A RUFFIAN.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 7 August 1919, Page 3

A RUFFIAN.

If ever —unhappily —this country falls into the hands of the Bolshevists those miscreants will find men here ready and eager to join them, ruffians such as Archie Billing who, without the slightest provocation, attacked a lad of fifteen whom he met in Ponsonby Road. This boy, who was not even looking at him, he struck in the face, the blow knocking out two of the lad'd teeth and injuring his jaw. TJdfl cowardly assailant bolted, J^M was " shadowed " by the sta^^M boy's chums,~ and finallyj^^^H earth. lam rejoiced toj|^^^^J that Billing, a powerJ^^^^H young rough, wajy^^^^^^H month's hard labt^^^^^^^^H to have been six J^^^^^^^^^H [ContinueJf^^^^^^^^^H

SHOP-LIFTING. I told you something in my last of the'losses sustained by Auckland shopkeepers at the hands of shoplifters. Since that note was written there has been quite an epidemic of shoplifting in/this city. You see the " end of winter " sales are just now in full swing—although the end of winter is still a long way off — and these sales invariably attract people with loose ideas on the subject of other people's property. Two women, sisters, both married were arrested in a Karangahape Road drapery the other afternoon with stolen goods to the value of many pounds in their possession. The Magistrate before whom they appeared the next day characterised their offence as " wholesale robbery." They spent a night in the cells before facing the Bench, and, as their counsel remarked, that in itself was a severe punishment in the case of women of their class. It certainly was not want that drove these women to steal because one of them proved to have nearly £30 in her purse. They were fortunate to be admitted to probation, but in addition to making full restitution, they will not be able to go out-of-doors for the next two years after 6 p.m., without being accompanied by a companion approved by the Probation Officer. That, I ta?ke it, will be the hardest part of their punishment, and I expect they'll be as glad to get rid of that " companion " when the two years are up as Sinbad was to shake off the Old Man of the Sea from his shoulders. DEARER BOOTS AND SHOES One dreads to take up the newspaper nowadays for fear of reading that something else has "gone up." The latest announcement of the kind relates to footwear, and is to the effect that the retail prices of men's boots are to be advanced by- about 5/- per pair, with other lines in proportion, while, of course, the charges for repairs will be proportionately increased. Boots selling in pre-war days for say 15/- were worth about £1 or 22/6 up to a few days ago. N»w they are likely to cost 25/- or 27/6, apparently. Think what the effect of this rise will be in the case of heads of households with perhaps half-a-dozeri young people to provide with boots or shoes ! Really, if prices become any higher a long-suffering public will demand sabots of the kind worn in France and Belgium by the peasants and working people. A good pair of wooden shoes should be obtainable for say four or five shillings. They certainly make a fearful clatter, especially on wooden floors, but if leather footwear is passing beyond the reach of any but those with long purses clearly a substitute for leather will have to be found. The Germans solved the boot and shoe ,difficulty, as you will remember, by going barefoot. Shall we have to follow suit ? WORKERS1 DWELLINGS. I hear the local branch of the Labour Depaitment is receiving a heap of applications for workers' dwellings. This is not surprising because the successful applicants (whose total earnings for the past year must not have exceeded £225) are only r&quired to pay £1 down, and £9 more before the contract is signed. The balance i.s to be paid "in weekly or monthly instalments at the rate of 7 per cent per annum on the capital value. Thus the houses will become the property of the applicants in 25^ years in the case of wood buildings, and 34H years in the case of concrete buildings (on I which the rate of repayment is y> per cent). The Department ■^poses to erect 200 of these the Dominion, share of same about 25. of houses it could five-and-r much a man of