PASSING FANCIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 12 April 1907, Page 4

PASSING FANCIES.

j By "Quiz." There's no reason whatever why tile ! overhanging trees and bushes should be .cut hack from foothpath.s; and, in fact, there ~ quite a lot to say in favour of 1 allowing ihem l»> remain as thev art* I For instance, what is more likely to' benefit a milliner than the leaves of an overhanging tie.., loaded with raindrops, emptying its crystal showers oyer tile hit.es; creation of the millinery art, ill colours that "won't wash?" What is more likely lo train folk in the control of tongue and temper than n cold douche down tile back of the neck when a youn« man is walking with his best girl? He darent .swear; first lesson in control Second lesson: Smart youth jbu.v» a hard hat; looks even smarter than before; lakes cane, cigarette, tan {boots, new rial, and all the other essentials of the dandy, and goes out for an airing. Aery pleased wiili himself; ille admiration of the dwellers by the way. Then, crack! against an overhangm' boiHi mid a damaged ti--! Hard luck? Nonsense. I.iitle incidents of (his nature are of daily occurrence in New Plymouth Who cares? * * # * Ever heard of school gardens?"Kvmseen any? If you haven't, you ought to see the plot at the Courfonay street school. Pinus insignis shelterj and a lot of very common (lowers and weed's with long Latin names, still longer roots and prolific growth, are quite the leading features. It's a eredit to the country, is I hat same school garden. * " * * * The Borough Council put up a record last year, actually under-estlroatin" its revenue Local bodies have a knack of estimating a little more revenue than are likely to get, and the fact that -New Plymouth could produce more money tor puhlio purposes than was ever anticipated by that optimistic body, the Borougn Council, shows that there must be something radically wrong with the town. If, must he going ahead, or something like that. I reckon it's lost about up to some of our old wet blankets and pessimists to raise a howl about the over-population of the town, the overfeeding of its inhabitants, the surplus energy of a few of the younger residents, the clean and healthy state of our streets, the clever manipulation of the borough general account, the extraordinary L'ooil service rendered to the borough 'bv its engineering, clerical and streets 'staff introduction of decent drainage or something of that kind. The town ■mustn't be allowed to grow. New people mustn't be encouraged to come lier<». * * * * r,

Fresh business men must be starved out, as of yore, and the cash, and the laurels, and the credit, and the good tilings must be reserved for the descendants of tile llien who fought and bled and died for the safety of hearth and home. People a. few years ago had more sense than now. They were never guilty of telling outsiders that the town was one of the most pleasant residential places in the colony; that its climate was equable and its soil capable of growing almost anything with the minimum of trouble and expense: that the town was growing; that property was worth buying; that there were good openings for pushing business men. No fear. They did the right tiling in those days, and. if a new man had the temerity lo set in trade he was shunted as the plague; an'd told fo get out .quickly before lie lost every thing. That's how it. was that all 'the undesirable modern folk were so successfully kept out for so many years; ami its only now, because those sensible and valuable tenets of the faith of Sleepy Hollow are ignored, that we are having all out nice vacant, sections covered with new buildings. using up all the fresh air and spoiling the playground of the children and the hiding places of the street curs. It's t'me the old townspeople asserted themselves once more lo slave off this invasion. ***** In a local barber's shop. Old gentleman. with a fat purse and a reputation for keeping a firm grip on its clasp, hobbles into a chair. "Beard and hair trim," said he. The tonsorial gentleman finishes his work. "How much?" asked the patron, "One shilling, please,'' replied tile barber. "Well, I declare; u shilling for all vou have done! you charge me as much for a trim as a whole hair-cut and shave! It's downright robbery! Had I known 'what your charge would have been, I would have got the missus to do (he work!" And out of I lie shop he went in high dungeon.