NOTES BY THE WAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2515, 17 December 1927, Page 5

NOTES BY THE WAY.

(By Rambler.) The slogan of the King Country Wets : Never Say Dry! When the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works attend tho official opening of the Mokau bridge, which is to take place at noon to-day, there will be other matters to attend to and they will not he permitted to participate in the occasion as an exclusively cclebrative one. At the last meeting of the Waitomo County it was decided that a deputation 4 from the County should wait on tho Prime Minister and the Minister for Public Works on tho above occasion and place several matters of importance before them. However, these are consequential matters and the, County deputation is entitled to a hearing for its enterprise in seizingtho opoprtunity. Comets, I understand, are significant of‘ something unusual. Probably! this new one marks the end of the worst session of Parliament. “What is- your particular form of beverage?” asked counsel of a witness in the Hamilton Supreme Court .last week. ■ “Oh, I drink anything,” replied witness. < ; Counsel: “Do you ever drink methylated spirits? Witness: Oh, sometimes. Counsel: I suggest that your favourite drink is methylated spirits and Worcestershire sauce. Witness: I don’t drink them together. I take them separately. (Laughter.) His Honour: Are you from-the King. Country ?—Yes. His Honour: Then I can understand it. (Laughter.) It. is at least interesting to hear a Judge’s opinion on conditidns in this district made moral by “prohibition.”}; I am not yet sure whether Captain Giles, who has been on the verge of flying from ’Frisco to Wellington for the past two months, is guileless or giarrulous. If ever you hear of anyone talking about land deterioration in the King Country, ask him down some weekend and ta/ie him for a nice quiet walk on Sunday morning off the three main streets. Your visitor will then be able to see how we can grow things on the side of the roads without topdressng. " '

A fashion note states -that frocks are to be worn a little longer. Many a husband hopes that will be practised here—fivo frocks might bo able to do the work of six in a year.

The Prohibition Party wants to have the Licensing Bill revived at the next session of Parliament, but the Prime Minister states that lie’s not going! to revive it unless he gets more sympathy for His orphan. Parliament killed it, and it is better dead, is Mr Coates’ opinion. The Temperance party’s remarks about the Upper House have not been at all temperate on' this matter.

Now that the Main Highways Board has an additional £720,000 to put on the reads, it shoidd cough up a couple of thousand to metal the Te KumiHangatiki Road. The two ends are to be metalled, but there is nothing offering for the centre. The Board may be of the opinion that it is best to have the present main road over the hill worn out before inviting traffic on the new one.

In President CW.idge’s address to Congress, be unburdens himself as follows: “America, in doing/ good, in walking humbly, in sustaining its own people, in ministering to oilier nations, will work out her own mighty destiny.” My sainted aunt, can he believe his own utterances.

In another page in this issue we publish, an'article under “Sunbasking Cult.”, It states : ‘‘The bronzed man has always been the envy of his fellows and the admiration of the ladies.” New that the baths are assured, .there isn’t the slightest doubt that a lot of local young bloods will take advantage of this, and you will shortly see them, lolling about and basking in tlie sun at the weir to acquire tho “O’Connell Bronze” or the “Stranger Tint.”

The following cable was received from Mexico £ity during the week: “Fifty-six Catholics, including a priest, were killed in. two battles dining the week-end at Paliseo.” Weekend happenings apparently differ in different towns; Street corner gossip, for instance in Paliseo on Saturday nights, would be more animated than, say, that--which transpires outside the Te Kuiti Post Office on the same night. O'h, yes! They observ© Saturday as the long night in Paliseo—• quite large crowds about—business lively—sensible people!

The Borough Council has decided to allow tho George Washington act to be performed on a willow tree in Carroll Street. This tree, I understand, is rather a beautiful species of the genus willow. Nevertheless, the Council has dutifully sacrificed beauty for civic convenience.

I have it on good authority that there is a move on foot to change the name of Taupiri Street to Chancery Lane.

The Yanks will probably win the next war. Experts say that gas will play an important part.

There’s no danger of America losing its martial spirit-. Fifty per cent of our time-expired soldiers re-enlist, and 80 per cent of our divorced men remarry.—Arkansas Gazette.

The Soviet consider that vodka is a necessary evil for the country, because it yields an income of £50,000,000 a year to the Government and useful for oiling the. machinery of finance. Stalin is hoping to increase the consumption of this form, of chain lightning by 300 per cent. The Prime Minister is only interested in the sale of intoxicating drink to the extent of £2,000,000 a year, buft he does not seek to increase the consumption in his Licensing Bill.