NEAR AND FAR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 103, 22 December 1931, Page 4

NEAR AND FAR

Permission Refused On the ground that eight horsepower cars were too low in power, the Wellington City Council recently agreed not to licence "them as taxieabs. The chairman of the By-laws Committee (Mr, H, A. Huggins) pointed out thq^ cars of that nature would tend to cut rates, and moreover, the Council had certain responsibilities and could not have cars stuck up all over the town with very low horse-power. In addition, they would he so cheap that they would be in eompetition with the aramways. Value Of French • "The French language is worth giving great attention to in New Zealand," declared Sir James Parr when speaking at the Palmerston North High Schools prize-giving ceremony recently. He pointed out that French was still the language of high diplomacy and international intercourse. English was the language of commerce. Of the 52 nations in the League, only three spoke English — all the rest the French language. The Test The late Lord Balfour, who, as is well known, was a confirmed bachelor, was once sitting in the drawing room of a friend who was happiiy married. Before them, on the hearthrug were a dog and cat lying together. Said the friend: "Why do- people speak of a cat-and-dog life? See how happy thse aere." Lord Balfour paused for a moment, smiled, and then said: "Tie them together; that is the test." Mixed Blessing The wild .horses of the country around Lake Taupo are a mixed blessing. At the Hautu prison farm they catch some of them, break them in, and from the mares have bred many useful half-draughts. But paddocks on the delta land at Tokaanu i are raided constantly by half wild j horses of uncertain ownership, which J are experts in the arts of unlawful ; entry. The Maoris seldom assert right or responsibility in connection with them unless they are shot. The considerable current of the Tongariro does not prevent them from crossi-ig to forbidden shores.

Going Home "My old father shook me by +ho hand and said, 'Now I've paid your saloon passage to New Zealand and you can come home when you have made your- fortune!' " So said a Westmere dairy farmer at the calfrearing demonstration at the school one day this week. As the speaker ; concluded he made for the door, the ' move prompting the secretar.y of the | school committee to ask whether he i.was "going home" now. "Yes, home i to milk," said the farmer, intimating j that he had been in New Zealand ever since his father's parting mjunction had been given. When a Bill Is a Letter If a firm places a "sticker" on an account asking for payment, or pointing out that the amount owing is overdue, or that, "as the annual balj ance is taking place, a settlement ' would be appreciated," the missive becomes a letter under the eagle eye of the postal authorities.- As such it requifes a two-penny stanip. The matter was discussed briefly at the last meeting of the Wanganui Chamher of Commerce (says the "Chronicle"), one member characterising the regulation as absurd. He had simply i put the word "overdue" on one or two j statements and "down the axe had i fallen." A copy of a reply from the j Postal Department which a firm had j received was forwarded for infprmaI tion. This showed that it was permis- : sable for a firm to point out that : its annual balance was due, but if ' settlement of an account was asked { for the missive ceased its identity as | a bill and became a letter. The chamber decided to reaffirm its opinion ! that postage on letters delivered in 1 town should be one penny and to protest at the regulation regarding I "stickers." ! ; Eels Take Ducks I 111 luck has dogged the ducks on t the Mangaoweka Stream, Te Kuiti, ever since they were released, says the "King Country Chronicle.-" In the first place the birds' nests were de- : stroyed by fioods, and paft of the second laying of eggs was taken. Since the recent hatching the young ducks have been mysteriously disappearing, but an explanation of the disappearanee has now been made. Recently Maoris caught two huge eels in the river near the town, one being about six feet long, which, on being opened, was found to contain one of the young ducks. One of the ducks hatched 14 young ones recently, but now has only three remaining, and apparently the others have been devoured by eels. The large eel put up a great fight and was landed after a hard battle. Generous Offer After warning parents- of the evils attendant upon boys being allowed to remain idle, the rector of St. Bede's College, Christchurch, speaking at the prize-giving, announced that soon.er than have hoys leaving school with no prospect of work, the Marist Fathers would forego school fees and allow the boys to continue their education. Care Of Fruit Trees The inspection of fruit trees that is being carried out by the Departf jnent of Agriculture is bringing to light the large number of people who do not look after their frtiit trees, said an inspector in Christchurch the other day, "and when they receive a notice from the department stating that they have to spray, rather than fo so, they cut them down," The inspector stated that a large number of cases of fireblight had been located, especially in the northern parfs of Christchurch, but there was a wide area still to be covered. "The people who look after their trees are only too pleased to give information about persons who do not spray," he said,