NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 December 1931, Page 4

NEAR AND FAR

Saved by Punga Tree. A punga tree growing 20 feet below the road level saved the life of an Inglewopd resident who was negotiating the; Tarata zig-zag. Driving his motor-trqck pear. the top, the front wheels went too pear to the edge and the lorry and the driver plunged over the top of the steep ! cliff, where there is a sheer drop of 200 feet. The striking of the punga tree broke the f all of the vehiele as it comm'menced its first mad careery ■ It hung for a fraction of a second and then erashed down the cliff, but the fall was not nearly as serious as it might have been for the driver, who was only severely shaken. The body of the trqck was bent and broken, and the hood was torn off. Electric Baby Alarms. , Electric alarms now guard the baby. An official of an electrical company in Chicago (U.S.A.) declared recently that a dozen parents had erected devices so that they might keep ih touch with their children. One couple connected a microphone over the baby's bed with a loudspeaker in a neighhp.w's hojfle. When the mother goes to town, the neighbour may listen for baby's cries and give help if necessary, Fair Weather Friend. Peter Niqhales, of Gary, Indiana, boasted that his best friend was his dog. Nichales was sitting on his doorstep when. six dep.uty cheriffs said they wanted to look over ti/e place. "All right," said Nichales, "but be careful, because I have got a vicious dog, and he doesn't like anybody but me.'-' Nichales' best friend bounded round the corner, wagged his tail and licked the hands of the deputies. He le.d them to an innpcent-looking spot, and while they stood in the shade the dog dug. He rooted up a bottle of liquor, then another, and so on until there were eight. Nichales, in prison, declares that he has changd his mipd abput dogs in general, and his own in particular. Both Mistaken. Playing over an Irish links, a choleric sportsman lost his ha.ll, and immediately accused the caddy of having stolen it. A moment later it was found, and the golfer began to apologise. "Arrah, nivir mind at all," said the boy. "You thought Oi was a thafe and Oi thought you was a gintleman, and, begorah, we are both mistaken." British Suprema.ey. British supremacy in speed is strikingly illustrated by the fact that we hoid the world's speed record for aeroplanes, ears, motor cycles, motor boats and railway trains. The relative speeds achieved by the record breaks are interesting. They are:— Aeroplanes, Flight-Lieutenant Stainforth (408.8 miles an hour) ; cars, Sir Malcolm Oamphell (246. .09 m.p. h); motor-cycles, J. S. Wright (150.7 m.p.h.); motor boats, Kaye Don (110 m.p.h.) ; railways, G.W.R: (79.23' m.p.h.). In each ease the records are all British both as to man and materials. Shattered ! An old adage about the talkativeness of ladies was shattered at the last meeting of the Coromandel Hospital Board. At one period the four male members and the clerk were all talking at once, hut the two lady inembers remained silent. Maori Stratgegy. This one is from the Wanganui Herald: "Py korry," said a young Maori, "I get te good price for the honer te other day. Te old man he say to me, 'You ' take that old cow and shoot him.' I say, fall right' and instead of te shoot I take him to te dealer and sell him as te hoper. By korry I think when te fellow in England get that beef it take him all his time to put him through te mincer." Horse Sense.. A farmer once asked the editor of a country paper for advice, as follows. — "I have a horse that at times appears normal, but at other times is lame to an alarming degree. What shall I do " The reply came: — "The next time your horse appears normal, sell him." Bees Go Out for Vengeance. For some unknown reason fury seized a whole colony. of bees a few weeks ago at Marbury, in Cheshire, and from three hives and a swarming box they sallied forth to reap vengeance. First the bees attacked the lady of the house, leaving her in a serious condition; then they visited the poultry run and killed eight hens and a cockerel. Finally they invaded the harvest field and put a stop to operations there.,' Several of the men were badly stung. Retribution come in the evening, when the whole colony was destroyed to prevent further trouble. A Great Record. "We have in 10, years increased pur pastures sown in grasses by million acres, redueed our virgin bush by 700,000 acres, trebled our plantations, increased dairy cqws by 440,000, sheep by 71 millions, wool by 60 million Ibs., mutton and lamh hy, 800,000 cwts., or 40,000 tons, apples by li million cases," said Mr. J. T. Martin, pf Wellingtpn Rotary. Club." "This is surely p grept record. In addition to this, *we are making considerable headway in exportation of seeds." ' " V ' GANGSTERS' CASH. Drugs, sly-^rog, "tribute" from street women, jpickings from the pockets of "mugs," - street assaults, housebreaking and ho]d-ups— all these (and there may he others),

proviae a means for a comfortable living for the gangster. Unlike his American brother, the Sydney gangster does not extract graft from business mpn, for the privilege of being allowecl to cprry Pn their legitimate trade; or ffani' aldermen or "speakeasies." However, a Certain amount of blackmail is practised. Fortunes are made hy men and women gang leaders yffip deal ip drugs and cpcqine. Bfeavy fipes afid sentences are not a deferrerit. Even Inspector Russell's highly successful speeial squad has been unpble to stamp out the sly-grog traffic, for inen who are caught pay the fine out of their profits and go back to the "game."