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Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 59, 3 December 1926, Page 17

“The country is now in the midst of a revolution in transportation comparable only to the relegating of the stage coach to a back seat, which occurred almost exactly 100 years ago. at the advent of the steam railways" (says the "Railway Age.” of Chicago, editorially). “The railway. backbone of our transportation system. is now in its turn being superseded to an important extent, although any assumption that the steam railway will go the way of the stage coach is hardly to be credited. The motor-bus is the successfully aggressive newcomer in the field of passenger service to-day. No matter what the increase in the popularity of motor-bus transportation, a large and important part of the passenger business of the railways, the long-haul traffic, will hold its own. what ia more, it will increase as population increases and business expand; in fact, it is already increasing eo fast that the railway losses in revenue from short distance travel are being more than made up. The bus is not now fitted in any way for long-haul work. The bus is essentially and in its very nature adapted to the work of a short-haul carrier of persons."

The principle that the influence of a woman was not in the eyes of the law a justification for a man’s fall from grace was briefly expounded in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth by the Chief Justice, Hon. C. P. Skerrett (says the “Daily News"). It was during the hearing of a charge of bigamy and malting a false declaration Accused stated that he had filled in the word "bachelor" on the marriage registration form instead of the word "widower.’ because the girl to whom he was getting married wished to keep from her father the fact, that her husband-to-b- was a widower. “The woman tempted me and I did eat." observed His Honour. “I don’t think even Adam made that a justification for his action, even if it was urged in palliation."

"A great mistake is being made in the importing of ducks from other countries," said Mr. E. Stead at a lecture nn bird life in Christchurch, “for the grey duck, a native of New Zealand, is rhe best possible, both from the sporting point of view and the baser culinary point, and these imported ducks tend to interfere with the native bird’’ (reports an exchange).