NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1924, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

At a sale ol unclaimed luggage at Wanganui one ol the unl'ortnnate bidders paid Is (id lor a tin tied round with string. On opening the tin (relates the ••Herald") lie withdrew something heavy wrapped in a sugar bag, and bis look of expectancy (•banged to one ol disgust when be discovered that he was the owner of two bricks.

Much as been said, and seen, ol women smokers (remarks the I imam

‘Post"), bill perhaps l.lmlimit vn.'y reached on a recenl alteruoou on the Timaru railway station where a ,\oung woman paraded the platloriu with an infant in her arms, while she pulled ai, a cigarette. An amusing incident occurred in Dunedin the other day when a butcher I brew nwav a piece ol meat, which immediately attacked by a cal, a dog. mill a dm k. Tbe eat '..recounts the ••Slur") Lit ilic meat, while the dog bit ibe cat. which slooil in tbe road with n back resembling that ol a camel. The duck then eomeuced

tn peck the dog, which soon ran away. Tims the duck became owner ol the meat. The whitebait season lias started rather earlv this year reports the Auckland "Herald”), aid for over a week small supplies have Loco lomm.". to the A ui'L lai nl markets Horn Tuakau. It is expected that considerable quantities will lie available soon. From all indications it would appear that the quant itv of w hitebait available thi, season will be about equal to hist year’s supplies.

That even a fire station is regarded

~s ~ risk bv an insurance company was shown at a meeting of the Dev0n,.,,,-, (Aucklaim Rurough '.mined. Although the loan for Hu- Hre slat.m, has been carried -says the "Herald -, the proposal otherwise has not progressed hevond the si age of disc,is,on . ye! one insurance company nnule apphealim, to the council for a cover, on the building when erected.

•‘| have a very serious matter to bring; before vour notice." said < mineillor Hill, in solemn tones at a me-; ■- i 11 «r „r the Gishorne I’.orm.gh Homed. •‘Well hurry up with it." said ( m.n----t-i I lor Mirfield. "Is it a lad. <nnliuiied Councillor Hill, “that returned soldiers with families have been put off borough works in order to make room for new arrivals from Home.

-This is a grand country for criminal-.- We treat them so kindly. New Zealand will be.ome a sort ol Afeeea lor criminals, and 'hey will make a pib'rimage here. Hiis iein.ii » made bv Mr J. W. Roynton S.M.. the Auckland Police Court, when two deserters from an overseas vessel were brought before him. charged with having; committed theft.

The Alarm-: “No. That’s absolutely untrue.” Councillor Rickford: 'Not so serious after all." ('Langhter. Councillor Hill: “I’m "Irani I cant contradict you. sir. hut 1 have been told that returned soldiers vveic pu olf ’’ The Mayor replied that married men wore given preference, hut returned soldiers were always cmisidered. Councillor Coleman: “I come m contact with most of the returned soldiers and there’s not one of them that would accept a job when a married man with children was out of work. (.Hear, hear).

Several AYaiigaulli school girls wrote some time ago to scholars in a London school (states the “AYanganu. lloralri”). They won* iloliiihtoil when they recent I v received replies from the English 'girls, and also one from the headmistress, who said that the AVangnnui letters had been read to the whole school. Her pupils, she said, were very much interested in New Zealand, and would .'*■ pleased to exchange correspondence with the Wanganui girls. It is interesting to note that the letters sent by the English girls were all printed ‘ill the new style.

phases in the daily life of the Auckland taxi-man were discussed in the Supreme Court in that city, in the course of legal argument, before Mr Justice Stringer, in regard to the licensing foes charged hy the City Council. It was stated that the men had to he on their ears for long hours to earn a living (reports the "New Zealand Herald”). His Honour said the men’s lives appeared to be punctuated by intervals of rest and sloop, which drew from Mr Leary, representing the Taxi Owners’ Association, the observation that the taxi-driver was tied by the leg to tlie wheel of bis car. and could not leave his vehicle unattended for fear of penally.

“I pay on the mix-thom-up-and-be

svstom.” That was tho it lea nineteiiths of the public entertained regarding electrical technicalities. Mr Holdsworth commented la ugh i ugly.

“I always s]»enk the truth, although f was once lined JOs. for speaking the truth in Court.” said a witni-ss in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court,” relates the N.Z. Herald.” ‘‘lf you land told a lie. you might have been lined £l,” said Mr F- K. Hunt, S.M. •

At tho conclusion of a car.e at Lie Oliakune Court tho other day (states the “Wanganui Chronicle”), the defendant in an action said: “There v m nre: he is committing perjury ;'>w. sir!" The Magistrate: ‘‘You be quiet. „|. von will be committed somewhere else".” The defendant took the hint. It is estimated that the area sown in oats in the Oaniaru district this vojjr is nearly double that ot last year. The area that is being put down in

wheat is also larger than was anticipated (states the North Otago Times). The special seed wheat provided by the Department of Agriculture lias been eagerly sought after.

An amusing reference to the intricacies inseparable from the carrying on ~f an electric supply concern was received with delight by members of the Auckland Power Board’s stafl who were the guests of the Board at a smoke concert (reports the “Herald”). Tbo chairman of the board. Mr AA . .). Holdsworth. related a story told to him concerning two comedians on a London music hall stage. In the course of their dialogue one asked the other how lie was charged for his electricity. “[ pav oil the good old-tashioiiod lint rate of Oil. per unit.” replied his companion. “Oh.” added the other, dryly.

“People are getting awfully fidgety about their names getting into the newspaper nowadays,” said the Stipendiary Magistrate (Air (L Cruickshank) at the Invercargill courthouse the other day (says the “Southland Times’), when a request was made by Mr K. Russell that the names of several persons charged with taking tirewood oil' the Borough Endowment Reserves at AVaimatua should lie suppressed. “1 have mi intention of doing anything with regard to prohibiting the publication of the names, ’ said Mi Cruickshand. “because the cases are only trivial ones. \\ by. I get my name into the paper practically every day.'’ declared His AYorship, “and you do too. Mr Russell, hut 1 am quite sure that it makes no dillerenro to us.