NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1923, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

“Don’t think I am going to be shopman and accountant for £5 a week,” said a well-known butcher when asked by counsel in the Supreme Court, at Masterton if it was not his duty to have put entries in the books.—“ Age.”

A native in the witness box at the last sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Ohakune (states an exchange) said his boy was too weak to work. “But” said the Native, “he plenty strong for the football.”

“It costs me about £IOO a year to run my car, just an idle man running about the country, you know,” stated a witness in tho Masterion Supreme Court (states the “Age”). “Lucky man,” commented counsel feelingly, as a titter travelled round the room.

Mrs Phillip Wirth, wife of Phillip Wirth. of circus fame, applying for permanent alimony in the Divorce Court at Auckland, stated (says an exchange) that her husband derived a net income from his circus alone oi £IO,OOO per annum.

“It is considered a very serious thing in your country, is it not, for people not to pay their debts.” asked counsel of a bankrupt Asyrian who applied for his discharge in the Palmerston North Supreme Court (states the “Standard”). “Yes,” replied the bankrupt, “it is considered the worst tiling that can happen to anybody.”

Sonic people in the Richmond district (states an exchange) have learnt in the hard school that it is an unwise thing to place good carpets ill new houses before they are actually occupied. During the last few months the police have had three reports of carpets and kitchen utensils being stolen under those conditions.

Don’t, invest your money until you have been working a year. Don’t expect to be given something for nothing, Use your head when you work with your hands, and bo prepared to use your hands when you work with your bead.” —Hints to settlers eontamed in the new handbook of the Dominion sent to England for the guidance of immigrants.

“Do you gamble on horseracing or cards,” inquired counsel of a bankrupt who applied for his discharge from bankruptcy at the Palmerston North Supuomei Court (relates the “Standard”). “Gamble?” queried the bankrupt. ‘‘Oh, no, I was once in business, and that was a big enough gamble fur me.”

It is surprising how some people prefer to remain in splendid isolation instead of marching with the times, (remarks the Southland ‘Times”). The electrification scheme was being discussed by a number of farmers when on,o astonished the rest by declaring that lie would not take the power under any consideration. “I would sooner pay the rate,” ho continued, “than install the light or power on my farm.”

In the new handbook of the Dominion which is sent home for the guidance of intending settlers, no complaint can lie made that the position is not plainly stated, for m. . heavy type under tile heading of “Openings for settlers” it says: “The demand throughout New Zealand is principally for single men. Married men with families will, at the present- time, find great difficulty in obtaining housing accommodation.”

Counsel in an eloquent peroration at tho conclusion of a civil action in the Masterton Supreme Court was endeavouring to discredit the defence that a young girl was capable of managing a farm, including stud Herefords and Romneys. “Is it- feasible- ? ho dramatically asked. “Just imagine this young lady riding around the mu on her tall horse and feeling the hair on a sheep’s back.”—“Age.”

Among the hints given to settlors coming from England to the Dominion in the latest handbook issued by the Immigration Department are the following. “Make sure that you have enough money in your pocket when you land overseas to cover travelling and other expenses, and to keep you going until you can get work.” “Don’t let strangers know how much money you have brought with you. Don’t trust strangers, however friendly they may seem, but apply to Government agents, who will always do their best to help you.”

An extract from an advertisement for a public school teacher in the Cook Islands gives an insight into conditions of life in that part of our New Zealand Dominion. The advertisement states: “Applicants should he free from family ties which might hinder them in their work. Ihey must he prepared to endure isolation, and must possess the missionary spirit needed to overcome the disadvantages inseparable from the pioneering work which is to he expected.”

Sheep farmers cm the coastal lowlands of Otago, who breed lambs lor butchering about Christmas, report that the lambing so far is quite satisfactory and fully up to expectations (states the Dunedin “Star”). The recent frosts somewhat- browned the pastures, lmt that only amounts to a check in the growth of the grass. Away in the hack" country some of the farmers are looking awrv at their grazing paddocks, the frosts having quite spoiled their appearance. There is reason, however, to hope that these pastures will recover in time for the general lambing in tlit high country. The jirospects are distinellv encouraging.

Tn an address delivered at the invitation of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce, -Mr A. Seifert pointed out that while one ton of fibre was obtained from eight and a half tons of New Zealand leaf, it took GO to 70 tons of Manila leaf to produce the same quantity of fibre. In the case of sisal it required thirty tons of raw material to make one ton of tlui finished product. If the tow and stripper slips were added to the haled fibre produced in New Zealand the production was one ton of fibre from six and a half tons of leaf. This showed that New Zealand producers were extremely fortunate in this respect. Touching on the quantities of sisal and Manila and New Zealand fibre produced, the speaker said that the export of the first-named from thcYukatan, Mexico, only recently had been as high as 700,000 bales, or 110,000 tons, per year. The production of Manila fibre was also very high. New Zealand shipped last year about 12.000 tons, and had never exceeded 29,000. The speaker maintained that there was plenty of room for the Dominion’s product on the world’s market. He also pointed out that the production of fibre from New Zealand flax was the highest- in the world.