HERE AND THERE IN NEW ZEALAND

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 299, 2 December 1936, Page 6

HERE AND THERE IN NEW ZEALAND

A Young Racketeer. In a poem 'that has become a classic, Bret Harte once wrote of the wiliness of the “heathen Chinee.” Had the famou's Wild West poet, and humorist been living in 'the present day, he certainty would have appreciated the story told by" an Auckland motorist of a recent encounter with a much too sophisticated small boy, s*tates the “Auckland Star.” Mr. Motorist had parked his car near the Public Library. Upon his returning later to drive away, there appeared as from nowhere, the aforementioned youngster, who, producing a scrap of paper, said brightly, with an air o£ conscious rectitude: “Here, sir, is the number of the car that bumped into your rear mudgard when leaving a short, while ago and made the dent you’ll see there. I saw w r hat happened and jotted it down for you.” Sure enough, there was the dent, and the motorist was just reaching for a halfcrotvn to reward what appeared to be the lad’s “good deed for the day'”’ when a sudden enlightment came; hiss hand paused half-way pocketwards: “i’m your luck is out this time, my boy; you see, that dent has already been there for a year!”

Short Service is Best. Speaking at the Christchurch Harbour Board luncheon, Commander Willett, of H.M.S. Dunedin,, said that there would be many Imperial officers and men anxious to return to the New Zealand station when the went home to England on her last; voyage. Many, too, would come back ’‘however much we try to stop them.” The words required some elucidation. Too long a term of service on such a distant station, he said, did to some extent, impair individual efficiency, however much effort might be otherwise. Ohly by service with the Home fleet or in the Mediterranean was efficiency' maintained at the highest possible degree. It was with this in mind that the system of interchange of ratings had been devised.

A Change of Name. After she had been involved in an air crash at Chelsfield, Kent, Mrs. Amy Mollison said: “I should like to take 'this opportunity to state that that Jim and I have amicably decided to go our own ways in the future. I intend to continue my flying career under my’ maiden name of Miss Amy Mrs. Mollison had a remarkable escape from death when an aeropane in which, she was flying from Le Bourget to Croydon, crashed on a building estate. The machine overturned, and Mrs. Mollison, trapped ■in the wrecked cabin, remained in an almost semi-conscious condition until rescuers released her. Hl was found that she had received a broken nose, injured left shoulder, and bruised leg. When Mr. James Mollison was informed in New York of his wife’s accident, he said, “I am dreadfully sorry to heafc 1 it, I hope she is going on all right.”

Shortage of Farm Labour. Farmers are having" difficulty in getting men to accept seasonal farm work in the North O'tago district. The position was discussed by the Waitaki County Council yesterday. Several members said that it was ridiculous .that men were on county relief work, while farmers were crying out for labour. The department had been unable to find men for turnip thinning and shearers were in very short, supply. Mr. J. S. Adams said that men on relief were not prepared to accept casual work. It was generally considered that relief work should be stopped while seasonal work was available.

Road Safety. “While I 'think it is an excellent move on (the part of the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) tq bring in a national thirty-mile-an-hour speed limit for city and urban areas, I am sure that it will be a retrograde step if this limit it applied to rural areas as well,” said a wellknown Christchurch motorist, who has recently returned from an extensive tour abroad, in conversation with a reporter. He pointed out that if the Miniser appointed out that if the Minister appointed an adequate number of traffic inspectors it should be possible to make the dangerous driving law .so effective that motorists would take the care on the roads that Mr. Semple was seeking o enforce. “If a thirty-mile-an-hour limit is applied to rural areas as well,’’ he added, “the motorist will find it galling and will be inclined to take chances, the'very thing Mr. Semple is out to prevent,”

GLEANINGS OF DOMINION NEWS.

King Chooses Flowers. The King, with some of the guests who were staying- with him at Sandringham, had a. successful day’s shooting at Flitcham, on the estate on October 22. When Fhe party set out the King was wearing a Tyrolean, hat, but as soon as he reached tho coverts he handed it to an attendant and put on a shooting cap. He wore a grey tweet jacket with plus fours. he wtent shootSng tho King visited the Sandringham nurseries and seleced copper and white chrysanthemums which he arranged to be sent to his mother at Marlborough House.

How to Catch a Canary. This is the story of a canary hunt Which took place in a Christchurch suburban garden this week. The Canary, attracted by another canary' in a.large open-air cage in the garden, first sat on the top of the cage, singing cheerfully. Every time, it wouldi allow people to approach within long grabbing distahce, but always managed to keep'out of reach. The captive canary was then shut up in >a separate compartment, and the main door- of the cage left open, a thin thread being attached so that it could be closed suddenly. No luck. Further abortive attempts to seize the bird were stopped by nightfall. Next day, the canary' was back again, just as cheerful. By this time father had admitted defeat, but mother persevered. She put a plate of bird-seed on the lawn, then lay on the grass about two feet away, holding an old felt hat. The canary landed on the plate, the hat landed on the canary, and the canary is now singing happily in the cage.