Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 744, 3 December 1908, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

What a heap of needless worry sumo ' people pile up for .themselves. H i -culiarity of the French that tiiej Jvc eSreJuely jealous of their^repu- ■ tation ior invention. No matt« whit is tho thing in cjuestion whetlt il be a flyinj-machine or the use < of tobacco, the French press i« , variaUly claim that a trenchn wu. ad the first idea of it. A tew -weeks ago U was mentioned in one of the papethat a German was the firs tc^t hmk , of the picture- postcard. lhe *"™f- " press have now unearthed a booksel- ( ,v r named Bernardeaii, who claims to have invented the picture postcard durnig the Franco-( ermun jnn ; and lie says they were the hist ov t used. Bernardeau s cards, which i« sold to the soldiers of the Army ot the Sa.rtlie in CMinp. were decorated willi a little picture of the camp fliid the inscription "Souvenir oi the National lVfence " Beneath t-Uis were -tlio words "Family. Honour, Fatherland, Tbertv." The cards were mostly used by the Breton soldiers who by means 'of them kept their friends at .homo informed as to their whereabouts. Bernardeau or Kaiser 11---helm or Sir Joseph Ward— what matters it which of th* three first set the postcard vogue? He that hath is the man who is given still more in this -life; the poor have i) wait longer. This reflection comes on noting in the papers the dominion over that tho victorious at tho recent elections arc to reap further rewards. They are to be the victims freely offered upon the shrine ot the JjiMiri'uettur. Even the Oroua district, which manages, as a rule, to keep calm when other places are Malekmging, has caught the prevailing epidemic — Colyton is to dine Mr Guthrie. But the neighbouring electorate, the Manawatu, is going to make a great big splash, with the showers for Mr Newman. There is not only to be fea&tng, but a flow of language such •as will make the Government Party turn green with envy. The Colyton event will happen within a fortnight and the Marton shivoo within three weeks. Mr Massey will make a big effort to get down to the limelighting of Mr Newman, and there will be gathered at the board the Opposition lights of other uays and a group of the newest accessions to the party in Parliament. It wiM be a great night! It is quite refreshing to find Mr Massey's party in a position to do so much rejoicing. 'tin-; Very Newest Woman is being educated in Christchurch. We are told that down in the City of the Plains a "very large meeting of girls 7 ' discussed the desirability of forming a society for the study of social science. It was unanimously decided to form such a society, to be railed "Tho (•iris' Club for tho Study of Social Science." The Csiub hopes to secure the services of a .specialist in the subject to deliver a course of ten lectures during the ensuing year. The Club will moot informally between the lecture-; to discuss the subjects. What about hockey aiul afternoon teas and the Society for Studying the Shape of the Blouse now? Thk editor of the Stab receives many calls upon his time, and numerous requests to be hero, there, and at some other places. But tlie following^ just received from Sydney, is unique: "The pleasure of your company is requested at a private exhibition of the cinematograph pictures of tho training operations and methods of Thomas Burns, world's champion, and Jack dolniscm., coloured champion. at Queans Ha-H, Pitt-street, on Tuesday. December 1, 1908, at 3 p.m. Hugh D. Mclntosh, Governing Director. This card must be presented at door." i fc»orry, Mr McTntosh, but your carJ ; came just too late. ! .. . ! With only three weeks until Christmas Day is upon us, it is time the shopkeepers of Feilding took steps towards united action regarding the holiday season. The Holiday Committee of the Chamber of Commerce does not seem to be an effective body, judging by this week's experience. , The shopkeepers pleased themselves— J and most of them closed on Wednes- • day, instead of Monday,, as "ordered" by the Committee. In regard to the Christmas and New Year holidays, we think the wisest course ( would be for all the shopkeepers of the town to meet and discuss the : matter. There is some talk of a section of the business people closing their premises from Thursday night until Monday morning, thus observ- , , ing the true days (Saturday being Boxing Day). But there is oppo- j sition to this, other shopkeepers desiring to open on Saturday and close on Monday. There will be no 6tock sales in either of the two holiday weeks in Feilding. — !