SADLY SUSPICIOUS.

NZ Truth, Issue 72, 3 November 1906, Page 6

SADLY SUSPICIOUS.

Gas Menlt^hc v LabeJlea " id .

The Ghri^tcKui^^XTaS'; ■Company are; going tp .; put ■jin&i ; .;inantie ymen into uniform;:' This^step^al>V decided upon this week;', /The^ V , ununif drmed "gas men" .^•hd.-/Ci(li,: v ' i rpurid to private houses, ;anj^;'^|o ; through" • tlie ■ said houses, • aiid " sire, : found, to be damnable frauds; ami- spielers, and city nondescripts,; with '•' a great deal of cheek, have iQften'been Written about;and the 'real -gas geftf is often looked at askance*; by the /housewife^ who has been diddled ;be|pre^ /and who is ; continually on t^e* ■ lopje out f or . ■ advent turers. The ; pttie* day i Christchurch official of youtntiir aspect .'called at a house to" do 'something to the odor that fools round a meter, but found that nobody was' at home. The sister of the absentee lived next door, however, and told him that he had better enter and do what -was requisite. But she altered her mind and followed him round to the back, and told him she had her suspicions about him. und that he ihustn'.t enter the place. It was certainly very awkward, and very uncomfortable, but the younsr fellow got out, only to be accosted by a woman on the opposite side of the road, who demanded if he was a gas man. He replied m the affirmative, and she laughed sati rically . ' -My gas want® looking after," she said, "but il'm damned if you arc goinc to do it, we know all about people of your sort who come round" people's houses when they are away." So he pot out of that thoroughfare quirt and lively, and told the manager of the Company what had happened. "Oh, well we will put you m uniform," h3 said at once; "it will be more Suiislactory." And it will he. The "gas man," and others of his class are continually under suspicion, and so long as uniforms aren't added to the gas bill it will be all right. But Christchurch is ch6ck f |ull of uniforms just now and this writer is ?oiri ( " to buy one just to spo how it will look on the clothes-line after a wet day.