THE PASSING SHOW.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15359, 6 October 1923, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE PASSING SHOW.

COMMENT AND CRITICISM. (By “Frets Lance.”) Mankind has hitherto congratulated itself upon being little lower than the angels. But in point of earthly brightness tile halo worn by a horse that has won the English Derby seems to liave it all over any adorning the Cherubim and Seraphim. Pressure on the cables didn’t prevent us being told all about how Papyrus stood the heavy weather on his voyage to America, and was exercised in a padded cabin by a stable boy. We were also notified of the interesting fact that the lately deceased Cicero, winner of the Derby in 1905 was to be buried alongside the graves of Ladas and Sir Visto, previous winners of the same race. Most colonials have a lot of time for a good horse, but one doesn’t imagine that even the most ardent horse lover would liave felt seriously hurt had the information as to Cicero’s last resting place reached here less speedily than by cable. Had Papyrus died of sea sickness on the voyage no doubt he would liave been shrouded in the Union Jack and buried in the briny—and the cables would have told us all about that too. Isn’t a sense of proportion lacking somewhere?

At the time of writing it does not seem clear whether Auckland has or has not been selected as the site for an astronomical .observatory to house the' Yale telescope. With reference to tlie first report that Auckland bad scored, 'the Wellington Post was moved to comment thus:—“Some people may l'eel that Auckland has stolen a march and should have left a question of such high scientific importance to be decided on the results of scientific tests of a wider range of supposedly suitable sites. But at cannot be denied that this sort of direct action, that crowns effort with achievement, helps to bring towns, as it does men, into prominence and prosperity. Auckland has many acquired advantages which ether centres are inclined to envy, but it owes them largely to its lively consciousness of its own worth and the desire of its citizens to live up to that estimate. When the Yale telescope stands upon cne of Auckland’s hills, it can be pointed to as one or the' results of pushfulness.” Just a little “cattish,” perhaps—but Auckland and Wellington always have loved each other so dearly.

However, Wellington is catching up, and has now found it necessary to forbid vehicles being turned in certain streets, owing to the volume of traffic and incidentally the narrowness of the slrccts. A case is quoted of a taxidriver who tried to turn at the Duka of Edinburgh Hotel. He started off on his first lock and an outward bound tram car ran in behind just awkwardly enough to prevent his running back oil reverse. Then a down tranicar came round the bend and found him in the way. Other tram cars piled in from both directions, and before the tangle was finally unravelled twenty or so were halted, and a whole line on one track had to he moved back one after tlie oilier to allow the taxi to go hack on reverse gear, and then forward on the journey, accompanied, it is safe lo assume, by blue flames of sulphurous language playing around the driver’s unfortunate head.

At a recent meeting of the Dunedin Hospital Board, Dr. Falconer, medical superintendent, wrote drawing attention to the fact that in a civil action in Court the judge had disallowed a plea-of privilege advanced by a medical man from whom it was sought to obtain evidence as to a patient’s condition. In Dr. Falconer’s opinion the health 'campaign against certain diseases must suffer unless the promise of absolute secrecy made to patients rested upon a legal basis. The Board resolved to request that the law should be amended, and in this course, will be heartily supported by the weight of public opinion. The revelations of a patient to his physician should be as sacred as those of a penitent in Lhe confessional, and, to the honour of the medical profession be it said, they almost invariably are so.

In this country “treasure trove’’ except maybe in the form of moa bones and Maori axes is rare, but a Palmerston North resident recently dug up a hoard of sovereigns in his garden, presumably buried by a former occupant of the house which was a very old one. Personally “Free Lance” has little expectation of “trovjng" treasure, but secretly cherishes the hope that some day upon a sea beach he may happen upon a. mass of ambergris worth several hundreds of pounds. This hope is, however, subject to some trilling limitations, amongst which may be cited ttie fact that he wouldn’t know ambergris if he saw it, and is seldom less than twenty miles distant from a sea beach. Another potential source of unearned increment is “Uncle George," in Van Dieman’s Land, but of course nobody here writes to him now because that “hass,” the law, says one mustn’t. * * * * *

Some chump started a report that the United States had abolished its 13-cent stamp for superstitious reasons, which led a correspondent of a New York paper to declare that the number 13 has not been an unlucky number for the United States. He pointed out that the nation started with 13 colonies, and although the stars on the Hag have now increased to 48, the number of stripes is still 13. The national emblem, the “American Eagle,” requires 13 letters to spell it out, as does also the national motto, “E pluribus unum.” The first message carried by the transAtlantic cable was sent on the thirteenth of the month. The American navy started with 13 ships, and its first great captain, John Paul Jones — whoso name is spelled in 13 letters — won his most famous engagement when lie had only 13 rum b-ft to keep up the light In New Zealand one imagines, League football should have ““outed” this particular superstition. Since League teams number thirteen a side someone ought to be killed every match, but they aren’t. Evidently the “devil’s number” is .losing its punch.

Juvenile prime is decreasing m lon™ land. In 1013 there were 37,520 cases: in 1017, Ihe worst war jear, -51,324, amL-ifl 102.0, 40,253, ,