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Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 56, 3 January 1913, Page 3

UNKNOWN

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I Doubtless by this time most Ehristmas celebrators will have got Ever the "day after.'' One says ■good-bye to the seasoi wi:h a tentiEnectal regret. The milk of human Kindness flows so freely at Christmas ■time. As a rule it flows too freely—and the milk is generally adulterated. Ihe wife of a very good friend of mine has instituted a new test for Hubbv when he comes hume. He has to say "Pickled Pretty Pukekohe" Se limes quickly, in order to pass ter. It was a bit of a tangueiter, tco—during Christmas week. I was talking to a brave little chap of seven or thereabouts, the other morning, and he said: "I've 1 found out. It isn't Santa Claus who i puts things into your stcckings at all, it's jour parents." Sweet illusions of childhood. What a pity it is to see them shattered. Here are some other illusions that particular people in this district are cherishing The construction of the Waiuku railway by 1915. The building of an adequate railway station at Pukekohe. The establishment of a Central School at Tuakau within five years. The erection ofafirebell in Pukekohe—ever ! • During the past few wetks great arid cracks developed in ojr clayey fields, and with a fork tbe earth could b6 turned ever in huge, hard clods. But the fork had to be inserted in the cracks to get the clods to turn over at all. Nothing less than dynamite (in my land at least) would touch any of the ground. This state of affairs, of course, was before the New* Year's Day wetting. And when the rain came some of my neighbouring farmers, who had been lamenting the drought for so long and so lordly, lifted their hands in despair and declared that the hay would be spoilt! Talking about rain reminds me that there are a lot of side streets about Pukekohe which are axle deep in mud iu winter time. These side atreet* were included in the original Town Board loan that was raised. In ofder (presumably) to induce the "sidestreeters" to vote for Ihe last £15,000 borough loan the sjm of £1750 was included to reinstate the s'de street allocations. But it looks now as if the siJe-streeters btand a very excellent chance of. being side-tracked again, a<d of having the Town Board's dose cf dire neglect repeated. If there's any squealing to be done—do,it now! Any sort of folly ran cry otft after it's hurt. I'll give you a tip: See Cr Comrie about the matter. ["Nib ' has evidently not noticed that at the last Council meeting, on Cr Comrie's motion, the Council decided to spend the £1750 on the side street?.—Ed.]

At a recent meeting of the Borough Council, when the site of the bell tower still disturbed the Civic Fathers, the Mayor said they might still have to hatg the bell on Cr Berriman's pine tree. You have heard people tell about Berriman's bell, That had to awing up in a pinetree, oh? It had to be high from the larrikins' reach About eight-five feet or ninety, ob. It bad to be hung where it couldn't be rung By larrikin lads or by firemen, oh, But when the wind blew It would sound loud and true — Although there wa3 never a fire then, ob. And yet while we laugh, make merry and chaff The tree keeps on "pining"—ei—pining, üb. For the old tongue-tied bell that is rusting like—Well It'a rusting because it's not shining, oh.