NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1924, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

“Arc you prepared to stake your professional reputation on it!'’’ asked counsel of a witness in the Supreme Court (says the “Hawke’s Hay Herald”). ‘.Mr interrupted His Honour, “I don’t like , questions like that ; it’s a form of betting not recognised.” “Very well, sir,” replied counsel, and the question was not pressed.

A strange accident occurred the other day at Tatuanui railway station (states the Auckland “Star’s” Morrinsville correspondent). The driver of a lorry and a six-horse team employed liy Mr Henry, of Tahuna, had turned the lorry round in the station yards, and had put the brake on, when the horses suddenly bolted. The yard gate was open, and three of the horses bolted on one side of it and three on the other, 'file gate was pulled off the hinges and thrown on to the top of the lorry, but did not strike the driver, who was thrown from the lorry, and sustained severe injuries to his shoulder and minor injuries to his head. The horses were quite uninjured.

“That is the ease of an honest thief,” said Sir James Wilson at the Manawatu County Council recently. Councillor Penny* (states the “bedding Star”) said he visited a farmer who did not know h» was on the council, and during an inspection of the farm he commented on the very line cowyard which had just been built. “Yes," said the farmer, “it is made of railway; sleepers, and it is just its well none of the councillors are around. It took me a long time to collect them.”

When Sir Joseph Ward passed through Tiinaru he was met at the railway station by a number of his old friends, who warmly welcomed him ; expressed their pleasure at his restoration to good health, and who Imped that it. would not be long lielore N’ew Zealand would again have the benefit of his .services in the House. Sir .Joseph thanked the deputation tor their complimentary references, and good wishes,, and said he was glad to sav that his health was now completely restored. With regard to the political outlook, or his intentions concerning next election, he said he would prefer not to .speak, adding that he was at present sin onlooker, and he "as not sure hut that he had the best of the game in that position.

His experiences with a petition p-Vaying that no further totalisalor permits .should he granted were given by the Rev. W. Trotter at the meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery. He siijd that ho had been received with most gracious courtesy bv Dunedin's business men, some of whom refused to sign the petition, however, liecause they might commit other members of their linns. But numbers, including members of tbe Jockey Club, bad signed. Nevertheless, he was satisfied that of the petition bad asked for the curtailment of the present facilities there would not have been secured a single signature. 'lbis position made him wonder if the Council of Christian Congregations had not committed itself to the present facilities in the eye of the public) The churches should go straight out ft r the abolition of gambling facilities.

A good story* is told by one of the members of n Gisborne revaluation committee concerning a soldier "bo "as asked to appear before a land board and state why lie was not paying bis arrears. The board members <li (.s-examined him i cgn riling bis finances, which "ere in a very unsatisfactory position. “Come, now,” said one of the members, “you must have taken something off the land. Tell lis exactly what you've had off it.” “Three pot.-, of blackberry ,iam and six summonses.'' replied tbe soldier.

'file love of the mountaineer for bis pursuit tins mentioned by Professor I!. M. Algie, in a lectnie be gave at Auckland. He told .of an ’Engfisl j climber, who. while making the transverse of the Southern Alps by himself

- a lliiii" against all mountain rules slipped ami dislocated Ids ankle, lie crawled down the mountain to a great ruck—a fearful journey—which tpok three or four .lays. 110 remained under the shelter of the ruck till ten days after his accident, when he was found, lie had then to he tallied on a sheet of corrugated iron for many miles over "lacier and moraine eotintyr. A recent report from England showed that the particular momilnineer was in good health and still climhiii" mountains. •I‘rofessor Algie’s own thoroughness as a climber was indicated hv the following remark dining the course of his lecture: '‘There are II peaks in this ranee; my wife and I have climbed four, and there ate .-even yet to do."

A party which was proceeding in a motor-ear the other night to a dance (says the "(.'hristchurch Press") had a most, unpleasant experience, for when turning the car failed to obey the wheel, and the result was that (lie inmates were thrown off the roatl into a section, with the ear on top of them. They managed to .met clear by crawliii" out from beneath the ear, and to their relief found that the only injuries sustained by the paity were a few bruises and abrasions, to say nothin" of the ruined evening attire worn. Within a low minutes the car was put cm the road on its four wheels again, and as the damage done to it was principally to the hood and other parts not vital to ils running, it was driven back to town. tht‘ ja ■/;/. evening being voic'd -olf.”

‘•Sausages,” remarked a well-known Auckland solicitor when he discovered a brown paper and string-tied parcel on a seat on one of the Devonport ferry-boats. Hut on looking into the parcel (relates the ‘‘.Star”) lie was atniLxecl to find it full of pound notes —fifty of them, in fact. When he had sufficiently recovered lie handed them to an official on the’ wharf, and received a message later to the effect that their owner—a business manhad been found and his valuable parcel returned.

A young man, aged If), visiting Auckland from n farm at lluawai, lias bad an unpleasant adventure, which resulted in his losing Co 10s. Dressed in country garb, including riding breeches and leggings, he was accosted in the middle of the day by a .stranger, who asked if he knew anything about horses. On replying that he knew a little, he was asked to accompany the other man to Ponsonby to value a horse. On the way a call was made at an hotel, where the stranger met a friend. The three ultimately reached a park, and here a third man appeared from among the trees. The upshot was that the youth’s money was taken from him and the men disappeared.