GENESIS OF A PREMIER.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3146, 20 January 1917, Page 2

GENESIS OF A PREMIER.

There was a time, before the Premier of Australia, Mr W. H. Hughes, became known to fame, when he mended umbrellas iv Hie vicinity of tho Sydney wharves, sold books, and did all sorts of odd jobs. He tells in his own inimitably way how Providence once smiled upon him. Ho found an old signboard with "Locksmith" painted on it, and hung it outside his modest dwelling in tho hope that it would bring him in work of some kind, though a locksmith he was not by any stretch of imagination. A shopman came next day, and wanted his iron safe opened. He had lost his key. Here was a dilemma for William Morris. He went to the shop and examined the safe, not knowing what to do to open it. Should he blast the door with dynamite? Thus thinking, as he felt underneath the safe his hand came across the missing key. He pocketed it without saying a word. Returning in half an hour, he informed the delighted shopkeeper that he had a key to tho problem, and opened the safe I The shopkeeper never paid a sum away more willingly than he did the. fee to this clever "locksmith."

Value of pills! A London' cable message reports that Sir Joseph Beecham's estate has been proved at £1,000,000.

The rails on the branch line from Ohakune to Raetihi has been laid to within a short distance of the Raetihi terminus.

No fewer than 65 motor-cars were counted adjacent to the new saleyards at Masterton on Wednesday. A search for horse vehciles revealed the fact that there wero six, most of which wore of a pattern long out of date.

Dutch newspapers; commenting upon the naval position, say 1/hat the estimates show that no increase in the Dutch fleet is possible for some years at. least. Vo *

The Hetvolk foreshadows bread rations in Holland, and states that the daily ration to every person over a year old will be 13oz. Manual labourers will get a supplementary amount.

It is understood that the Government has abandoned its intention of acquiring certain estates near Masterton for land settlement purposes in the meantime, owing to tho heavy demands upon the Treasury.

In a discussion on the six worst weeds. Councillor Ramsden.. reminded the Qpuncil of the reply of the Paeroa Council to a departmental enquiry.- "All weeds are bad," was the caustic summing up, "but those on native and Government reserves are the worst."

Most of the crops in the Otekaike district (says the Oamaru Mail) have now been cut. There will be some remarkably good yields alike of wheat, oats, and barley, atl the autumn-sown crops having done remarkably well. Those sown in the spring have not fared so well, and will reduce the general average yields. A good deal of difficulty has been experienced in getting labour to handle the crops, and this is likely to restrain farmers from sowing cereals next season. A number of young women have come to the aid of the farmers, and have entered earnestly into the work of stooking, and even driving a reaper and binder. *

Under the provisions of thel ongdelayed Victorian Footwear Regulation Act the members of the public will (says the Melbourne Age) be entitled to protection against the audacious swindling which has led lo the substitution of brown paper for leather in certain classes of goods. The law provides that they may ascertain whether the boots offered them by the vendor are made of genuine leather or of mere shoddy. The solo of a boot or shoe must be btamped with particulars of the material of which it is made. The Act unfortunately is not to operate at once. Parliament in its wisdom decided to allow the trade six months within which to get rid of old stocks of shoddy before the coming into free of the measure. The Viotrian Chief Secretary has stated that the Act would operate on July 1, and there would be no postponement. Boots and shoes intended for export are not to be subject to the new law.

LOCAL ANO GENERAL