THE DAILY ROUND.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18930, 27 April 1933, Page 6

THE DAILY ROUND.

SHOTS IN PASSING*

By “ Wanderer."

A RUM FIRE. In the report of the spectaculaf fire in the West India Docks, when £400,000 worth of damage was done, it was stated that a large force o 1 firemen using 50 motor pumps and river floats to attack the rum quay fire, rescued hundreds of barrels of rum and prevented the spread of the Are to adjacent stores, containing timber, sugar, tobacco. and other produce. No lives were lost.

Of course this doesn’t get away from the fact that many more hundreds of barrels of rum were lost. But the good old British Government, it appears, has the situation well in hand. Deeply sensitive of the consternation tliis loss must occasion in the minds of British workmen, the Government has thrown out an indication that the beer duty will be reduced by a penny a pint. And, anyway, it is far better for the British Workman to drink beer than such inllammable stuff as that rum appeared to be. But now there will always be the probability that further fires may he encouraged as methods of attacking the beer duty. But when beer is a penny a pint surely the fire risk of rum should be very small. # m o * - THE ELECTIONS. Next Wednesday three asplrlnf Mayors and seventeen aspiring councillors will offer themselves to the electors of Hamilton. With their qualifications duly polished up, and their platforms and programmes duly nailed down and set up, as the case may be, they will spend the day in speculation on the outoome of the poll. Each will politely deprecate his own chances of election, and in the evening each will diplomatically express surprise and gratitude at hi» if he is successful; or thank "his opponent for a clean and wholesome fight—if defeated. Meanwhile ratepayers view with satisfaction the industrious use of shovel and spade about their grass plots. “Now,” thinks Jones, as he sees the weeds disappear as if by •magic from the stretch of fcotpath, “whom am I expected to vote for as a result of this? Not such a bad crowd on the council, really; but what a pity we don’t have elections every spring and every autumn.” That’s just'the trouble. If only the councillors and the Mayor would appear in person at the business end of a shovel or spade or rake we’d know “where we’re at." As it is, thfe flying sods and turf are like the thistledown —"Loves me, loves me not” sort of thing. This vote for Brown, this one for Smith, and one for the jolly old Mayor, and so on. And that’s why nobody takes any interest in municipal elections. * * * * THE BAPTISM OF FILM. NICE, f§. ATter his marriage at Nice to-day to Miss Betty Compson, American film actress Mr, James Walker, ex-Mayor or New York, showed strong resentment against the activities or photographers and “ talkie ” machine operators. They were gathered outside tnc Town Hall, and as the dormer Mayor emerged with his wire he scattered them with his lists* ' * By covering his head and turning up his coat collar, Mr Walker prevented all but one photographer rrom taking a picture of himself. Many or the, men had come rrQin America Tor the event.— (Cable item.)

Having by this marriage aromatically* elevated himself into the ejass of " those-wlio-c-an-do-strange-things-and-get-away-with-it, Mayor Walkei lost no .time in "getting one back” al the phc/tographers. During the sorap we suppose Betty held his bell-topper and “registered” enthusiastic encouragement, . But what must she have thought of it. After all she is not as young as she was, and It was a glorious opportunity lost for appearing in a really sensational “close-up.” * * * * "PENNY WISE—.” “ The Tact that no election Is being held in One Tree Hill this year will result in a saving or over £IOO to ratepayers,” said Mr f. J. Goldstine, Mayor or One Tree Hill, at the first meeting of the new Borough Council. Well, that’s one way of looking at it. The inference is that when once an election is necessary one might as well have the £IOO worth, and choose an entirely new mayor and council—just to keep the ball rolling. And anyway who was it that said it was now time for us to begin spending again ? •*• , • FACTS FOR ECONOMISTS. \ The British Budget demonstrates tho startling fact that if Britain hadn’t paid the United States £29,000,000 there would have been a surplus l of £11,250,000 of current revenue over current expenditure. In other words if there hadn’t been a deficit there might have beet a surplus. So with New Zealand, i: xve were not bankrupt xve might be solvent. ■ » * • “AULD LANG SYNE." "Don’t think for a moment that Mr Lang was dismissed from office—he was not dismissed," said Mr Martin New South Wales-Minister of Justice, in a recent speech. Of course he wasn’t. He just melted away like wax in the sun. We all know that.