LOCAL AND GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2515, 17 December 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There has been a touch of wintei in the air during the past few days, with a little rain and hail. Old Sol appeared this morning, however, in honour of the official opening of the Mokau Bridge, and the Waipa race meeting, and it is t 6 sincerely hoped that he will have gained the complete mastery of things meteorological by this time next week.

The Farmers’ Cc-operative Auctioneering Co., Ltd., Te Kuiti, have received the following cable from their London Office: Butter market steadier at lower price after depression, though demand poor; New Zealand 156/-, 158/-; cheese slow 90/-, 91/-; meat better demand. Lambs mutton slight advance.

A burgiar who sought to be polite to his woman victim, got badly fooled when he picked Mrs Elsie Clayton of New York. Slje returned to her apartment and found the burglar ransacking her rooms. “Pardon for intrusion,” he said, but proceeding systematically on his job. “Pardon, hell,” replied the lady, who slapped his face. The thief then ceased to be a gentleman, and struck her. She kicked his shins, and soon they roughed and tumbled like two Melbourne wrestlers, she screaming all the while. Four janitors lugged the burglar to the police station.

“Military drill never did anybody any good; physical drill did; and that’s mv opinion,” declared Mr G. T. Roller at a meeting of the Timaru Technical College Board of Managers when the establishment of a Cadet corps at the college came up for discussion (says the Timaru Post). “The introduction of any military system into the college,’ he declared, “is detrimental to the college. You can have physical drill without dressing* up in the uniform, of a homicide.” The chairman (Mr G. J. Sealey) : “That s your' opinion!” Mr Roller: “Yes it is!”

The Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of train arrangements in connection with Christmas and New Year holidays.

“This has been as good an. entertainment as Wirth’s Circus,” declared a member at the conclusion of a heated and irrelevant argument across the table at the South Otago Hospital Board’s meeting on Tuesday last. “We ought to let the public in and charge five shillings for admission. It’s well worth it.” " J

Time was when we were all more or less on nodding terms with our gold coinage, but an incident the other day in a South Canterbury business place showed that there is' a generation of boys who are strangers to the sovereign (says the Christchurch Press). A business man was showing a collection he bad of rare ancl foreign coins. Amongst them were three halfsovereigns, and he asked a senior schoolboy what they were. The schoolboy did not know them at all, but asked if they were farthings.

Special Constable Johnson had an exciting experience while on duty in the Avenue, Wanganui, the other morning. A drover had successfully negotiating a mob of cattle over the town bridge, but when some ..little distance along Taupo Quay a big Hereford bull broke loose from the mob with th© dogs hot on his trail. The drover called out to the constable to head the bull off, but no sooner had the bull sighted the uniform than lie lowered his head and went straight for the man in blue. The latter, who is one of the most agile members of the force, quickly side-stepped and then broke the timo record along the Avenue. >-

For sheer shrewdness the laurel _is .due to a certain Invercargill motorist whose business makes it necessary for him to pay frequent visits to the country townships (states tb© Southland Times). On a recent trip he had the misfortune to run over a dog whilst passing near a store. On his return journey before he reached the scene of the accident, he was informed by a passing acquaintance that an angry owner was awaiting him at the store. Forewarned is forearmed. Oil reaching the store he assummed a. bold front and faced the owner. “M as that joui dog] I ran over?” he demanded. On receiving a reply in the affirmative, ho continued: “Well, I’m afraid it’s going to cost you a few bob. I strained a steering control as I went over it.” This aspect of the case had not occurred to the astonished owner who was alarmed to such an extent that his anger evaporated. “Oh, I think we’d better call it quits,” he said hurriedly. “It was a valuable dog.” As he hurried away lie added philosophically, “Anyway, another dog license saved, I suppose.” The driver is still congratulating himself on his genius.