NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1924, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Government’s method of lighting railway stations was dwelt upon by Mr 0. A. .Monk (Horowhoima) at the l’ower Board’s Conference at Wellington. Hoiowhenua had introduced a remit" to the effect ‘‘that this conference views with disappointment the apathy of certain Government departments in not making use of the State or other hydro-electric services. It has been the experience of some hoards that public buildings, such as railway stations, etc., are the only buildings of any consequence not connected to the power hoard system. The conference therefore urges the Government to take a lead in connecting up State buildings. whenever Stale or other power is available.” It was a common experience, said Mr .Monk, to get out at country stations at night, and find them pitch dark. The power hoards thought, therefore, that the Government might use up a little of their “juice" *ii light them ill). The president (.Mr J. A. Nash. ALF.) said that the buildings were run for the public. If private people could alford to link' up with power hoards, surely the Government should light up public buildings. C.im's had come under the speaker's notfice in which school teachers had had to pay one-third of the cost of installation in the country. The remit was carried by the conference.

.Most business men in Whangnrc have at sumc time or other receive) curiously worded letters from Moor customers. The latest (relates tin “Northern Advocate”) is one receive! by a men’s outfitter from a Maori ii the hack blocks iiiqairiiig whether hr could purchase a suit which had been put hy for him. The (plaint conclusion of his letter was: “If you have sob,l it. it would he a lat.* thing for me to write this letter so. Your affectionate customer.” A resident ol Leicester, the great manufacturing centre of England, writing to his brother : u Wanganui (says an exchange), slates that the prospects of the New Zealand woolgrower receiving a high price for his output during the coming season are exceedingly good, as his firm were unable to secure raw majerial in sufficient quantities to Iniild lip a reserve supply. Other parts of the Old Country. he points out. are similarly affected, and tin" English nmniifai Hirer will have to rely for supplies upon the wool that will he offered during next season.

Stories are going around onmoniing champion mean men. The Kltdmn ‘‘Argus'' has unearthed a story which will take some heating, and is a true one. He was a mail with about a hundred Iliolisaml acres of land. A friend came up to him one day riding a horse. ||e lisiuoiinted to have a yarn with tfie landholder, hooking his arm through [he l.rid 1 - and allowing the horse to •lop at) the grass. Presently the big andholdei' said, “Here, hold that lorso's head up."

An interesting visitor to Auckland iMr (I. Itamsav. ol Nuiafou. who arrived by the Tolua the other day. Once a mouth the Tolua passes this tiny islet ill the Pacific (-ays the “Herald"), and as there is no aurfinrage. she -imply passes close in and drops the mail in a sealed till into the ocean. Mr Ramsay, accompanied hv a native, swims out ami takes the mail ashore. In a similar manner, the outward mail lor New Zealand i- taken out hv the swimmeraml handed up- to a member of tlic Toftia's crow on the end ol a pole. Mr Ramsay Slated that, he was never troubled hy the sharks which infest these waters, and was able to make the journey out to the steamer's route ami hack in about three-quarters ol an hour. “It)' judges his place of resilience I v

race meetings. If you can Icll bin what won' the Cup- he can tell vo

here he was at the time.” was the rei.'irk passed by an ollii ial of the Nelson

Hospital Board at a recent meetrap when an endeavour was being made ti timl out. where the mail cniieeriieil had lived during recent year- (states tin "Mail") ill order In fix the liability for his maintenance.

An East Ciin-1 native old-age pen sinner, being unable, ibrnugli dines-, t get tier pension, '-cut lur daughter :■ the Wairoa office to draw it. The eierii in charge intoi'iiied her she would lur'i in get someone to identify her. Con .-table Tori' did so. hill the clerk -aid “We can’l pay nut like that; that woman might he dead tor instance, ami

t lien, where would I he''’ A form, it wa- s'Uited. would have to he obtained from the pensions nllioe and signed by the registrar. Constable Tnrr then went to the Maori kianga with an application form lm ihe old-age pcn-iimcr to sign. Jan when the attendant vent to wake mi the woman, sfi,. discovered that her spirit had lied to a land where there are no pensions. “We live in a nervy age and probably nur choice of drinks is responsible lor our nervy condition.” said Professor F. P. Worley, ill the ciuilso ot a lecture iii ~nd (reports the “New Zealand lleraliT'l. Cnllee. drunk just ln-foi'w bedtime by persons who were not. used to it. had the ell'e'.'t of keeping them awake lor the greater part of the night.

“It may lie unkind politely to refuse t:) go to ms' your mother-in-law. but it is not MUelty.” said Mr Wyvcril Wilson. S.M., in tlie Christchiiich Ma-

gistrate's Court, in dismissing an application made by a woman for a separation and niaiiitenaiice order against her huiband (reports an exchange). The ease was one in which the “in-laws" loomed largely. Each party disliked the people of the other party, and. after three quarrels arising imm this cause, the wife left home. After hearing lengthy evidence, the Magistrate said: “I do not think this loan has been guilty of what the law-

terms peisistent cruelty to his wile. I do not think that he has failed to maintain her. It seems to me tliev

are two hot-headed young people, and that neither ol them like the other’s relations. They seem to have made iii) their minds that they ate not going to like each other’s relatives, and. of course, they are not obliged to. They are married to each other; not to the whole family. If their families left them aloec ami did mu advise them in the matter, they might ho able to devise some method of living together."

Apropos of unsolved labour troubles, uncoiltroliahie leakages in business and mysterious los- of profits, an Auckland manufacturer illustrated his point by the following circumstances ■reports the Auckland "Star"): —“Rill” and "Harry" were partners in a little hush shack in the ti-tree on a little hay in the upper reaches of the liarhour. Their wants were few, and they maintained a casual existence nil the fish thee caught and the vegetables tliev grew, eked out by a few provisions which the nearest storekeeper allowed them on account of gum they dug. The wet winter had. however, rendered existence so precarious that it was at length decided to dissolve partnership, and Harry went to town to lock for a job. He at once attached himself to a local lio-tel, where, lie argued, people might come looking tor workers or else bestow upon him the favour of liquid refreshment. _ Hi* forecast was correct, for on the second day of his sojourn on the brass rail there was inquiry from a coastal skipper for hands to work a scow northward. Harry offered his services, although he did not know a scow tnun a submarine, and went down to sign on. Late that night. Rill, sleeping lonely in the little shack, was awakened by his old partner, who staggered in hearing a sackful of groceries. He explfijped to hi; ne(oni«V|ed ppito h(W he

had been favoured hy Providence inasmuch as his first task as crew of scow had been to take an order to a leading providore for stores ' for the voyage. “And.” said he. “what was the good of working a month for grub when I had it in my hand 8 So hack to the old shack for me.” To this day both scowmaster and grocer dispute the account for goods supposed to fie ordered and supplied, but never delivered.