LATE LOCALS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1924, Page 3

LATE LOCALS.

'Hie tyres of a number of motorvehicles parked in Victoria street west, Auckland, under the City Chambers were found to have been punctured one di... last week. Discovery of tile damage was made shortly after noon, It is stated that a man was observed in the vicinity with an open penknife in bis hand.

On .New Year's day the morning attendance at Post Oflices at Ashburton, Blenheim. Gisborne, Greymouth, Mnslerton, Napier. Nelson, New Plymouth, and Oaniarn will he <tn tailed from 9 a.m. to noon, to 9 a.m. to 10 n.m. At Wanganui the morning attendance will be curtailed Imm 9 a.ni. to noon, to !) to 11 a.m. At West] ort the morning and evening attendance will be curtailed to 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p-m. to S p.m. A Icmpleton (Canterbury) man left ;m excursion trails in a most uncon veiltional manner. He bad been to Olira, and evidently was in a great hurry to get home after the journey into the mountains. W. Hampton thought that Lhe train was stopping at Templeton, and stepped off. He received rather a shock alien he tell, but the only injury "’as a cut lip. A doctor who was on Ibe train put some stitches into the wound, and Hampton was able to walk to his home, which was only a short distance away.

When the New Plymouth express had steamed up to the Palmeiston North platform a mother, father, and all the children i lumbered aboard with armfuls of luggage. Just as the party hail settled in their seats and the train was about to move oil the wife screamed, ‘'John. I’ve foigotten to turn olf the gas stove.” Time. tide, and railways trains wait for no iiein. but at the same time all the regulations of the deoartmeiit could not slop the fill her making a hurried exit from the moving train, with the yell. “ I’ll fix it.” lie jumped nil' and the last his agitated wife heard was the announcement, “ I'll follow next train.”

The amount of money credited In xl'ccpl'armcrs in North Auckland by tlie Whangarei woolbrnkors in connection with the first wool sales total approximately COS.OOO, of which a large percentage has been paid out. This month the Whangarei Dairy Company released to siiopliers nearly £IO,OOO for last month's butter-fat. and tbo llikiirangi Dairy Company similarly released £IO.OOO, and the Maimgatfipere Dairy Company approximately £ 12.0(H). the total distributed among dairymen being £l-1.000. This. with the wool cheques, makes a respect a hie total released in December.

The question of the dearth of men olfcriug for the ministry was rclorrcd to hv t In- Rev. John Dickson al a mocling of the ('hristchurili Presbytery. lie said that to account for this dearth ol ministers and ministerial Candida les in the Preshy leria n ami other ehun hie, various causes had been assigned. Some -aid il was due lo an uusyiupntbelie eritieism of the Word of God. which, they thought, hardly left a gospel worth making sacrifices to preach. However, personally, he considered that the real cause was that the stipends offered wore not sufficient, and did not ensure against pecuniary emharrassament in the midst of absorbing duties of a minister. The hustle of holiday traffic at the Palmerston North railway station has been relieved by al least one humorous incident. In one case a train had insl pulled into the station, when a well-dressed and attractive-looking young man approached a pretty young lady standing alone. She was peering ipi , the faces of the people rushing by and it was cpiite evident that she was seeking someone. The young man thought he had found the voting lady he was to look for. "There you are, Celia.” he said, and before she could express any astonishment at being accosted she received a kiss that would have done credit to ■ the “movies.” The young woman received a great surprise, and stepped hack with astonishment. thinking the young man had gone mad. The young lady was not “Celia.”