BY THE WAY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 661, 14 January 1933, Page 9

BY THE WAY.

Some Collections and Reflections. BY ONE OF THE BOYS. A digger says that, while it is hard for a major to get a mere £498 a year, it would be harder still if he got what he was worth. Tourists come from all over the world to New Zealand. They see Rotorua and Auckland and go home. The French tennis team came to the Dominion and played at Wellington, the American tennis team is coming to play at Auckland and Wellington. It’s a great comfort for us at times to get out a map and see that there really is a South Island. :*: x x The final of the bowling tournament singles sounds like a Chicago gangster novel. First Parkhouse and then M’Alister went for kills and burned the heads. The eighteenth was deadly. M’Alister had been chasing Parkhouse all the way. Several times he trailed him, and then M’Alister drew and Parkhouse lay dead. X X X It’s hard to pick the winner of the match between W. J. Walter and W. P. Spencer in their contest along the beach. Spencer, being a sheep farmer, should have a good run, but Walter, coming from Mairehau, should know his onions. The other members of the Waimairi Council should compete, except J. Liggins. He has a foul run. Of course, F. S. Scott has a good range, and C. E. Cross would put some spirit into it. C. W. Moore should do well. The Moore he runs, the Moore he stays. And we must include W. Price. Without him the contest would be Price-less. XXX “ They should cancel the war debts,” I said to Ham last night. ** All debts should be honoured,” said Ham, ** gambling debts, war-drunk debts and boom-drunk debts. Money is nothing; character is everything. There are no shortcuts in life; no easy way. The Douglas credit plan, the going off the gold standard, bimetallism, paper money, Treasury bills—all short cuts to prosperity; but whether the currency is gold, silver, paper or shells like the South Sea Islanders use, it does not matter. The system where a man or a nation can spend more than it earns, borrow more than it can afford to pay back, has never been found and never will be.” “ But,” I objected, “ there is not enough gold in the world to pay America’s debt.” ** Yes,” Ham replied, “ and not enough gold in the world to recompense us for not paying.” Yes, Smithy’s mana’s very great; Greater he seems than even Fate. And give him sunshine, give him squall, Ever he seems above them all. He gazed upon his lagging pump. And lo! it started with a jump. He told the weather to be fine, And that is why we had sunshine. And everybody says: u Gee whiz! Our Smithy knows the flying biz.” But—ah—somehow there comes a day When all man’s mana is as clay. Bert Hinkler, he had mana, too, And many more good men and trufe. There comes a time when Fate doth cry: Lo! there is none as great as I. A petrol pipe that can’t be sealed, A faulty wire—no landing field. Then welcome Smithy. Let your cheers Ring out. Don’t think he has no fears. Don’t think he knows not what befell The pitcher often to the well. So Smithy’s feat’s beyond compare, Because he knows and does not care. X X X Hezaliah Brown took his seat next to me and said: “So the cyclists are to be put off the road. The Waimairi Council are going to prohibit three of them from being abreast, so now no cyclist can pass two cyclists without breaking the law, and if Mum sends a younger sister to chaperone Maisie and Bill she will have to ride behind, and if Jim is riding along with Doris there will be no eternal triangle. It’s going to be awkward. Sadie and Mamie bike home together, and Cuthbert comes along. The flirtation has not started. Cuthbert does not know which he wants, so who is to drop back and which one gets fined, or do the whole lot of them? Archibald hates Cyril. He wants Cyril’s girl who bikes home with Cyril. Here are all the makings of a fine plot. Archibald bikes up on the inside and the cop grabs Cyril for being the outside man in a threeabreast offence. Cyril punches the cop. He gets seven years. Will the girl wait for Cyril? Notta. She marries Archibald. Cyril comes out of gaol. The girl finds that she still loves Cyril. Well, you can go and see the finish at any picture show in town.”