OCCASIONAL JOTTINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1918, Page 3

OCCASIONAL JOTTINGS.

(BY "THE SNARK.") i COAL—A BAG I that occasionally occtia l»a., , . Ilat constitutes (fullf 0 ; 0:U -'1 U so!d b ->' bag *S&ag&*'3n2 ticul'arly K" trtrr mW bMn I badl - r treate <l by the ly S l.ockingly"3d "bvtte ak ° a ' leged " the mabthty to get his stock thCh-Tinl eS' strike 1 " 1 ' °f de ' ayed trai,Eit-eau-e- f u- woatller . or other choice'- h P ,,bh r well > the J' have one choice: Hobson,'s! However, "ettindown to bedrock-and let it lie "underwood the local retailer is politely requested not to peruse these lines because they do not interest him—it is nomore'tha. '"I ma " y i " stm,Ms . >" h teril ' °"> W " in the worW - what tl a T° f Coal " often reaches he customer a shadow of what it ,!, b f n it left Hie depot. If° a a£ of c-oal' is three-quarters of a ba<* (and occasionally l esi} , why not down the size of the present ba« and deal out coal in full half-size bags? Any HiTv tf W, haVO handy a scaha to tally the butcher, but the coal dealritt 7th "'I I ' ather bey ° nd the ca P a " of the ordinary scales. It is a bi" matter r Dd P 7 hapß l ' d better let the Uvn "[• r ,° !) 7 a r I,ye rec <>rdea one or two lighter aspects of the trade. A tradesman, who is also a friend of 'nine was careful to the ounce in wei«hipfrW b - Ut , oceasional complaints leached him ot short-weight. In one | case a customer had taken the precau- | ion immediately the carter dumped : his burden, to have the bag placed on a wales, close by. It was 2Gibs short! All ; he tradesman's customers living around taat end of the town were regularly treated to short-weighted bags. This is how it came about: The carter passed his home on the way out and it was an easy matter to keep up his bin by takiimout, just a trifle from each bag on his cart each time he passed along! Sometimes an empty bag on the cart come, in for use. Of course, there are carters and carters, just as there are fresh fish cooked fish, and—say salt fish! In conclusion, t'ne relation of a little story told to me some years ago may be interest-

Two brothers were engaged in the coal business. The local church people prevailed upon John to join the church. He did so, and became a devout worshipper. Ono day his brother James said to him: 'How are you getting along with the church" John spoke most enthusiastically of the people with whom he was associating, said that he felt sure that he was m every way a better man, and exhorted James to follow his example and become a church member.

_ "Ves, that's all right," replied James, but if I also go to church on Sunday, who'll stay at home to weigh the coali" Here's another coal story:— I visited a friend's place one cold evening. A bright Are was burning, everybody seemed cosy, and I could not help lemaikiug: '"Wiiat a heat that fire gives you."

My friend's wife looked up and pleasantly answered: ''Yes, that coal costs useless than it costs the coal merchant." "Well," I remarked, displaying l much surpiise, that seems almost impossible." And I made some inquiry. "You see it's this way: My husband's brother is a coal-carter!" * « * • STREETS-AM) LOANS, "First impressions count for everything," is a very true saying. What 'is it that tends to strengthen a stranger's ideas of residence, business, etc., but first impressions." If a visitor comes along and strikes a town, well built, street? well laid down and cleanly, and the surroundings of the town, generally speaking, bearing an up-to-date appearance, lie becomes impressed and, being out in search of health, pleasure, or business, instantly makes up his mind that the conditions are favorable. If the stranger is a tourist only, he carries away good impressions of the place, and naturally tells his friends. On the other liand, if a borough or city has declined to "put its house in repair"—visitors have no time for "sleepy hollows." A week or two ago the New Plymouth ratepayers were requested to walk to the polling-booth and ratify the deliberations of the Council: To raise a loan for the purpose of improving the streets of the borough and thus assist in making tho place what it must eventually become—one of the leading towns in the Dominion. There is no doubt about it, the place is a "bit slow" just now, not because the local council are not progressive (to give them credit, they are eager to go ahead), but because in New Plymouth to-day there are a certain number of people who have lived under certain conditions for ever so long—just as there are in every, other town —and t'hey are content, to drag along just as their fathers did; they Lave no eye for beauty (except when it concerns f their own property) and are too prone to consider what a trifling rate is going to draw from their banking accounts. They forget that every improvement undertaken by the council rapidly enhances the value of town property. Quite a number of people hang on to property in anticipation of a "boom"; in fact, the great drawback to municipal progress is hunger after the "unearned inerpment." It cannot be denied that, with the exception of a portion of the main street and patches in the cross-streets, tlie conditions prevailing locally are—not to make use of the word disgraceful—a long way from being "presentable." Why are sonic of the principal streets surrounding t\e residential areas in .such primitive condrSpn? The roads arc bad hui tiie pavements are "tinwalkable." Ia the poorer localities the streets and pavements are simply shocking during wet weather. And yet the majority of tho ratepayers—the people who would certainly reap all the benefit—are bo apathetic that they decline to put t'lieir bands into their pockets in order to assist in remedying tlie living conditions. It is regrettable that 'the recent progressive proposal on the part of tie council Tiiet with the scant consideration it did; its rejection surely does not imply that tiie community aa a whole liavc no desire to improve the borough. At present, JFew Plymouth stands in need of irrach "scrapping*; up-to-date, lighting, tram, -ways, etc., have become realities. Why not undertake every local immediate need, and, if necessary, let posterity tafee a. hand to lmjdt&to ItoHSMiy