HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12777, 22 October 1919, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

After being laid up in dry dock foi* nearly five • years, the sea serpent is' back at Ills old job once more '(observes the “Daily News.”) A North Sea pilot who landed at Deal reported that shortly after daybreak lie saw a strange object floating on the sea, a creature “ with _ a largo head ana whisker*- 1 ' 1 * Hie whiskers are a new touch, and have led several scoffers to suggest that the creature was Old Bill looking for a better ’ole, or Von Tirin'tz after the plans of Dover Harbour. Tho facta point unquestionably to tho sea serpent. In tho old days it -was always a North Sea pilot who saw it first, and a fine Jiving he made out of the story, too. Curiously enough, the sea serpent is never seen in the winter. At the end of the holiday season it is believed to retire inland, where it builds a marc’s nest and lives on giant gooseberries. rJI 19 TO th . of tho famous Bald Head Cincinnati, which has for its object tho promotion of brotherly feeling between people with bald heads and sympathy with those who have hair, is not an isolated instance of the success of a freak club. The Friday-Thirteenth Uub has flourished in spite of superstition, although the same can scarcely be said for tho “Kiss-Not Club,” , .founded by hygienic teachers in tho interests of good health. The “ You Be “ Nobodies’ Club” (founded for lonely men and women in Hind on), “ Matlock Smiling Club,” the kpht-farthing Club ” (limited in membership to men who agreed to stint themselves to the utmost in order to increase their possessions), the “Club of Ugly Faces” (founded by a gentleman with an enormously large nose), and tho “ Sighing Club ” (whose members were supposed, to bo wholly absorbed in thinking .of their sweethearts) are among other freak chibs. A very interesting account of tho* present position of the Belgian motorcar industry appeared in a recent issue of the American journal, “ Automotive Industries.” _ The article describes the very extensive amount of destruction which has been carried out by tho enemy, and the necessity for practically re-equipping all these works with new plant. An interesting discovery was made in regal'd to the Minerva works at Antwerp. Before the Gormans captured tho city the directors had all tho small tools, gauges, dies, etc, wrapped up in oiled paper and hidden away in a chimney. They were not discovered during the four years of German occupation until one day some German soldiers suggested that’a fire should be made in this particular chimney, but it transpired one of the company's factory staff informed the Germans that there had been an accident at an early date, and that the fire should bo made elsewhere. This advice was acted upon, and the valuable tools, jigs and dies were recovered intact when the Germans retreated. Tho Nagant factory at Liege lost £40,000 worth of machinery and cars. The F.N. works also suffered severely. Of the 3800 machine tools possessed. in 1914, only '2OO were left. The present staff of workers of the F.N. factory numbers 1500. as compared with 4000 at the beginning of the war. It is rather curious to learn that the Germans, haring come _ across a number of Rolls-Royce chassis which had been sent to a wellknown bodyworks in Brussels to have special bodies fitted, these chassis were valued by them at only £250 each, though the market value at that time was nearer £IOOO each. The recent “cleaning-up” week, instituted by the Auckland City Council,, was a complete success, according to tho City Engineer’s report, to the Council. So much waste material was brought to light that extra carts had to ho kept on for a week. In all forty tons additional household rubbish was dealt with at the destructor, while no less than 400 loads of old tins,, etc., were carried to the tip. “Although the early pioneers of Auckland worked with such courage and faith, in the building up of this overseas Dominion, they could not have had the very slightest idea of the wonderful work they were doing for tho Empire and for tho world,” said the Rev W. Beatty in the course of a speech at a reunion of old colonists in Auckland. “They could never have foreseen that one day their country would be sending away vast stores of foodstuffs to feed the people of tho Old Country, and of woof to clothe them. They never could have foreseen that one day their sons would go in their thousands and their daughters in hundreds to fight and serve in tho great cause of civilisation. Least of all could they have foreseen the great Government which was one day to arise, when the affairs of this litle country 1 of something ovftr 1,000,000 inhabitants would ho directed by an august body of 117 legislators, each wanting £6OO a year, nob for governing the country, bnt for misgoverning itl” Tho thrust was received with loud laughter and applause. The story goes that Colonel Roosevelt died and went to Heaven. Going up to Saint Peter, ho asked if he could have len thousand soprano singers. The reply was in the affirmative. He then, asked for ten thousand alto singers, and was told he could have those. Next. ho asked for ten thousand tenor sing, ors, and Saint Peter replied that lie could have those. Roosevelt thanked him and started to turn away. Saint Peter stopped "him with: “ What > about bass singers?” “Oh, I ora going to sing bass myself.” The Disposal Board of the Ministry of Munitions has acquired a large and varied assortment—many hundreds of thousands of them, in fact—of “ tinhats.” There will bo throe grades of tin hats on sale: (1) New and complete with leather linings; (2) second-hand, still very serviceable and ready to wear; (3) souvenir helmets, fitted with, shrapnel holes. _ Purchasers of Grade 8, it was explained, will include those anxious to impress on posterity “ what daddy did in the great war.” There are many uses*to which tho helmets can ho put, Oaxton House points out, of which the following are examples:— They can be worn in mines and during strike riots. They make splendid rosebowls and fern-stands, when fitted with, logs. They are easily converted into poultry feeding troughs.' In case the home demand should not equal the supply, the _ Disposal Board t has been making inquiries in China with a view to .exporting the surplus tin hats, to bo "employed in tho Celestial Empire as feeding-howls. A market is also to be sought among the natives of South Africa in this tine. Among other suggested uses for the hats are that they should.be treated as wash-basins, dinner-gongs and saucepans. A sensation was caused in Adelaide, by news that £IOOO, representing portion of the sum of £13,000 which had been drawn from_ the bank for payment to returned soldiers on board tho Argyllshire, which had reached Adelaide that day, was missing. The money was placed in the pay office safe, but when subsequently counted at tho outer harbour the amount mentioned could not. be discovered. Detectives investigated the affair, and arrested Lieutenant' William James Walters, of the military pay office, Adelaide. Tho accused was charged _ with having fraudulently misappropriated £IOOO which ho 4 come into his possession by virtue or Ms employment ,as pay officer. On tho application of counsel, a remand: was granted A demonstration of a new. system of life-saving was given in the boat harbour, Oriental Bay, one day last week by Mr Lowe, in the presence of a • number of prominent shipping men (says the “Evening Post.”) The system, briefly explained, is as follows: . Metallic bars ore attached to each side of tho keel of the lifeboat, the object being that when the boat is capsized the occiipants will have some tiling to cling to. When pressuro is applied to one bar by some ton men the boat can also bo righted. Tho demonstration proved very successful, those mrownt oonsidewng the idea ergood WV'&P 4 V ’ ~ f •. I .M J vv’L . ’'VwAv)