RANDOM NOTES.

Western Star, 31 December 1923, Page 2

RANDOM NOTES.

Some one remarked that English people take their pleasures sadly. A London cable informed us that Christmas Day was extraordinarily quiet iu London, where omnibuses and trams were withdrawn from the streets at 4 p.nk Taxicab drivers, who reaped a large harvest, saved the streets from appearing strangely desolate. The theatres were closed, and there was a decline in the pantomime, so loved of the youngsters. It- was different across the'Chanuol. Paris woke up in the morning after a notable Christmas Eve, which the cheap French paper marks made- the gayest, probably since the Armistice. The reveller’s, who included some of the most illustrious names on the social record, simply monopolised the more expensive restaurants and paid extraordinary prices for food, drinks and entertainment. It is estimated that the minimum charge for a party. of three amounted to £IOO. The city, it is reckoned, consumed 200,000 quarts of champagne during the evening. All very French

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In America a better note -was strum:. The ‘Now YoTk Times,’ in its news,, columns states: “Christmas, 1928, will, long be remembered as one ot bounteous plenty for New York City in the matter of money and time, and extent of happiness enjoyed by men, women and children of all sorts and conditions. The city was aflame with ‘ Christmas cheer.’ It permeated the darkest tenement on the lower east side as well as the pretentious homes of the wealthy ; it- illuminated the dreary hospital wards and brightened the dark prison cells. , It was the Christmas of a period of prosperity.” Christmas throughout America from all accounts appears to have been on. the same scale.

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Russia, as might have been expected, struck out on new lines The Moscow correspondent of an American journal says: The State Police Department contributed to the gaiety of the i Christmas season, which technically is no Christmas, by expelling from the city nearly 1000 persons, who were; undesirable urbanites, namely, bootleggers, card sharpers, confidence men, smugglers, usurpers-, drug users, drug peddlers, keepers of brothels, and persons with no regular occupation.

When found make a note of it. That is what I did with' the following paragraph,- because if New Year’s Day is what it ought to bo, I intend to spend a day where mosquitoes pay great attention to visitors:—lf a mosquito is having a meal on your body let it. finish before you: kill' it. That is the advice of Professor Harold Maxwell-Lefrey, Professor of Entomology at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, South Kensington, one of the leading experts on insects in that country. If you wait until it begins to draw it proboscis—an elongated sucking organ—out Of the iskin, it has then probably sucked out again all 'the poison it has. put into you. It requires patience, but, is the best thing to do. » w e The Empire Pictures, recently screened a. screamer depicting automatic apartments in which bachelors could be shaved, washed, dressed and fed, ■ all by machinery. A European lias gone one better. He predicts the construction of a synthetic man, made from spare parte, like a motor •■ar.

When the synthetic man arrives, He’ll capture all our, hearts, For he will be—if he survives— A man of many parts. It was Mrs Malapropos who Temarked that a synthetic man would be as good,, for the country as a, bachelor, anyway. After that withering remark bachelors should be scarce.

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The closing year will be remembered locally ae the one that saw-the installation of the electric light. Instead of the soft*,creamy light of the oil lamp, we now have the all-reveal-ing, unmerciful glare of the electric globe. New lamps for old—no dirt, no fuss, simply press the button, and there you are. Mention of the button recalls a. story. “ I’ve been reading an article on'electricity, Tom,” said the wife, as she laid down a copy of a, magazine which she had been perusing, “ And it appears before long we’ll be able to' get pretty nearly everything we want just by touching a button.” “It will never pay here,” growled the .husband. “ You would never be able to get anything in that way.” “Why not, Torn?” “Because nothing on earth would ever make vou touch a button. Look at my' ■dart!”

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A reverend gentleman returned recently to the scene of his previous labours, and visited one of the local Sunday schools. He told the children that kindness sprang from the heart, and he emphasised'its greatness. At a later dtage he asked one small .girl what she had inside, hut instead of the expected answer, “My heart,” the disconcerting reply was “My dinner.”

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Southland has about seventy thousand people. "A motor run round the province is an education. The achievement of a mere handful of people is the eighth wonder of the world. The highest., hope a SoutliLander could have is to wish for more of the kind of people Southland has, Every advance in human progress iis the result' of knowing what one wants,. and going for it. There is something in “ keeping the matter steadily in

view,” but more in. steadily working for its achievement. It is a Southlander's duty to back up the efforts of all who 'are exerting themselves to push tlie province. along. In the whole category of human necessity unity is the chief need. With that, 1924; should see the accomplishment of much, and the thought of useful work ahead should give an added relish to the short respite which. accompanies the departure of the old amt the advent cf the New Year. —DOSA. j