AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1927, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

LORD MAYOR’S DILEMMA

SYDNEY, Jan. 20.

The new and youthful Lord Mayor (Alderman Mostvn), who created something of a sensation by telling the Council employees what he expected ’of them, and whiat would happen to them if they did not give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, has been faced, at tho very outset, of his term of office, with a situation which lias set tho community .smiling because of its Gilbertian humour. Before the beginning of this year the Lord Mayor wag the organiser of the very trade union whose members have just been in disagreement with the Town Hall officials. As such organiser, lie had to lay the complaints of his unionists before the then Lord Mayor, Alderman Stokes. Nothing was done to remove the trouble, apparently, with the result that, today, Alderman Mostyn, who is still associated with the union, has seemingly to prosecute, as counsel for the union, an appeal to himself as Lord Mayor. It is a pretty dilemma. As lias been observed, tho problem ought to tafford the new Lord Mayer a rich opportunity to exhibit that efficiency which, judging from tho speech ho made to the council’s employees on the day lie was installed a.s Lord Mayor,' he is so desirous of inculcating in others.

CAT ATTACKS SNAKE

SYDNEY, Jan. 21

A white cat. the pet of the I’erret family, wlio live at Oakleigh, not far from Melbourne, will have a luxurious home as long as it lives. Recently it saved Myrtle and Laura Perrett, 18-year-old twin sisters, from being hitten bv a venomous snake.

The girls were standing on the verandah of their home as darkness was gathering, and they saw the, cat stalking something. A couple of times the cat sprang in the air and spun round. Curious to sec what was attracting the cat’s attention, the girls walked across to a water standpipe.

Suddenly, a black snake, nearly four feet in length, slid out and coiled itself round Myrtle’s ankle. Laura made a start to grasp the snake, and pull it away, but lrefore either of the girls could do anything, the cat sprang at the snake, spitting at it furiously and with its hair 011 end from tlio tip of its tail to the top of its head. The snake then uncoiled itself and glided away.

But the cat was not satisfied. It cut off the reptile’s escape, and held it at bay until Laura found a stick and killed the snake.