NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1923, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

When discussing his horse-back trip frm Gisborne to Rotorua, Mr R. M. McYilly. (tenoral Manager of Railways at Morrinsville remarked upon the roughness of the trip. A reporter (says an exchange) laughingly imiuired if much use was made ol a wellknown brand ol soothing healing ointment to obviate the inevitable halfcrown patches of 10.-t skin. lo this rally the General Manager of Railways facetiously replied: “No, nothing like that had to bo resorted to. I'm a pretty old hand in the saddle, but even if I wasn’t, the number of kicks the Railway Department get from the general public would have made my skin, hard enough to resist even patches whic h could not be covered bj a live shilling piece.

“How can 1 expec t a jockey when 1 have to compel young men witli useful and decent occupations to drill,” said Mr J. S. Barton. S.M., in the llawera Court. when hearing a charge against a. well-known jockey of failing to attend Territorial chill." The policy of the Defence Act was to make strong and useful men. while a jockey’s occupation tended in the other direction. Ilts Worship added. The argument in favour of the jockey was that his work took him all over the country, and if he attended drills he would lose his occupation. He was unfitted for any other work. An application was being made for exemption from training. Mr Barton (says the “Taranaki News”) intimated that he would not he disposed to tavourabH view such an application, but the cl largo of failing to attend drill was adjourned in ilio meantime.