NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1923, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

In the? year 1 SOI (says tho “North Otago Times"), mutton was selling in Oamaru at one shilling per pound, and, on tlie I.iudis gold diggings flour was selling at tfi per hundredweight. “People have told me that this Is God's Own Country. Well, if that is correct, then I feel there can bo no trains in heaven.” remarked a muchtravelled English visitor to an Ashburton “Guardian” reporter. A Masterinn resident who (state- an exchange) for the past three or four years has been under military medical treatment for a wound in the neck received at the war. on a recent evening developed a lit of roughing which di-iodgecl a piece of shrapnel from his throat. Since recovery from the loss blood he has enjoyed better health than for year.-. The current idea that the Native always .-<|Uamler- his money has not found support in a recent experience In the King Country (states the To Kuifi "Chronicle”'!. At Te Kuili, recently, one Native received CS4OO as his -Imre of the sale of township lands !o the Government, and immediately proceeded to invest L’7ooo in Auckland Harbour Hoard debentures, The majority of oilier Natives, also, have spent the proceeds of recent sales on necessaries, such as clothing or furniture, or on live stock for their farms. "The policeman.—T thought lie was a gentleman—told me there was no need to register my hoys,” said the mother of two lads charged at the Napier Police Court with failing to register for military service. When questioned the constable stated that he told tlie woman that if site was out of the three-mile limit there would he no need for. her hoys to drill: he said nothing about registering. “As true as there is it just God above me, Te did tell me that” nntorjoetecl the woman. The Magistrate said there was some doubt, so evidetlee would be eallod. - "Napier Daily Telegraph”).

"Anybody would think that there wtt.- otilv one city in New Zealand,” said a world traveller to a group on the Main Trunk express (reports the Auckland "Star”). From the time you turn toward- this Dominion you hear ami read nothing hut Auckland. Files of Auckland papers ml every intercolonial steamer maintain a live in-tcre.-t in the northern city: I ravel ling Auckland citizen- lose no opportunity of ‘boosting' their holm* town; and even the wirele-s seem- in he loaded with Auckland news. I wa- quite surprised when 1 arrived in New Zealand to !inil that there were other ini porlanl cities on the map. Put I have to compliment Aucklander- <>u their enterprise and downright belief in their own city.”

The -lory ol the lamb that went to school i- well known, tint, though not sii well known, the story of the' eat that vent to church has tlie qualifieation of being built founded on lari and more up to date (-ays the. "Otago Daily Times”). The trnnr|iiility of the Sunday sen ice at a Dunedin Anglican church tvas interrupted by the intrusion of a small black eat an aspiring animal that wa- not -ati-lied with re-

-at out for a position m tlie choir. Pus.- did not routine hoi choral etlorts to the periods at which the hymns were being sung. Nothing but a solo would -nlitfv Imr, ami so it fell to the lot of a youthful chorister to carry her out side. From outside I In* eat

gave vent in a piteous ''meow." niter which she pushed the swinging door opell, and returned - t hi- time to a hack seat. An officer of the church ejected her the -eeond time, and -lie did not return.

The <|Ueslinii of the establishment ol a Dominion restaurant at the British Empire Exhibition next year «as raised 1> v Mr.J. I.inklater (Mniiawat u 1 ill the House of Representatives. lie gave notice to ask the I’riiue .Minister would lie gave favouiaible eonsideratioM to have such a restaurant, at whieh New Zealand foodstuffs could lie displayed and sold. Australia, said Mr l.ink|;itor, laid decided to have siicb a resfall rant. It would afford an excellent onport unity of avertisillg New Zealand mutton, lamb, lull ter. cheese and other food products.

“tie ran into a (unstable and kno<U_ id him over." explained Senior-Scr-msanl Mathew to the Hamilton Court, when Leslie Tiscli was charged with riding bis cycle without a light m Hamilton Hast on a recent evening. “W hy." asked Mr Young, S.M.. ol defondant. “did you run into the constable?” “1 didn't, know lie was a constable.” explained delendant. amidst, laughter. His Worship: 'W"» mean that if you'd known lie was a con stable von wouldn't have run into him:” ' Defendant: “Yes.” i l.augbteri Defendant eventually explained that lie would have got off Ids »,aclinic Pad he known that it was a policeman «ho was trying to obstruct him W it was (says the ‘•Waikato I lines ) thev both crashed in the rm»> Defendant was lined los and costs.

One of the largest trees m the work if not tlm largest, has been discovered i„ the bush at W'aihau, llok.anga, now Zealand (writes the "Northern _-Mlvacate"). It is a huge kauri tree the vast trunk of which rises to a height of ;:Vift before being broken by the first branch, and measures 2211 m diameter, and O’d't. or "lie chain, m girth. Its age is estimated at 2000 veals a least, and if carefully conserved, it should have another thousand years ot life before it.

One at lm.-t ol our New Zealand birds will survive the struggle tor existence. and c.mpoie -uecessiully mil. t i,e imported birds, winch are blaineU for their disappearance. That _W«y« ; ],.s ••Alaiiawatu Daily Times ) t- l K Ji'.-er eve or Wight bird. Possibly this ■ ’ , the circumstances to which his Maori name points. “Tauhou" (Hie or) The other morning some interested spectators in Palmers,on North were privileged to watch one of those tiny mpoying a til stv picking from a licet bone on the lawn, while'a dozen hungry sparrows were in turn chased off to sir in » watchful and hungry “meat queue.

Confidence tricksters in England still make great play with New Zeal„„d ns n land of sold and the '■nnole i„ New Zealand” trick has been pulled off once again, to the loss of one trusting female, writes the London correspondent of the Auckland "Star The gentleman who pitched the tale handed tim lady a sealed envelope containing, so he said. £3OOO, an instalment of a 07000 legaev due to her from from ‘an uncle’ in New Zealand. As guerdon tor bringing the good news the messenger asked for three shillings and got it. The sealed envelope contained just a page torn out of a newspaper.

■‘l believe the Lord does not want anyone to drill who is going up to be a saint,” said young man to Mr J. Baiuon K.M., at 'Hawera, when ilio appeared before tlie Court asking for exemption from military training on the grounds of a religious objection. He freely quoted tho Scriptures in support of his objection (says the Hawera “Star”). The applicant said lie ‘'did not think much of the Territorials as a class,” and it was ot no use one man speaking amongst the many. In reply, the .Magistrate quoted a passage concerning tlie little leaven and Lhe lump, and pointed out tho great opportunity the objector would have as a little leaven amongst the lump of Teiritoiials. There was nothing in the New Testament to prevent a man front carrying out his duties as a eitezen Mr Barton advised the applicant to think these tilings over, and dismissed the application.

Recently an ambition- Wellington assistant was promoted to tlie position of manager of tlie firm’s Christchurch branch (relates a southern exchange) Being a stickler for efficiency it rather irritated him to see a boy loaning against the counter. He promptly remonstrated with the youth, and told hint to get along with his work. Fifteen minutes later the hoy was still leaning ,-u the counter, so lie was immediately called into the office and asked what !iis wages were. ‘'Twelve shillings and sixpence,” replied the boy, lie was given oOs and told not to come Is'ick This ended the matter till late in the aiternmm a customer of the firm rang up and asked -‘When our hoy was in your warehouse this morning you- gave him 50s. and told him not to come hack. What <lj>d you moan?” ‘‘l mean the joke’s on me; tell him to keep it.”