NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1029, 11 April 1912, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A mother sent 'this somewhat satirical note to the teacher of her small son : “Pardon me for calling your attention to the fact that you have pulled Johnnie’s right ear until it is getting longer than the other. Please pull his left ear for a while, and oblige his mother.”

A senseless joke was perpetrated in Patea on Sunday night, just as churchgoers were returning home (says the Press). It appears that someone had succeeded in affixing a tin to a live rat by means of a lengthy piece of string. As a local resident, accompanied by his wile, was passing the alley-way near Messrs Boyle and Jones’ premises, the rat ran across the path and the string attached to it became entangled round the lady’s feet. As it happened, the lady, who is anything but strong, has a particular dread of rats, and naturally fainted on finding the animal entangled round her feet. Fur some lime she remained in this state, and considerable difficulty was experienced in reviving her.

The following letter has been received by the Eltbam Borough Council, and speaks for itself The Melbourne managing director of J. C. Williamson, Eld., has instructed me to write to your Council informing them that they had decided to include the town of Eltham in all their tours of New Zealand. In view, however, of the serious complaints made by Mr Irving, the company have resolved that unless they can get some guarantee that their leading artists will be comfortably catered for in the principal hotels, Eltham must be omitted from their tours. I trust your Council will see the necessity for taking some action in the matter, whereby some assurance can be given in this direction. The visit of an important company very frequently brings an influx of visitors to the town for the time, filling the hotels, and all those that come in from the country round are apparently well catered for, whilst the artists who provide the amusement are treated almost in the manner of intruders, and in a great many cases (I am speaking generally now) admitted to the hotels on suffrance. This state of affairs should not exist amongst artists of high standing. —Yours faithfully, G. H, Smith, manager for J. C. Williamson, Etd„ H. B. Irving’s tour.