PASSING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27568, 9 December 1950, Page 4

PASSING NOTES

The revival of interest in the whereabouts of Sherlock Holmes is typically English. When his chronicler, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, died in 1930, the master detective was still deducing. Many English people believe that he is stijl alive. For some time after Doyle's last book appeared, letters continued to arrive for Sherlock Holmes at 221 b Baker street. London. And when the Marylebone Council debated whether a Holmes Exhibition should be held, the eminently sober “Times” published a letter from John H. Watson, M.D., saying that Holmes “engrossed as he is in bee-keeping in Sussex, is unlikely to rally to his own defence.” Several of those who had been prominent in the film and stage versions of Sherlock Holmes’s exploits joined the indignant protest against disturbing the well-earned seclusion of the hero of so many police-baffling mysteries. One Marylebone councillor sought the help of Dr Watson in finding and preserving the detective’s effects —the cherrywood pipe, the deerstalking cap, and the boots he was wearing at the death of Professor Moriarty.

What has happened at Brisbane is as much a commentary on climate as on cricket, but it unexpectedly adds {joint to a statement by Yorkshireman John Nash, joint manager of the MCC team, at a reception given them before the match. He said: “ I hope the initials of the team’s leaders, Nash, Brown and Green, will not have any bearing on the team’s prowess.”

Our chronic grumblers are not to be put out of their professional stride by the advent of such a trifle as the trolley bus., For years they have bemoaned the wreckage of peace by the din from our rumbling, trams. “At least,” we suggested, “the new buses will put an end to that.” “ The trouble is,” we were told, “they are too quiet; people will not hear them coming and are likely to get killed.” “The buses will not tear the streets into hazards and quagmires,” we ventured. “That will just put good men out of employment,” rejoined C. G. No. 1.

Sydney people are having their little ups and downs. And particularly in the matter of securing what is considered the needful supply of popular nourishment (though in view of the law against advertising the food value of alcoholic beverages, we had better say “popular refreshment”). The tale is being told of one man’s attempts to get a glass of beer. He asked the barmaid for a middy.

" Have you got a glass? ” she asked. " No,” he said. “Then I can’t serve you/’, said the barmaid.

He tried another pub and had exactly the same experience. £?o he went to a third, looked around, saw a glass, collared it and took it to the bar. "A middy, please,” he said. “ Is that your glass? ” asked the barmaid. “ Yes.” he said. • "Then I can’t serve you,” said the barmaid. “ You’ve had your quota."

Since the appearance of our note on the lie detector (though not necessarily because of it!) the use of the instrument has been banned l?y the International Bar Association. It had been employed, with more confidence in America than elsewhere, to record the blood pressure,, the rate of breathing and the muscle twitches of suspects under police questioning. The suspected person’s attitude of mind was affected by the fear that the test would reveal reactions that were beyond his conscious control. At first some ordinary questions were asked and his normal answers noted. When questions about the alleged crime were introduced the physical reactions changed and there was a longer pause between question and answer if a lie was being contemplated. These changes were recorded on a chart by the instrument and were visible to the suspect. In 3000 cases out of 4000 tested confessions were secured. These were used in court as voluntary statements of the same value as ordinary confessions. One judge instructed the jury: This testimony, does not tend to show or prove any element of the crifne charged. At most and best, it tends to show that at the time of the examinations the defendants were not telling the truth. It- is for you to give this such weight and effect as you think it fairly and reasonably is entitled to deserve.

If the American-made Australian film “ Kangaroo ” is to contain some views of the ‘natural habits of the Commonwealth’s emblematic marsupial the picture should be most weir come amongst Australians. The majority of them have never seen a kangaroo outside a zoo cage, and probably never will. The same will soon be true of the koala. The New South Wales Chief Secretary says that the koala population has fallen to 5,000. In 1924 2,000,000 skins ,were exported from the eastern states. Koalas have now been declared “ rare fauna ” under the Fauna Protection Act. This means that, in addition to the usual fine not exceeding £SO, six months’ imprisonment may be given to anyone taking or killing a koala. “Take or kill in the Act includes hunting, shqoting, killing, poisoning, netting, snaring, pursuing, disturbing or injuring. That should keep the “ teddy bears ’ safe unless someone tries hypnotising them.

" i am forced to admit that my antipathy or indifference toward Church teaching has been based on what I remember of thirty years ago, ’ said a visitor last Sunday after attending service the first time for many years. “ I have had no idea of the kind of teaching being given now.” To one somewhat more regularly at Church, the sermon had not seemed at all unusual. The preacher had spoken of things that abide, in a world of change, of the continuity that outlives decay. Body cells live their span and are replaced, so that each of us may be said to inhabit several bodies in the course of a lifetime. There is an abiding soul and a changing body in human institutions too. The hut of the pioneer and the modern dwelling have little in common, yet in all ages men have felt “There’s no place like home. Houses are changing incidentals, the abiding value is home fellowship. And religious institutions change. That is one way of saying that religion is alive. Tabernacle is succeeded by temple and in turn gives way to church. Church yields denominations, denominations will give place to some better expression of the Kingdom of God. Times of rapid transition are difficult times, and those who value spiritual things should remain within the changing institutions and help them to change in the right way. That is by no means a summary of the sermon, but an illustration of what surprised our backsliding friend.

A short time ago a city organist was invited to a country town to take part in the dedication of a new church organ The weather was unsympathetic. the road bad. and the car became bogged. There was so much delay that there was no chance of the party being in time for the service. So they turned back after very strenuous work in removing the car from the mud. The <prganist reached his own church in time for the evening service. And the opening words of the Psalm for the day included: “I stick fast in the deep mire, where no ground is: I am come unto deep waters, so that the floods run over me. . . .”

Even more surprisingly appropriate is a true happening related in a parish magazine. The minister, Mr Wells, had to undergo an operation. His congregation were much alarmed to learn that the doctors insisted on perform-, ing another. A lady, wishing to offer some comfort to the minister, sent him a devotional book. But its title was “Old Wells Reopened.”

An overseas cartoonist has represented Stalin and Molotov walking together as thev read the headings in Pravda. The front page announces: “Dr Evatt Accepts Australian AntiRed Brief. Will Flay Fascists.” Stalin is saying: “Well, we’ve got a good man, Molotov. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.” In the background are two tombstones. One reads, “ Sacred to the Memory of Czechoslovakia, Poland. Austria, Hungary, Baltic States, China.” On the other the name-place is blank and a sign affixed, “ Reserved.” Civis.