A CRY FROM PARAKAI.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 23 August 1917, Page 3

A CRY FROM PARAKAI.

TO THE EDITOR SAR—Don't a think the weather es enough to give a body the creeps. Well, t'other day I was out for a bit of a ramble and on comes a mate. Says ha, " How's things goin 1 along out Parakai?" "Well," says I, "what a main like?" Says he, "I do be told things is leapin' and jumpin' out that way. I hear they Domain Board members es interestin' themselves so as to give a few osbtioles to practis over. They do say they have chained the gate, so ef ad« want to get a hoss and gig in, you got to lave it outside and make the whole kaboosh fast to a telegraph post while a get a .ifa»h." "Well," says I, "that's pure jg^d^convanient for a, so long as the to its job." " Mind you," saj^lie, " they never said a thing to all thtf gran' folks as comes in nica gigs and on flash hosses, an motor cars, an such like. Of course they see the chain on -the gate." " Well," says I, " what do edo then ?" He gits a bit wild like and says, " You great stupit; why, they turn an go long home agin." " What," says I, " and they lose all the money ?" "Why, of course they do," By gosh, thinks I, we must talk this out a bit. " Well," says I, '• the Domain Board got .plenty hoot, I know." And he up an gits wilder than ever "An do a main to say all those gran' folks goes. home and never git a wash in them perty baths?" Well, I diddin know where to look or what to say to en, and, by josh, he was gettin' madder an madder, an spluttered out, "Well, diddin en lave no other place for them to put their vehicles ?" . I had to say somethin' . and I says, "Well, of course they could send 'em down Springs Road, and let em in that 'way, to tie up the hosses." So he trie 3to git up an argument) and, says he, " Spose the Germans or somebody had all the wire-cutters away." "Well," says I "thatfloors me." Then a perty id«a flashes along, an I says, " Well, the people t'other side the road don't shut any gates, and I suppose they could go there if they liked to ask." " Well," Bays he, " what about t'other houses, an all the new ones they be goin' to build ?" I .tries to calm him down a bit an I put it purty mild like aiid says, " Well, ef they don't get any . boarders at all, see what it would save the Board. They could graze the gardens and sack the men." " Well," cays- he, "it never struck me like that a fore, really ets worth thinkin' about." ■ So I begins to take courage, and says, " Now, what would a think ef we was to keep a conference an ask all the boarding-house keepers an all the boarderg when they do come, an the . cookies, an have a little board of our own like, so as when pacels of us gits to work, we could pull chain off gate, put drive in repair, drain water off footpaths, tar an sand 'era, light up buildin's, lights over gates, drive all sheep and cattle away, extend the park, continue drive to next road, metal it, an do pacels of other work I can't think of now." Says he, "Eeally, I believe this would be pure an good, *n perhaps it would help to wake up the Domain Board a bit. after sleepin' ao long." " Well," says I, "ef a would only came out an bring out some o' they gran' folk weth a, weed be doin' some fine things." . " Well, et is gettin' late, so good night, don't a forgit what we've been talkin' about." So away he went, an I —well, I feel asleep.—l am, etc., Anti Progress.