NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1923, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

Amusing stories of notes received by school teachers, explaining the absence of pupils, are frequently told. Here (says the “Gisborno Times") is the text of a nolo that came to tho Gisborno main school last week:— "Ploase excuse .John for being away half a day; his mother is in hospital with a little baby. T will see it doesn’t happen again.”

In regard to tatcoing, l)r Buck suid in an address at Whakatane (states tho Whakatane "Press”) that the most completely tutooed people are tlie Marquosans, who are tatooed from head to foot by straight lines. They have no curves such as the Maoris used. There were many curious things aliotit Maori art that it made people wonder where they obtained it from.

At a recent stock sale a burly farmer was walking nlong the planking above one of the pens, when he trod on a rotten piece of timber (relates tlie •'Wanganui Chronicle"). After n few violent gymnastic exercises in balancing, he reached ground safely although he had had a narrow escape from meeting with an accident. “They tell you that if you break your nock there, that you brack it at your own risk,” he .growled. Seising the rotten planking, lie wrenched large junks away. He was determined that neither he, nor anyone else, should risk his nock >n future by walking on that treacherous place.

Tile delay that frequently occurs in tho delivery of telegraphic and postal matter was strikingly illustrated at Auckland during the week-end (says the "New Zealand Herald”). A Mlle urban resident, on returning home on

Saturday evening alter an afternoon's outing, found a notification that a telegram addressed to him minted delivery. As the suburban office wan closed, delivery could not lie made before Monday, so he left an addressed envelope at home so that the message could he posted to bis private box in the citv. The local letter box was clear at 10 a.in., blit to liis surprise the message was not placed in the private letter box until 7 o’clock in the evening.

A correspondent of the "Auckland Star” vouches for the following recent experiences on the notorious Rnngiriri Hills : "A comniereinl resident; of Auckland was on his wav south. The means of conveyance was a motorcycle. The son manipulated tlie steering, while the father was riding pillion fashion behind. Ail awful hit of road just, .‘liter entrance into the hog was responsible for jolting the elder gentleman into the '.slough of despond.’ Guile unconscious of the disappearance of his clear old dad, the son struggled on. steering, as he thought with great dexterity. After proceeding some two miles In- turned ami noted l he disappearance of his father. With sundry ejaculations not to he recorded here, lie turned and found his father wallowing in the mud, and exclaiming. 'Cannot something he done!-''”