NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1074, 11 March 1913, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

The latest thing in the way of freak entertainments is what is known as a baby party. One was held the other evening at Bayswater, and was attended by about a score of literary and artistic friends, all of whom were dressed as babies. The guests indulged in baby games, and generally acted the part of babies. Which leads us to remark that the money so foolishly wasted could have been expended in alleviating the sufferings of a number of poor little souls in the slum areas.

The owner of a motor car has asked the Mastertou Age to draw attention to the thoughtlessness of some people in striking matches on cars, particularly when they are left in the garage. He states that this habit is common to every town in New Zealand, and if people only realised the extent to which the appearance of a car could be damaged by matches, they would find a more suitable spot for a “strike” than the highly-finished surface of a motor car. The motorist in question considers that his newly-pur-chased car has already been damaged to the extent of ,£6O by this practice.

Drunkenness and the “ wife and big family ” are two favourite pegs with solicitors on which to hang a plea for lenience when pleading on a prisioner’s behalf. The .first of these “ stand-byes ” was tenderly cast before his Honour in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth this week, and it led his Horour to remark : “If a jury can be allowed to hold that a man can receive another man’s money—knowing that it is to be accounted for—keep it several months without explaining it, and then escape liability by simply saying that he got drunk and lost it, then it is going to be a serious matter.’’ The “ wife and children ” were also brought to bear upon the tender susceptibilities of the jury by defending counsel whose Hood of sentiment was interrupted by the Judge. His Honour remarked: “ What! I stopped a witness from mentioning their existence, and now you tell it to the jury.” “You can now” concluded his Honour, “ consider the fact of the wife and children proved.”