CITY SEAL —Newspaper headings. What! Sammy ’back again?