NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 96, 14 December 1931, Page 4

NEAR AND FAR

Force of Habit. Some local body memhers get into the habit of turning to the press representatives every now and then, saying: *£Now, I don't want that to go in the press," as an indication that they were speaking confidentially. Mr. F. Lye relates that when making his maiden sp'eech in Parliament, in a moment of absent-mindedness, he remarked while aboqt to deal with pne topic: "Now, I don't want that to go in Hansard." The House enjoyed the joke, for every word a member utters is taken down by the Hansqrd reporters. Later on member s in jovial mood asked Mr. Lye to tell them what it was he did no.t wish - to go in Hansard. However, the interruption of his speech by laughter had made him for get what he had-intend-ed to say. ' Wicked Exfra Duty. "The public has no sympathy for the post office staff, "^said Mr. F." Lye, M.P., in commenting* on the way people left the payment of emergency taxation until the last minute. "They are like 'the man with a sore tooth who delays going to the dentist until he has to. It is wicked the extra duty that has been put in the post office in recent years. Daring Feat. One of the areoplane pilots who took part in a display at Palmerston North recently perforrned the ratber hazardous task of flying through the Manawatu Gorge to Woodville. Tfie aeronaut followed the circuitous course of the river at a height of not mpre than one hundred feet ahoye the water and he completed his feat of- daring without castialty. Fish Tale. Although a fish tale, the following story is true (says the Grey Star). A fisherman hooked a nice trout from one of the Grey distriet streams. On landing it safely he noticed, as also did a bystander, that it weighed between four and five pounds. The fisherman was about to take it off the hook, when along strolled two young ladies. An opportunity not to he missed^ thought the fisherman, and he straightway threw the fish back into the stream once more to "play" it. The trout also realised its opportunity and performed equally as well as did the fisherman. Then arrived the moment when that beautiful trout could be landed, almost at the feet of the ladies. Up shot the rod, the line, the hook — but the trout had gone. Rabbit Pest. The rabbit pest has assumed larger proportions than usual this year, and has estahlished itself as a definite menace in most parts of South Canterbury. In the riverbed areas round Pleasant Point and Fairlie their numbers are literally legion, and at the rate at which the animal multiplies the nuisance will soon become serious. The cause had been attributed by some farmers to the fact that very little trapping and poisoning was done last winter, when, in sympathy with other markets, that for skins suffered a setback. The prices obtaining for winter skins at that time were not sufficient to entice trappers to operate. Artists' Faux Pas. An amusing faux pas was made by Mr. Gordon Byran (the Royal Academy and Royal Gollege examiner) at his recital, which was not well attended. The pianist said, "I would like very much to play in Oamaru again if I could get a respeetable audience." Loud laughter foilowed. Appreciating the joke, Mr. Bryan added, "You know what I mean, any way." Starlings as Thieves. Starlings have always been regarded as precocious and pertinacious birds, and evidence of this was forcibly brought home to a settler a few days aso. In a lock-up shed on his property he had two fair sized boxes of staples for fencing, and he found a great number of staples lying in the paddock a few yards from the shed. Investigating he found that the bird or birds had carried the staples out through a small aperture in the wall, and dropped them in the grass, so that a nest coiild be built in one of the boxes. The settler said he pickqd up the sfaplps, -fldnch. filled four 21b. tea eannisters — an indication of the great task the starlings had undertaken. Hare Chased Through Streeis. , A large hare hotly pursued by dogs was observed in the" strpets at Hataitai at about 6.30 o'clock one morning. Residents in the vicinity of the Patent Slip had their slumhers disturbed by the loud barking. of several dogs on the hill above the slip. After a few minutes a large hare emerged and retreated along Kainui Road with tlie dog follbwing. The hare turned into Te Anau Road, and the dogs were rapidly ^osing ground when the fugitive vanished around a corner. Strange Attachment. An Angora rabbit, the property of a Christchurch man has produced a strange litter, comprising three greys and three blacks. When these were a few days old they were shown to a Pekinese dog, another family pet, The dog carried out a very careful examination and decided that he approved of the six small rabbits. He licked them all over and showed resentment when they were removed. Now, when they are taken out of the hutch, he promptly claims them from the mother and while they are allowed to run on the lawn he takes charge of them, keeping a few close to him. So attached has the dog ber come to the rabbits' that it is only with difficulty that fie can be sepprated from them. Jelly-Fish Nuisance The presence of abnormal numbers of jelly-fish in % bay of- Napjer is not altogether to the liking of swimming enthusiasts. The warm and shelter'ed water, near the ^Glasgow wharf has been the happy liunting ground of numerous large species during recent days, Many of .the fish measure 18 inches in diaxneter, the centre hearing a brown symmetfical pattern. An odd ' f eatur'e of their anatomical construction is the presence of three or four long brown trailers, flowing from the centre of the body, , ■