HERE AND THERE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 58, 4 March 1913, Page 2

HERE AND THERE.

It lias been noticed that the married men's race on a sports programme has very often been won by a young man, perhaps not long married. A club a few miles out of Wellington, evidently realising the disadvantage under which the older Benedicts suffer, has added a stipulation which makes tho conditions of tho married men's race read as follows: "For married men with not less than three children."

The prices of some of the mora fa wired brands of tobacco have been raised by about threepence per pound, while tile price of a largely used but cheaper brand has been increased by about a penny per pound (states the 'New Zealand Herald' 1 ). It has been explained by retailers that the wholesale prices have risen slightly of late, but in a great number of cases retailers who have been selling at a fair profit have not found it necessary to raise their prices.

What is the duty of a citizen who suspects another of breaking tho law ? This question was emphatically answered by Mr Justice Rdwards, at the Auckland Supreme Court the other day. A witness in an indecent assault case was being cross-examined by the prisoner. "What ma do you tell the constable about me? Why didn't you speak to me yourself?" asked the prisoner. "Because I thought it was my duty to toll the police," said the witness. "And the witness was perfectly right," commented his Honor. "He suspected you of doing it. That was absolutely the right course to adopt."

Tlireo of tho visiting firemen had an adventure with a motor-car the other afternoon (says the Wang-anui 'Chronicle'). One of them got a short, and, fortunately, im inexpensive ride. The men were walking down the Avenue and crossing Guyton Street, when a car swooped round the corner, and en routo scooped up ono of tho men. tic was de|Kixit«l in the w. The unwilling passenger was .carried along eight or 10 yards before tho car was pulled up. Tho fireman escaped with a few scratches. The car also grazed ono of tho other men. It is said that tho car came round the corner at a very fast pace, tho men Laving to jump in their efforts to escape, and ono was caught in the net.

The cocksfoot harvest on the Peninsula is now in its closing stages (says the Akaroa correspondent of the Christchurch 'Press'); in fact, a great many contractors and growers are finished. The yield for the season is the heaviest known for years, and the returns to hand point to upwards of 100,000 sacks being harvested. In paddocks where last year under 200 were harvested as many as 500 sacks have been procured. The seed is of good quality, and very bright, the majority with a weight in the rough of close on 70lb. Sales are slowly eventuating, 3J-d to HJd being offered in tho rough, and up to Id off the riddles, according to color and weight. Young New Zealanders who do not fulfil their responsibilities under the Defence Act are expected to have sufficient moral fibre to appear in person to meet the penalty for such failure, instead of shuffling the burden to the shoulders of parents or guardians. The other morning at Auckland (reiw)rts the 'Star'), the parent of a lad who had failed to attend for medical inspection under the Act, appeared at the Police Court as deputy for the youth, and stated that he had declined to allow his hoy to have anything to do with the Defence Act or its operations. "I can't hear you in the matter," intimated the magistrate, and the case proceeded in the absence of the youthful defendant, to the climax of a 20s fine I

I Ail extraordinary "find" was made in the Mataura liver on Tuesday afj ternoon just below the traffic bridge j at Menzies Ferry by some young children named Wilson, whose parents reI side close by (states the 'Fanner'). Tin* | youngsters fished out of the water a J sack and bag, which on being opened were found to contain a heterogeneous "plant," including a quantity of blacksmith's tools, engineering dies, motor acessories and parts, tins of jam, also tins of boot ana linoleum polishes, pots of camphor ice, a pair of new buggy ] lamps, etc. Tho matter was reported I t.o Constable Bogue, the local police of- ' ficer, who has communicated the facts Ito the authorities at Invercargill. The j "find" at present is, it is understood, l a complete mystery, j A past Government in its wisdom , (says the 'Hawke's Bay Tribune') dej oided that no wayside restaurant on the railway line of the Dominion should be licensed to sell alcoholic liquors. From that time the wayfarer entered the ginger-pop and teapot era. "Whether the change has done any good -or not is a matter of opinion, but one thing is plain enotigh to tho travelling public, and thatl is that it needs protection from tho (purveyor of «uoh Roods and liquids as tho Government decides shall lie sold. For instance, if tho Government desires the man . travelling on tho train to keep sober it might just as well see that he is not charged (>d for a bottle of lemonade and 3d for, a quarter-round sandwich. In the old days a traveller could get a whisky and soda for sixpence and a half-round sandwich and tea for tho •same price. A traveller to Wellington recently paid sixpence for two bananas at a railway restaurant. If the Government controls these institutions a little regulation would not go amiss. Tiie people who use our trains are not all wealthy visitors from abroad.

[ "Woukl-be Small Holder" writes as ! follows to the 'Dominion'Some lifcflo time ago I saw a letter in your valued paper regarding a State lottery. There are at the present time hundreds of .voting men like myself, who have a little experience of farm work, hut unfortunately witii not enough capital to take a place of their own, and m.v idea is that the State should run a lottery for the benefit of these young men, letting the prize be, say, 10, 1.1, or not more than 20 acres of laud (the area would depend on the class of land), with a dwelling and outbuildings, ano stocked with two or three cows, two pigs, and 30 to 50 fowls, also horse, trap, harness,_ and all necessary implements. This would hardly keep a family for the first few months, but if the prize-winner also drew about C"2 per week for the first year he would then be set on his feet, and New Zealand would get what she wants—namely, a number of small farmers, or, as they are called in England, small holders. J am sure that if such a scheme were started under State Control, thousands of young people would go iti for it. and we would thus keep thousands of pounds in Now Zealand, which as present frads its way to Tasmania.

A peculiar motor-car accident wj place in Queen treet, Onehunga j cently when an automobile, owned' driven by Mr J. Sherry, wus ovuw ed in front of Hyland s bakcr.v. ]y ear was proceeding alone at a stea& pace, when a dog dashed into it, Jj Retting underneath affected the sWi mg gear in some manner, with yji result that the machine crashed jM, one of the iron verandah posts of bakery and cut it out. The car tlw twisted round and capsized, ® somewhat damaged. Tim driver bruised and shaken. Strange to tho dog escaped injury. "

At (Jisbonie the other day, ;i m,J Patrick O'Connell, was lined £\X) a Jj ordered a month's imprisonment y sly grog-selling. Two constables, w l' had watched at night (states a. paper), saw numerous visitors (»„ J ncouscu's tent near tho railway \y w J at Matawai, and shadows on the w revealed the obtainment of liottlej I drawing of corks, and drinking. neath dog kennels and woodhoaps tb constables found holes in the ground: containing 70 Iwttles of whisky, whii ( many empty beer bottles worn about the ground. The magistrate or. dered the liquor to be confiscated at! j sold, the proceeds to be handed to tin public, account.

During the hearing of ;i case ut sitting of the Hamilton Supreme (,V U i rl light was shed upon an extraordiuarr practice which it appears is by some local authorities tlmmchost the Dominion. The evidence \hm Vw j that an engineer in the employ of , borough council had employed as jud» t of certain material ordered by t),, Council the foreman of the eontnirtij bv whom the material was manniactut. ed. His Honor Mr Justice C00p,,, commented strongly upon the pioc w j. ing, whereupon one of tin* counsel oj. gaged said Hie had been instructs that the practice was a usual one wjjj local bodies throughout New Zealand His Honor retorted that it this was tie case then tin* sooner it was out. a stop to throughout New Zealand the tx>t. ter.

A citizen who livos near the e3 .| trance of the drive through the Aiici.j land Domain lias evolved a quilt- u a ,| usjiial and interesting hubby. On baj property he has a wire-netted frontap of 100 yards, and it. is his custom la uso that and a stop watch to time ttj passing motor-ears. Ho camo to tbi Police (ourt tho other morning, sari the Auckland 'Star,' as a wit mis against the driver of a motot-cm (rim was charged w:th exceeding tlu* 12mile speed limit in tho Domain. J] t Cutten, S.M., however, .stated that th» class of evidence did not much assist matters. When a man had to watfi when a car came abreast of a ccrtaii mark and passed another mark, kwj an eye on the stop-watch., look out fa? tho number of the car, and then ent« into a complicated mental calculation, the chances were that lie really hud i less idea of the speed of the car thai the person who just looked 011 am! trusted to his impressions of the spf«j as prompted by previous experience c! the KDeed of vehicels, and contrast will we moving objects at the time on tk road.

Has a policeman the right- to serve t summons on private This point cropi>ed up in a ea.se at Najwr. On his return from Taii|>o bv motor oaf on .Sunda" January 26 (says tho T?kgraph'), Henry Horace I'harazyn urwt to the Hawke, s Bay Club, goinj; ea route round tho post, office corner at what he considered 10 miles an hour, Constable Hendrv was near the com at the time, and was of opinion tint Pharazyn was going 20 miles an horn. The serine) was a ease at the Polw Court, when the motorist was char»rf with driving round the bend at a s|wd "dangerous to the oublie," Air hi&| appeared for defendant. Alter henrim the evidence of both sides his Worship .said tlie balance of testimony lar wilt Pharazvn, and the case would W darn issed. When cross-examined bv Sergeant Cumniings, defendant dcni<d tint lie had been insolent to Constable Hmdrv when the latter served a summoat on him at tho Hawke',s lia.v Cltib, li delivering judgment, his Worship saii a constable had t« use his discretion when entering private- hous(\s to sum summonses, but he was pet'leetly as lib ert'- to go wherever be could find la man.

A large number of replies have beet received by the Dominion secretary of tho New Zealand Farmers' Union (Mr F. C. .lack) in response to the circular sent out to branches recently, at th» instance of the Immigration Department, asking the requirements of farmers so tar as labor is concerned. -Mo*l of the replies, says Mr .lack, an* loj some extent indefinite, on account of the fact that farmers will not pMj>» themselves to take men until tbey know that the men are available—l* lying on their chance of picking up sufficient labor in the meantime to tid« them over the rush time. The repli# received have been forwarded on to Hon. H. D. Bell (Minister for Immigration), and it is understood that for the immediate needs of the farmers botween 2000 and 3000 farm laborers, between 500 and KMX) domestics, and about 200 boys are required. It should be mentioned that these figures dn not apply to the additional labor required during harvesting, but for the ordinal? needs of the fanners, In most oasfl the replies received state that Hie employment would be of a permanent nature.

A man who had « business trans-j action at the monny order counter of, 1 the Ashliburton Post Office a fen daj»i ano camo perilously nwir laying himsW; open to a charge of "ringing tlif, changes" (says the 'Guardian'). H« : was an honest enough follow, but (?' mixed up in a very simple* way. He wanted a postal note for .£l, but just a moment too late. Having oriJ gold witli liim, lu< asked the man hind tiie counter for a CI note in #' change, intending to jwst it in a le l ' ter. The official made the exc laflffM i but while the note and sovereign W* «tit on the counter, he decided stretch a point, and let the cuUome' 'wvo the postal note. As he ImuM ovor tlio latter he swept the sovereign and J.'l note into the till. This In >»?"' violent protest from the customerTlie official calmly explained—iar cn!;..lv the other thought, for he W® not see the force of the former's re»'i soning, and was fullv convinced th« he was being taken down in a barrf**"; ed manner for £l. "You have the postal note," the official explain*®-1 "Yes," s«kl the other, raising j>* voice, but I don't want to pay you p. for it." Then he suddenly truth, and muttering something like 1 apology walked away, the object of tention from quite a little gat heiinfc: He is now fully persuaded that postoj officials aro very patient, good-nntur* follows.