FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 19, 13 April 1927, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By the LOOK-OUT MAN DEPARTING VIRTUES The old-time virtues of the Scot are being departed from. JE. Graham Johnstone, of the “Johnny Walker” firm, says it is not the Scots, but the English, who are now the greatest individual consumers of whisky. Very soon the Chinese will beat them as porridge-consumers, and their ancient piety will have completely departed. This is the saddest thing in Scottish history. WORMS AND WOODCOCKS If your lawn is infested with grassworms, apply to the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. It expects a cargo of woodcock shortly, and, according to the president, Mr. C. A. Whitney, one single bird, kept in an enclosure and moved about, will eat all the worms in no time. “ What about the kiwi? He’ll do that for you,” observed Mr. H. Johnston. No one advocated the collecting of kiwis, however, and the society is to spend £25 on woodcocks. THE pf)T AND THE KETTLE The country is in the grip of politics and sport. Nothing else matters. The people are too wrapped up in themselves —the rest of the world might not exist as far as they are concerned. Sport plays an amazingly large part in their life and “something must eventually be done* about it.” You would think this a frank comment by a visitor to New Zealand on New Zealand, wouldn’t you—supposing you are not one of those New Zealanders who can’t see beyond their own horizon and who are wrapped in that smug self-satisfaction with themselves and their country which is so prevalent? Well, it isn’t. It is the opinion of a returned New Zealander about Australia and the Australians. Doubtless the Australian people will “do something about it” as soon as they read this criticism and will so rnend their ways that they will be more acceptable to this particular New Zealander when next he visits them. BRIARS IN THE GARDEN While the immigration authorities in Great Britain were painting roseate pictures of life in The Workingman’s Paradise, to wit, God’s Own Country, to wit, New Zealand, a poor woman was among the deputation of the unemployed telling the Mayor of Auckland that her husband had been out of work for the whole six months since they had arrived in New Zealand, though he went looking for employment all day and every day. But the publicity of the immigration authorities needs astute interpreting. When they say that there is plenty of work in New Zealand, they possibly mean there is plenty of work looking for work. “Yes,” they say to the prospective immigrant, “New Zealand is a garden.” But while talking of the roses they forget to mention anything at all about the briars.

WHO'EE GET THE CONTRACT? While in a fine frenzy of applause in regard to “Buy Empire Goods and be British,” the British Government, through its Admiralty, accepted the tender of an Argentine combine for frozen meat for British bluejackets —and gave the Australian tenderers the go-by because of a mere £3,000 or £4,000 difference in the quotations. The same Government gives the hint that the people of the Dominions might buy British manufactures even if they are a little higher in price than foreign-made goods. Late cables state that the War Office is inviting

tenders for 6,070 tons of frozen meat and 300 tons of mutton, and it is anticipated that, with lower freights to pay, the Argentine may again “undercut” Australia for the supply of canned beef for the Admiralty. Before the people of the Dominions attain the pinnacle of enthusiasm for preference for British manufactures, they may pause on the crown of the hill to see what the War Office and the Admiralty intend to do in future with regard to buying British beef for British soldiers and sailors. THAI 1 “ POTHOUSE ” GAME To prove that the Rev. H. Ryan, the mover of the motion against dancing. That was carried by the Methodist Conference, was not a “killjoy,” it has been pointed out that the reverend gentleman was the winner of a recent bowling competition. Is Mr. Ryan aware that bowls was once a game proscribed by law, because it took up the time of young men who should be practising archery for the defence of their hearths and homes, was played on greens attached to taverns and hotels amid drunkenness and gambling, was a favourite pastime 01 Henry of the Six Wives and his dissipated favourites, and made Sir Francis Drake late for his appointment with the Spanish Armada? Perhaps it is more respectable now—in any case we know there is nothing stronger than whisky or beer drjnk upon our pre-sent-day bowling greens—but at one time it was regarded as a “pot-house” game. From this sad condition—after passing through many viscissitudes since it first came into vogue in the thirteenth century—it was rescued by the bowlers of Scotland, who, towards the middle of the nineteenth century constructed greens of seaside turf on private ground. If he objects to their dancing, why does not Mr. Ryan advocate bowling for our girls?