BREEZES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 August 1933, Page 4

BREEZES

The Reason. Daughter* “ Papa, was in a jolly good temper when he went off this morning. ’ ’ Mother: “Mercy! That reminds me. I forgot to ask him . for any money. ’ ’ * '* * • ■' Vv* Suspicious! Asylum Attendant: “There is a man outside who wants to know if any , of the patients have escaped lately.” Doctor: “Why does he ask?” Attendant: “He says somebody lias run off with his wife! ”

George and the Dragon. “I ’aven’t had a drink for days,” said a tramp to the landlady of the George and Dragon. ‘‘ D ’yer think you could spare me one?” “Certainly not,” replied the landlady. , “Thank yer,” said the tramp, and slouched off, but a few minutes later he was back. ‘ ‘ What d’yer want now?” asked the landlady. “Could I ’avo a few words Avith George?” queried the tramp. * * * * A Theory. Stopping to pass the time of the day with a farmer, a tourist learned that the farmer’s father, who was 90 years old, was still living and working on the farm where he was born. “Ninety years old, eh?” asked . the tourist. “Yes, father is close to 90,” the farmer replied. “Is his health good?” “ ’Tain’t much now. He’s been complainin’ for a few months back.” “What’s the matter with him?” “I dunno. Sometimes I think farmin’ don’t agree with him.” * * * * Pin Solves Riddle. Sir Flinders Petrie, the 80-year-old archaeologist, has solved a riddle of history by establishing the identity of the founders of the seventh and eighth Dynasties of Egypt. This is one of the biggest discoveries he has made at Gaza, the ancient city of South Palestine, from which he returned recently. A bronze dagger about 5000 years old, and two gold pins, used to fasten women’s gowns, gave him the lost secret of Egyptian history. “I was struck by the raised veins on the dagger blade,” said Sir Flinders. “When a report of a discovery in the Caspian region was shown to me, in a flash I had hit upon the secret. “These people, one of the six races to conquer Egypt, came from the Caspian shores. The dagger and pins show their culture in arts. “ We have made, as a result of our discoveries, a consolidation of history.” # * * * > ; ' Not Air-minded.- a; • Unrest is spreading among the j elephants, declares ithe' game "warden of Uganda in his annual report. He explains that Uganda can accommodate more than half the elephant population in uninhabited and u'llinhabitable country, but aircraft above these empty lands may cause the elephants to seek quiet elsewhere. Already it is noticed that the annual mustering of the majestic old bulls on the East Nile has ceased for three years, while the main herds ’ wanderings indicate their discomfort. Moreover, as trained elephants in the Belgian Congo are unable to become accustomed to the noise of motor cais, the probabilities are- against Uganda elephants learning to browse peacefully on busy air routes. Huge herds, seeking peace, may try to enter settled areas. • • •' • * * * Trends in Manchuria.

Regardless of whether Japan proceeds with the economic development of Manchuria, the latter country will always remain pre-eminently Chinese, in the opinion of Dr. John B. Appleton, ot Scripps College, Los Angeles. Japan has contributed tremendously to the industrial and financial life of Manchuria, according to Dr. fT Appleton, but the immigration' of Hknd-hungry Chinese, a million 1 in "one ryear; \ has formed the basis of Manchurian economic development.' “1 predict that the present overwhelming predominance ot the Chinese is likely to be maintained,” he said. At present, Dr. Appleton pointed out, there are only 250,000 Japanese, 8,000,000 Koreans, and 100,000 Russians in Manchuria, but there are 29,000,000 Chinese. The Chinese have been pouring m, driven from their own land by unfavourable climatic, economic and political conditions. Their craving is for land. Of the Japanese population group, Dr. Appleton made this significant comm'ent: —“The Japanese settlement is surprisingly small, in spite of government encouragement. Climatic conditions are to some extent a deterrent, but the main reason seems to be the inability of the Japanese to compete with the Chinese farmer. Most of Me Japanese are associated .with urban industrial or government occupations m the controlled zones.”