Toheroas Were Off

Chronicle (Levin), 14 January 1949, Page 4

Toheroas Were Off

ip, 9 . J — ^ — is a barman in a well known hostelry in this disu*ict. He is also more than at home in the kitchen, having- earned distinetion in this capacity in the services during the war and in the peacetime days before.

The other day J was busj behlnd the counter when in came the cook. Could J take ovei next day as cook would like the day off? J said he would oblige. "I'll give the guests a treat," said J- — to himself that night. "I'll whip up some of my special soup with those toheroas which were brought in today. And whip it up he did, lpaving a big dixie of the cherished shell-fish .on the bench to cool for the night' prior to straining and finishing off in the morning,

When morning dawned a certain member of the: -household, who shall be called uAuntie," wandered into the kitchen. Seeing the dixie standing on the bench she peered suspiciously at its contents and with woman-like recriminations against such an untidy person,who would dare to leave dixies lying around a. spotless kitchen, she took immediate and decisive action. Later, down to the kitchen came J with visions of 'hot steaming toheroa soup and a mention in dispatches from oyerjoyed guests. / But where was the dixie? J searched high and low. Said "Auntie" when approached: "The dixie. What dixie? Surely you don't mean that pot of dirfey water vou left lying around. I threw that down the drain!" If you should by chance. call iri on that particular hotel in your wanderings around the district, don't mention toheroas. That subject is definitely out.

Fingerprints And People i News today that 4000 finger- ' prints were taken in Wairoa in ' connection with the recent murder brings to mind the occasion when in Britaini the prints of every adult and youth in a whole city were taken to establish the identity of a murderer. The murderer escaped detection then, but the police were most meticulous and went through ^ery type of roll available checkmg against those ftwho had been accounted for. The'municipal roll supplied the answer and the murderer was run to earth. This is the first time that mass fingerprinting has been earned out m New Zealand niurder cases and it is, of course, complicated by the existence of- "floating"" populations, such as shearers and casual labourers. Fingerprint evidence Ls ► accepted as conclusive. .• Not So Selfish Passengers in a city tram recent-^ ly eyed critically a.man who ocbupied the whole of one seat while many people, including > women, stood. affgnoring the critical attention of everyone, he concentrate'd on reading until an elderly woman nsustered up courage- and asked him if he would move to make room for her. Promptly he offercd to let her have the whole seat. ' I'm only holding it together, madam," he said. He had bracpd himself for seyeral miles «to prevent the seat from collapsing, as it was badly broken. The woman thanked him and declined the offer.