LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 July 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Women’s National Reserve are giving a children’s fancy dress dance in aid of the Boy Scouts’ building fund, at the Foresters’ Hall on August 8. . The Albany Street school, Dunedin, celebrates its jubilee on August 15, 16, and 17, 1924. The old pupils are scattered all over the world, some occupying high positions in London and elsewhere. It is hardly possible that over, seas ex-pupils will "attend the functions, but many in New Zealand who love the “Old Albany” will make an effort to be in Dunedin' on the above dates. Local ex-pupils are asked by advertisement to communicate with Mr. J. Houston, solicitor, Hawera. A good story told by Bishop Welldon concerns the parson of a rural and rather scattered parish who, while motoring home one day from his parish duties, overtook a country girl returning from market with a‘heavy basket of provisions. The vicar recognised the girl as a servant at a neighbouring farm, so, stopping his car, he offered her a lift, which she accepted with enthusiasm. At the turning" into the lane leading to the farm lie set the girl down, and she thanked him warmly. “Please don’t mention it,” replied the benevolent cleric. The girl blushed prettily, hung her head, and then looked up archly. “All right,” she said “Mum’s the word.” '

A local farmer (says the Southland Times) worked out a clever method of sending seeds to a friend in the North Island. Walking into a country post office he asked the postmaster for the loan of the office scales, and proceeded to weigh two bags of seed, making them exactly 281bs each. These he presented to the postmaster and requested that they be mailed to the address inscribed. The postmaster was astonished and the postage cleared the available supply of stamps. When asked why he did not rail the seeds the farmer said : “If I railed them my friend would have to travel about- ten miles to take delivery. By posting them I save him that joumev. as the seeds are delivered to his house.” A Dunedin lady who is touring tin? Old Country came across a queer inscription on a tablet in the Church of St. Dunstan’s in the West, situated in Fleet Street, London, and (states an exchaiige) thought it worth copying out, as follows: “To the nieniorv of Hobson Judkin, Esq., late of Clifford Inn, the honest solicitor, xvlio departed this life June 30, 1812. This tablet was erected by his clients as a token of gratitude and respect for his honest, faithful and friendly conduct through life. Co, reader, and emulate Hobson Jiulkin. ’ ’ “I tly nnyting once,’’ an Oriental gentleman with one front tooth missing grinned over a Palmerston North fruiterer’s counter the other day. He proceeded to explain (recounts the Manawatu Times) that he had taken his offspring to a dentist to have removed an aching molar. “Hurt?” he had asked when the operation was over. The little Celestial had grinned a negative, whereupon his father had become so entranced with the painless extraction that he had taken the chair and directed the attention of the gentleman in white to a front tooth that had never known an ache, but which delighted him immeasurably with the gap it left in the ivory array. Men’s and boys’ overcoats are good buying at the Melbourne’s Sale of assigned stock, bought for 10/- in the £. For instance: Little boys’ Smart colonial tweed coats, only 22/6, were 45/-; boys’ and youths’ Prince and belted style coats,'.32/6 to 47/6; men’s dark warm tweed topcoats in the popular ‘ 1 Pytchley ’ ’ style, double breasted and with mock belt at back and inverted pleat, only 47/6; these are worth 00/-. All wonderful bargains.— Advt. OTJTSED’S. Last few days of Outred’s Sale. Coat frocks from 35/6. splendid value; velour coats from 49/6, latest styles; Burberry coats, half price; marvellous reductions in all millinery; woollen jumpers from 7/11. —Advt. No bad after-effects with Wade’s Worm Figs. Pleasant, sure and certain. —Advt.

"When he was telling the commercial travellers on Saturday night something about the activities of the city, Mr. George Baildon, the Deputy-Mayor of Auckland, said he hoped they would not be like the American visitor who was being shown round Auckland by a Maori. When they got to the municipal buildings the American asked how long it- took to build. “Three year. I think.’' said Hone. “Absurd," said the Yankee, “why in the States we would run her up in a year at the most.” Then when they got down to- the Insurance Company’s tall building in Queen Street, the American put the same question. Hone didn't know, but he said he thought “about two year.” Again the American snorted and said six months was all they would allow for the job in the States. Then they got as far as the post office. <f Wal, how long did she take?” asked the stranger. By this time Hone had- begun to size up his guest. Looking up at the building with a puzzled air. Hone said, “By korry, I not know; he not there last night!”

A. method of raising the necessary funds to adequately advertise the attractions of the Dominion abroad was suggested by the president of the Auck land Chamber of Commerce, Mr A, A. Martin, at the monthly luncheon last week. Mr. Martin mentioned that the various chambers throughout New Zealand were considering a nroposal to have the primage duty abolished, but the opinion of the Auckland Chamber wag that the duty should be retained, and a portion of the amount collected 5 “ thi r d ; devoted to advertising the Dominion, reports the New Zealand Herald. In one year the duty brought in the huge sum of £4BO 000 and he thought that the expenditure of one-third of such a sum would o-o a long way to making the Dominion known in the older world and at the same time meet mucli of the criticism Ucity 10neC * k' V tfie present lack of pub-

“A lot of sickly sentiment has been wasted on our labours.’! said Mr. A. I*. Ellis, the New Zealand representative on the-British Phosphate Commission, in the course of an address on the phosphate industry, at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Auckland last week. In describing the life and condition at Nauru Islan-d, Mr. Ellis displayed some lantern slides showing the comfortable quarters occupied by the Chinese labourers, and said that the labourer usually comnleted his daily task in about 61 hours. He then ventured the opinion that if the worklng and living conditions of the people rM lr, nd « ere as happy as those of the Chinese at Nauru a little more would be heard of Merrie England. From what he had seen in the various island groups and elsewhere he thouerbt that the Nauru and Ocean Island labourers were as well treated as any group of workers anywhere.