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Pointed Paragraphs.
Most girls have a keen sense of
rumor.
Advt. from yesterday's "West": —
"Girl wanted for pressing shirts."
Empty or otherwise?
The Polish. Minister of Finance is
named Grabski. He wag born 'or the
job.
We are now to have women auc
tioneers. This is a proper answer to
the old liumorists' gibe at woman's in
ability to use a hammer.
Now that the war to end war is- over
it is most cheering to get the news
-that America's greatest battleship has
just been launched.
. Last year the marriage rate was the
highest on record. From this it would
seem that, whether the country is fit
for them or not, there is no lack of
heroes. ''
A matrimonial bureau is the latest
Salvation Army enterprise: — j
We're not at all surprised to see
Booth's latest wheeze, for you'll sgree
Salvationists think time ill spent,
Unless they're making man repent !
Certain people, we gather from a
medical' note, are liable to attacks of
asthma when brought into contact with
cats. We know a man who once caught
a large tailor's bill through contact .
with a dog.
This pungent remark, made by a
Digger, was overheard by us when com
ing to toil in a tram on Thursday: —
"Well, I didn't think Senator Pearce
had the guts to deliver that fine speech;
it is a real knock-out punch to the
Jerger mob."
George Douglas, who was a member
of the 44th Battalion, goes Carnarvon-
wards to-day by the Charon. George
was a moulder in pre-war days, but
now one wouldn't--"hesurprised to see
him blossom into-a'prosperousr- squatter.
He resigned his - position as treasurer
of the. North Fremantle sub-branch at
the latest meeting of that body.
Branch secretaries are hereby noti
fied (if notification be again necessary)
that "The Australian" does not make
any charge for the insertion of branch
reports or general notesi on the branch's
activities. Personal paragraphs con
cerning members, their war records,
peace activities, land their character
istics generally are particularly wel-
comed in this office.
,One of the <£50 prizewinners in the
R.S.L. Consultation is a fTasmanian
V.C. — Stanley McDougall, to wit. We
are told he saw the particulars of the
consultation in "The Australian" and
immediately sent over for a ticket.
When we consider that some of the
other prizes went to Rockhampton' (Q.),
Kur'ri Kurri (N.S.W.), Streaky Bay
(S.A.), Middle Park (Vic.), Bega
(N.S.W.), Longreach (Q.), and even
Singapore, it is easy to gauge how
far afield Mr. Rapp's publicity work
reached.
Talking of "coincidences" in connec
tion with sweeps, Tattersall's have pro
duced some entitled to the term re
markable. Last year's Melbourne Cup,
for instance, furnished us with a fine
example of what the Goddess of Chance
can do when she's in the right mood.
Sir Samuel Hordern, who is half-owner
of Artilleryman, is said to have drawn
Richmond Main intone of Tattersall's
sweeps on the big Flemington event.
And, as all the world knows, Artillery
man. won, and Richmond Main finished
second.
One of the best workers in the in
terests of the League— wliich means the
interests of all returned men — is Com
rade Hart, vice-president of the May-
lands-Ba-yswater branch — a branqh, by'
the way, that is growing every day and
doing splendid work in a quiet, 6olid
way. Friend1 Hart served with the 16th
Battalion and got his "issue" at! Heber-
tern. After an innings at the Fre
mantle Base, he is now packing up his
kit for a couple of months at the Kala-
munda Convalescent Home. As he is
a topnotcli photographer, we can imag
ine his camera will be in great demand
wlijere our "Kalamunda Ketchup" is
made.
During the week the people about
town saw some very interesting war tro
phies being hauled through the streets
of Perth. They were grim old -guns,
much rusted and battered, and although
the casual onlooker did not understand
their -significance and therefore paid
them little attention, many a returned
man paused and watched the old war
riors out of Eight. To him they vividly
recalled the battlefield, and reminded
liini of the tremendous struggle neces
sary to wrest these trophies — and with
complete victory— from the enemy.
Little 'as one likes to glorify war, let
us hope these trophies, and the story
they stand for, will be preserved for the
future generations of Diggers to ponder
over and gain inspiration frOm.
. If Sir Thomas Lipton can win the
third race against the Americanyboat it
will suit him to a "t."
Major Ayris has been appointed pub
licity officer in this State for the new
Commonwealth Loan.
A birth advt.: ."On June 26, 1920, to
Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Walker — a
daughter." Still going strong?
"Who is supplying the Sinn Feiners
with funds?" people ask. We should
say their policy was one of clubbing to
gether.
Those Organising the R.S.L. co-opera
tive scheme should give serious thought
to the inclusion of the fishing industry.
The harvest of the sea never fails.
Critics of England used to say she was
a nation of shopkeepers. That's better,
after all, than being, like the Greeks, a
nation of fish-shopkeepers.
"We don't waste money on advertis
ing," said a Perth firm to a customer
the other . day. Because, no doubt, they
select excellent mediums like "The Aus-
tralian. "
\The W.A. branch of the R.S.L. should
give an 'enthusiastic reception to Sir
Ross Smith, the ' most distinguished
aviator in the world. He arrived in
Perth this week.
"Australia for the British and their
Allies " used to be the motto Ave were
proud of. Judging by the Jerger agit
ation some people now want to make it
"Australia for the British and their
enemies."
These basic wage commissions read
more like a farce than a serious in
quiry. The witnesses invariably quote
extreme cases. One of them the other
day drew a pitiful picture of semi-star
vation for a small household in receipt
of £5 odd per weekl
"Souvenir King": I have in my pos
session a Jap. "safety" match that
actually ignited when struck. I have
the charred end for proof. There are
three independent witnesses willing to
vouch that I did not scorch it in a flame
or anything; The phenomenon is open
for inspection at 3d. a time.
/-After completing the final volume of
fxis "History of the Great War," Sir
t Arthur Conan Doyle will leave England
to fulfil a long-cherislied desire 'to see
Australia. He will reach Perth some
time in October, and will devote six
months to - leisurely tour through the
Commonwealth. He will be accom
panied by Lady Conan Doyle. . j
The Moora papers announce the death
of Mr. Millar Buzzard, which occurred
from, an accidental gunshot wound on
the 12th inst. The late Mr. Buzzard
saw much active service in the great
war as a lieutenant in the A.I.F., and
was accorded military honors by com-
rades at the graveside.
Those two gallant Aussies, Lieuten- \
ants Parer and Mcintosh, are putting up j
a brave battle with heartbreaking diffi- !
culties in their dogged attempt to com
plete their flight from England to Aus- I
tralia. They are gradually getting j
nearer their goal, and when they suc
ceed let us hope the people of Australia
(particularly the returnecUmen through
the League) will extend to them a fit
ting welcome. Such grit and pluck
brings added lustre to the great world
wide reputation already established by
the intrepid hoys of Australia.
In another part of this paper a- lead
ing article on the Jerger case appears:
Since it was written new developments
have occurred and it would seem that the
venue of the agitation is to be trans
ferred from Adelaide to Fremantle. This
is regrettable, for West Australians will
not welcome the wrangle that is certain
to follow the arrival of John Wren and
Politician Edwards and their party. A
State with our war record should have
no sentiment to waste on an alien who
has been ordered deportation because of
his disloyalty. Most important state
ments on this case have now been made
by the Prime Minister and the Minister
for Defence, and we commend them to
every person who desires to understand
both sides of the case. They appeared
in Thursday's issue of the "West Aus
tralian."
Jim Butler's office still strongly re
sembles a bargain store. Of late ..there
has been a tremendous run on blankets,
and the Perth branch has disposed of
3400 of them in a. fortnight, with or
ders for 1000 more on hand. This nearly
mops up the full 5000, and it is pleasant
to think that the enterprise of this
branch of the League lias made bo many
people warm these cold nights. The
Diggers and Diggeresses are great ones
for bargains. The demand for cloth
does not abate, and hundreds of suit
lengths have gone out lately. A diffi
culty in getting all orders supplied
promptly is the undue preponderance of
orders for serge, whereas the supplies
coming to hand only include about 5
per cent, of serge compared with 95 per
cent, of mixed tweeds. As the quality
is just the same, we strongly advise ap
plicants, if they desire prompt delivery,
to accept a tweed instead of specifying
serge. ' ,
The Fremantle district shortly loses
a valued soldier-jcitizen in Harold Ab
bott. Not only has Harold been pro
minent in soldier circles as secretary,
of the Fremantle branch and later the
district council, but lie has also been
closely identified with much charitable
work and every movement calculated
to help Fremantle along. Harold's war
wound makes it desirable for him to re
side in a tropical climate and \e is
now labelling 'his luggage Singapore.
He will carry with him countless good
wishes from his League cobbers and a
host of other friends.
Grant McDonald was admitted to the
Bar at the Supreme Court of Western
Australia during the week, this being
the culminating point of a scholastic
career of distinction. Although still
quite a young man, Grant McDonald has
the satisfaction of knowing that, in
addition to acquiring his profession, he
has also served his country. In doing
both these things Grant has followed
in. the footsteps of his clever brother,
Ross McDonald, whose talent in law is
bringing him rapidly to the fore, Ross
being with Messrs. Haynes, Robinson
and . Cox. Between them these soldier-
brothers look like achieving something
notable in the legal profession.
The new executive of the League is
strong in convincing speakers Practical
ly every man who stands up knows how
to marshal his facts and orats in a fash-
ion far above the average. This is as
it should be, too, for the young -soldier-
citizens of to-day have every chance of
being the public men of to-morrow. The
trouble about Australia to-day is that
we have too many -talkers who have
nothing in them but wind and skite, and
on a public platform they are apt to
out-talk the indifferent speaker who has
brains to back up his contentions. As
the various committees of the League
are always grappling with problems of
more or less public importance they pro
vide an excellent training ground for the
young men who might be called, upon to
take the platf-crm in the years to come.
And, apart altogether from these com
mittees, there is room in the ranks of
returned men for a really live literary
and debating society. A big percent
age of our most prominent men had their
beginning in debating societies, and,
What is more, they never had the
"meat" in them or the experience the
soldiers have acquired -through their
sojourn abroad, where they had the .ad
vantage of mixing with the men of all
nations and studying their habits and
institutions at first hand. /
- "Full Private": I note that Mr '
Brahain, wlien referring to the "Sun
day Times" article on the R.S.L. Con
sultation, said it looked a though the
attack had been inspired by "the op
position." Yery innocently the "S.T."
interprets this as referring to the next-
door-to-defunct "Diggers' Only" Associ
ation, but anyone with half an eye can
see that Mr. Braham meant Tatter-
sails. And, believe me, I am in a posi
tion to know they have felt the effects
of the local opposition consultation very
severely, and would no doubt be very
glad to see it shut up shop. The "S.T."
says that the figures it quoted were
worked out and supplied by a casual
outsider, but ordinary people with no
thing to gain do "not indulge in these
self-imposed tasks. They were obvi
ously worked out and supplied by some
one with an axe to grind. As a matter
of fact I am told they were also offered
to one or two other papets, which reads
like a methodical attempt to do harm
to the R.S.L. consultation.
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