NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 29, 26 September 1931, Page 2

NEAR AND FAR

Lunatics' Talk. "Anybody who talks ab.out the depression is a lunatic," said Mr,. B. V. Cooksley, of Wellington, when he returned by the Makura from a two months'" trip to the United States." "Nobody there knows ariything about it, and it's very diffieult to give a coherent report on conditions. There's plenty of mCmey in America and plenty of food, but there's intense unemployment. All the factors are there for things to right, but they seem to be all wrong. The Americans are simply nonplussed. I pan tell you: New Zealand is-not a bad place; and I'm-yolly glad to be back." For the Benefit of Wives. Men's Clubs are sacrosanet as far as women are concerned. Their furnishings rarely ackuowledge feminine influence, that is, unless it b^.introduced in the taetful fashion chosen by a witty North Island woman rocently. Her gift to her husband's club in their home town — a clock — was gratefully received by the members and seemed well worthy a pl^ee of honour. But the giver's ulterior motive was revealed in its original inscription — "For the benefit of member's wives!" Class Distinction on the Open Road.' In the West Riding of London a rambler is not a "hiker," and refuses to have anything to do with "any sich person.". "We are definitely not 'hikers'," said a member of a group of West Riding Ramblers, "and we disown any khaki-shorted bereted being who calls himself a 'hiker.' We also disapprove of those girls who wear outlandish clothes and take powder-puffs with them." Just then round the corner came a band of open-neclcs, singing they were happy to be "hikers" — and the ramblers ignored them. "So class distinction has spread to the open road," commented one of the snubbed. None on the House! "The old-established customs of society are crumbling," remarked the patron of a city hotel, as he sadly gazed at a prominent placard in the bar, which read somewhat after this fashion: "Wellington Licensed Victuallers' Association. Patrons are notified that bar-attendants are strictly forbidden to 'shout' for customers. Failure to observe this rule will mean instant dismissal." It is stated that patrons who hurriedly left this particular hotel for another only ran into the same inexorable placard. Showers of Meteorites.

At every hour of the- day and night the surface of- the earth is being pelted with brickbats from the realms of space, says the Dunedin Evening Star. Some of them are quite tiny. We see them as shooting stars which are burnt up by the friction of passage through the air and reach the ground merely as pinches of dust. Others are enormous. One which recently reached the Natural History Museum weighs 3001b, and is only a fragment of a meteorite weighing many tons which fell in Africa. Big meteorites are comparatively rare in Great Britain, though in the Museum there are twelve of considerable size which have failen in the British Isles in the last century. One which. fell at Cranbourne weighs over 3i tons, and one fell in Hungary in 1866 which made a holeYlft deep. Usually only a single meteorite falls at one time and the same place. There have, however, been showers of huge stones, and on one occasion in Central Europe over 100,000 fell with tremndous force, though no one was killed or injured. Beggars Bahned. After four centuries of toleration and practical encouragement of beggars, Mexico is to set the ban on the "profession." In a bill that is to be taken up by Congress shortly, begging is to be legislated out of existence. It is provided that professional beggars found soliciting aid may be sentenced to from one to six months' imprisonment. The Bill also provides for the establishment of a beggars' farm and industrial school. Fast. "Quick wit is essential to good salesmanship," declares Charles M. Schwab. Learn resourcefulness from the hair tonic salesman who was latav

confronted by an irate' customer. "Your confounded hair restorer has made my hair come out more than ever!" growled the customer. "Ah, you must have put too much on, sir!" I replied the unabashed salesman. J "Made the hair come right out, instead of only halfway." Misled. Washington is one of the greatest horse-racing cities in the United States. Almost everyone bets on ponies. ^ Vice-President Curtis, a joekey in his early days, is a frequent visitor at the tracks. The late Senator Ollie James, of Kentucky, loved the excitemnt of seeing a string of thoroughbreds tearing up the ground behind them. It was in his blood. He

couldn't keep away from the race track in the racing season. When he won, he was happy and convinced that horse-racing was truly the "sport of lcings," but when he lost it was a different story and he denounced it vehemently and more than once threatened to introduce a bill into Congress prohibiting race betting. Woman of 80 Wrongly Arrested. How an aged woman, after an accident, was declared at the hospital to be hopelessly drunk and was arrested, while all the time she was suffering. from a broken leg, was told at the Liverpool inquest on Mrs.

Ghristma Walker Henderson, aged 80 years, of Bootle. She fell in a Liverpool tramcar while returning from a shopping' expedition. The doetor at the hospital said she was suffering from bruises and was completely drunk. She was then taken to the police station and charged. On being allowed bail, she was taken home, where another doetor found that her leg was fractured. She was removed to hospital, where she died. A verdict of accidental death was returned.