The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, November 5TH, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1019, 5 November 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, November STH, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

To-day is Guy Fawke’s Day, and despite the very inclement weather a number of youngsters were early astir with queer-looking effigies of the unfortunate gent who unsuccesslully plotted to blow up Parliament in the land of our fathers, some centuries back. We don’t know whether any artist preserved the lineaments ol Guy for posterity—we haven’t seen a reproduction of him in oils —but according to juvenile present day representations, he must have been a physical monstrosity. He is represented in effigy as being minus feet and hands, with rigid head, trunk and legs, portly, thin, bowlegged, knock-kneed, etc,, and a face which must have changed in physiognomy every day in the year. Each youngster has a different sized guy, according to the measure of father’s old clothes. Anyhow, the youngsters know little ®r nothing of gunpowder plot, and care less. The humping of the effigy is a means to an end to provide sheckels wherewith to purchase doublebangers and other explosives, which they will let off this evening in honour of the vember, Young Foxton is not behind thousands of other British boys throughout the Empire in this respect.

A certain amount of latitude is allowed juveniles on the evening of November sth for the purpose of letting off fireworks in other than public places. Not satisfied with this, a number of youths, during the past few days and nights, have been letting off fireworks in the public street, to the annoyance of the public. It is a wonder that such mad pranks have not resulted in causing serious accidents. Complaints have been made to the police, who ini end to take steps to bring offenders to book. We may point out that it is a criminal offence under the Police Offences Act to let off fireworks or other explores in or near a public street, and persons so offending are liable to a fine of £5. A word to the wise should be sufficient.

New Zealand has heard very much about Dunedin’s costly railway station, and the WellingtonHutt duplication and road, but very little about a work which dwarfs those two oit-criticised enterprises. The record in time and money belongs to the NgahereBlackwall line, three miles, which took six years to complete, at a total cost of ,£145,000 (including ,£25,000 for a bridge over the Grey River). The huge sum of £120,000 was spent on three miles of line, including the bridge. In 1904, after .£25,000 had been expended, the Minister of Public Works stated that the work could be finished for an additional £30,000. Time multiplied this estimate by four; the £30,000 was expanded to £120,000. These facts were mentioned at a recent inquiry by a committee of tbe House of Representatives. The total cost of £145,000 was admitted by the General Manager of Railways (Mr Ronayne). In view of the above, the linking up of tbe Main Trunk line between Martou and Devin would be a mere bagatelle. Further, such expenditure would be interestbearing from the start.