AN OCCASIONAL LETTER.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 83, 23 May 1918, Page 2

AN OCCASIONAL LETTER.

VII. Hearing that a deputation was likely to wait upon the Matamata Town board last week " Trebla " opined that some good dog stories would be unfolded to the men who are guiding the destinies of the Matamata town. However, the speakers struck firmly to facts, of which all residents are aware. Since the meeting though, in general conversation, we have heard more of this dog nuisance. One bold man who resides not one hundred yards from the " Record " office affirms that a mongrel attacked his fowl roosts one night and got very much the worst of an encounter with a well-bred rooster. That dog had eyes, but he now sees not. He was given away to a friend in Te Aroha, and wandered down to a house where there was a pet monkey. The latter bit the dog through the nose destroying all sense of smell. Now the dog has no home, so that it is leading a terrible "dog's life." All this was sad for the canine specimen, yet it means that the residents of the green have one less in the pack, which makes all the noise. But, they are very hard to kill, these dogs. There used to be one in Arawa St. which carried a penalty (possibly to mark him as a leader) of about ten yards of thick rope. He was fond of moior cars, that dog, and took his exercise just a few inches in front of any Dodge car which happened along. He made an error of judgment one day—did'nt allow for the rope —and the taxi, which was travelling at many " miles" an hour, went over his neck. He is now looking sideways at everything. This goes to show that the life of a dog is not all that it is cracked up to be ; and yet Trebla would not mind risking the life of a Pekinese dog owned by a childless society dame. We have nearly finished with dogs, so must" state that the reader has been fooled. The paragraph was written in all seriousness (the stories are true) with the object of drawing the attention of many residents to the fact they are wasting good money by paying a tax for worthless canines,, which are helping to knock many weeks off the lives of residents.

The above paragraph does not finish with the deputation completely. One wonders, in pondering over their remarks, what the horses, which are chased by dogs, are doing on the roads at night. The calves also would be better off with the bull's sister. On Sunday afternoon there were two very nice grade Jerseys having a real good time under Mr Mclntyre's verandah. We have an idea there is a ranger living in Matamata. Now, who wants a good job ? The town is not yet blessed with electric lights, and someone will get kicked one of these days —or nights. Most readers will remember the story of the man kissing the draught horse by accident under the very same verandah. The man concerned has'nt forgotten it. He doesn't go out at night now. His wife wants him sound in wind and limb, because he's in the next ballot. Writing of the ballot brings back a thought which struck us the other day re suffragettes. Little is heard of these people now ; possibly because they are hard up against it. They maintained at one time that woman was man's equal, and it now seems to us that the bottom is j knocked out of that statement. Of all the second division men who have appealed in Auckland, there has been only one whose wife was not sick —so said Major Conlan. This goes to show that woman is mentally weaker than man, inasmuch that she has been unable to stand the strain of the forty-five months of the war period. If the reservists assertions are untrue then woman should rise in her wrath and say that she is quite fit to do without he man. Is she though ? We are not arguing. TREBLA.