FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 274, 9 February 1928, Page 10

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN” THE MONTHLY REVOLUTION The Portuguese authorities deny the widespread reports of a revolution in Lisbon. The message was probably a week or so ahead of its time. TAXIS TO THE RESCUE The French taxi-cab mystery tends to give the taxi-fleet of Paris a sinister flavour; but the great array of cars has had its heroic occasions. In 1914, when the Germans, advancing on Paris, were sweeping the opposition aside like autumn leaves, all the taxis of Paris were commandeered to carry reserves into the battered lines. All the crazy old Renaults and Citroens joined newer models in helping to save Paris. A WISE PRIMATE The congratulations offered by the Church Assembly in London to the Primate’s triumph of service as Archbishop of Canterbury recall a story of his wisdom and tact. When Dr. Randall Davidson succeeded Dr. Temple at Canterbury a quarter of a century ago a witty prelate said of them that they reminded him of silk and sackcloth. Davidson always used a velvet hat-pad, but Temple took a scrubbing-brush to scour away notions. Thus, when the two prelates were seated at dinner on either side of Queen Victoria, her Majesty said to Dr. Temple: “And you were appointed to Exeter in 1867?” “How wonderful that your Majesty’s mind should retain such details!” interposed Dr. Davidson. “Not wonderful at all,” growled Temple. “I’ve just told her.” * 4 4> “SHAKING THEM VP" At the grand convention of the world’s barmen at Paris a competition was organised to decide what is the best cocktail creation. There were 300 entries and the judges had an exceedingly busy time, retiring unexpectedly after the 23rd and returning later to announce that "it wash beyond human capashity to taste more’n thirty cocktails.” It would be interesting to note the ingredients of the winning mixture. One wonders, mildly, if it had the same stimulating properties as Professor Thomas’s “Blue Blazer,” described in a recent number of The Sun. The Look-Out Man has invented a cocktail answering to the name of “Bright Eyes.” But he has no chance of demonstrating its qualities before a conference of the importance of that now taking place in Paris. It contains two parts gin, one French vermouth, one Italian vermouth, two caraway seeds, a sprig of mint, four drops of absinthe and three of sea-water. It is at its best swallowed in the moonlight. IN THE QUEENSLAND HINTERLAND Poor Longreach, the nearest approach to a city on the outskirts of the Australian Never-Never, has its share of trouble. In times of drought it is as parched as a Peruvian nitrate field and as bare as an empty soupplate. It was recently partially destroyed by fire, but with the usual resiliency of an Australian town “bobbed up serenely.” News to hand yesterday informs us of the visit of a cyclone which tore the roofs from buildings and scattered iron-work round the streets as if iron were snow. Longreach is one of the Queensland towns that boasts a good open-air theatre. It needs it. In the “out-west” summer the heat there would cause a salamander to whine for iced water.

TOO MANY CHANGES “Business Brisk,” report the salesmen of the new number plates for motor-cars at the Post Office in Wellesley Street. A total number of IS,OOO will be sold in Auckland. And next year another set of numbers will have to be purchased by motorists. And the year following. And so, ad infinitum . It seems an unnecessarily elaborate method of keeping tab on the registration of cars. Would it not be simpler to have plates made with provision for superimposing smaller plates bearing the year in which registration is made If this were done all that would be necessary, say, in 1929, would be the screwing on of a disc containing those numbers. This would mean, too, that the motorist would have a chance to retain one number throughout the lifetime of a car and not be faced with the irksome necessity of memorising a new number each year, DIOMEDE SHE STATED To-day’s Ministerial inspection of H.M.S. Dunedin recalls that the cruiser was sent to New Zealand primarily because she bore the name of a large New Zealand seaport. This fitted in well with her character as one of the D class ships, but no adjustment could be made in the case of the Diomede. Dargaville and Domett were neither towns of sufficient importance to justify the renaming of the cruiser. Even Drunken Bay, with a name starting with D, did not appeal to the naval authorities.