1961-05-06 — Page 17

liggende ku devaipallett, denen Datinmunkadarabadan anda saunagapêuticoANUARY FEESAGERTIANSUN

SECTION FOR HONGKONG

CAN YOU SPEAK AT 200 WORDS A MINUTE?

THE House of Com-

mons is in session. An MP is making a speech. Above the Speak- er's chair, in the front row of the gallery, with two small loud-speakers in front of them amplify- ing his words, sit two men, one of them writ- ing busily.

Even if you can, the Hansard

men could keep up with you.....says Henry Lewis

Leslie Hala

fast talker

the scene belov like a hawk

SHAKING

INGER

SET

A scene like this would merely be recorded as an "Interruption"

FISTS

William

cut words at over 200 a minute, because it did not like things man will have a chance to not always clearly, and laced that had been written, began advance his own argument. I with figures and quotations in to let them in.

have my argument to make. Latin. It needs a super short-

Cobbett, later to hand writer to cope.

become an MP himself, began Mr Silverman. I need only writing a daily report which one second to make the point was printed

Mr Maudling. by a man named

I am Thomas Hangard.

but I am already taking too long. This is a short debate.

Mr Silverman. The Honour- able Gentleman is taking tco long to say nothing whatever.

One of the fastest men in the House was Leslie Hale, Labour MP for Oldham

West. He is witty and a gocd

the

-

EVERY WORD

error,

Stesy

20

They are two out of a corps of 20 who can claim to be the fastest shorthand writers in the world. They are report- ers for Hansard, the offi- cial report in which ap- to get the name of any Member

In 1811 Cobbett sold out to pears practically every who interrupts or makes a re- speaker but the words flow like the printer and the report has word said in the House, mark without getting to his feet. Niagara at over 200 a minute. been known as Hansard ever And so on.

For it all goes in the record.

When he stands up to speak since although it is a long time

Tributes have often been They have got to be fast at For 10 minutes

grip their the reporter reporters shorthand to cope

pencils since

con- paid to the speed and accuracy with some writes.

any Hansard was then his companion tighter. He enjoys trying to of the Members who, with

aected with it. Today it is of the reporters under thel a takes over while another re-

beat the reporters. He can beat lifetime

printed by the Stationery Editor, Mr L W. Bear (24.years experience of public

porter slips into the

most. but not

Hansard empty

Office.

On the a). Of C432, speaking, can rattle cut words chair to act as his watcher.

men. like a machine gun. And

And it is ar complete as the occasionally Hansard makes there It is a smooth operation. And

Unlike newspaper reporters, shorthand

men-now 20 m are clien exchanges between so it will go on all the time the the Hansard writers put in no number-can make it. Which The two Mumbers faster than

a House is sitting, except that colour and restrict

is why, besides the music hall cross-talk act.

night, with the printer's dead- virtually to what is actually spatches, Hansard line getting closer they cut their said. They seldom explain that sparkling dialogue like stretches to only five minutes. a remark caused laughter ΟΙ

How fast do they write? cheering. work only Every member of this crack

One Hansard editor ax- team must be able to write plained: “If someone threw â the gallery must also, incidentally, have a newspapers would splash the good working knowledge of story all over their front pages. Parliamentary procedure and be ut Hansard would merely able to recognise the Members), record 'Interruption."

big average

Similarly if there is a secretary may

if a Minister is shouting never have to write more than TOW, 120 words a minute. The with anger and unable to make United Nations asks only

himself heard, MPs are on their to 120 words

feet shaking their fists and one its reporters.

is heard to hurl abuse, the Hansard man merely puts down: "Members. Oh.”

CRACK TEAM

So the reporters

in short spells.

One of the

in the over 200 words a minute. pair gallery actually takes down the words, writing the shorthand outlines swiftly but without flap or flurry. The other acts as for him, watching

extra

eyes

The 17-21 Club's five rules

O Membership in the 17-21

Club

is

open to

all

within that age group.

An

a

minute

at (He

140 from

But the House of Commons has always had its super-fast speakers, men who

сап

LOW TIDE

• Contributions and all ac-|FTHESE

tivities of the Club will!

be limited to members

only.

of anything that

is

publishable articles,

letters, stories, photo-

pour

wet rocks where the tide has been, Barnacled white

weeded brown

and

bomb from

the

themselves

con-

After a stretch of note-taking a reporter-passes his notes to a typist to whom he reads back the words he has taken down.

Then he checks over her typescript, verifying facts and figures where he can. If he has been beaten by a half-heard or strange-sounding sentence he

MP sends a note to the cerned saying: "Will Mr kindly let the official reporters have the text of his quotation and the figures he mentioned."

Every 30 minutes messengers take the copy to the printers in Drury Lane. By 3.30 in the

printed and labelled for delivery. By breakfast

O Contributions may consist And slimed beneath to a morning the first copies are

beautiful green,

graphs, drawings, verses: Will show again when the

But only the best will be printed.

O All contributions MUST

be original.

O Written contributions should not consist of more than 350 words, photographs and draw- ings will only be accept- ed in black-and-white.

MEMBERSHIP-

Fill this in and tend

it to the China Mail, 1-3 Wyndham Street, Hongkong.

Name

Aga Occupation Address

time

These wet rocks where London MPs, libraries and the tide went down shops have got copies of a book

that

mcst days runs to 100 pages and 60,000 to 70,000 words the length of many novels.

tide is high, Faint and perilous, for

from shore, No place to dream, but

place to die,

At the bottom of the sea

extract:

Mr Silverman rose- Mr Maudling. way again. The

K

references

it to great Pontius Pilot and the guilte reports edged securities may be blamed

this on the printers, but how

I cannot give Hon. Gentle

the phrase "as thick as it aves in Vallambrosa" CUM. 10 te reported as "as thick as thieres in Balham Broadway?"

CROSSWORD

31

13

32

Σ

3

።

23

ACROSS

12

3. Month,

4. Prosecute in court,

5 Mistake,

6. Fabric,

а

It is an incredibly fast it has been printing job that suggested should be called 'Daily Miracle.'

the

1. Political party,

12 Fragrance,

-Robert Bau.

Its history goes back to when Parliament, which i previously

banned řeporters

1803

13 Wear Out,

bad

14. Not at all,

15 Traditional stories,

a Garment,

18 Adam,.

9 Fish,

18 Steal,

21 Before,

22. Period,

once more.

HAIR-WASHING HINTS

24 Knock,

26 Insect,

29 Cow's call, 30. Fish,

1. Stand on head in a washing machine-if you don't 32 Make beloved,

have one, an egg-beater will do.

35 Conjunction, 37 Prep,

2. For really gleaming hair give final rinse of kerosene, 38 Sink,

then touch lighted match to it. Guaranteed to give 30 Set, really bright, gleaming hair (even if it is for a few 40 Beverage,

41 Rapid, seconds!)

42 Resides.

DOWN

3. For that "well-groomed" look, add half G cup of 1 Thoughts & feelings,

quick-drying cement to shampoo. Two-headed people. 2 Poon,

should use one full cup.

7 French measure,

10 Air purifer,

11: Near relatiça,

17: Low tide,

-19: Yellow in heraldry,

20: Exist,

23 Queen.

25, Summit, 25, Be, 27 Negative, 28 Rasps,

30, Border, 31 Fat,

33, Card: game, 34: Beard,

-35 Help; -36-Present, 37 Entirely,

40 Poy's name.

-Credit card to Da ya Gulab, Homlecn.

-Credit card to Antoinette Rozario.

(Answers on- Page 2).