NOTES BY THE WAY

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4952, 6 February 1937, Page 5

NOTES BY THE WAY

(By Rambler.) Hitler’s speech was hailed as indefinite. May he always be so.

These water experts differ so much that I have wondered if they only drink water.

A visitor to New Zealand states that boys here can stay at school a-i long as they like. After that they can go on sustenance.

A question yet unanswered. Has Mr. Morton sent an account to Mr. Mackersey for half the cost of the hire of the Municipal Hall on Tuesday evening?

A protest? On the night when it was decided that there should be.no sealing for Te Kuiti, many devoted themselves to the unsealing—of bottles.

A message from London states that our Minister of Finance was entertained by bankers. I feel sure the bankers also found Mr. Nash highly entertaining. **

Thousands of business men will spend Sunday surveying their income tax demand, and wondering whether their bank managers will honour the cheque in payment.

The Japanese are of the opinion that fencing is not a desirable sport and should be eliminated at the next Olympic Games. And the Japanese are so expert at diplomatic fencing.

President Roosevelt. says that if the N.R.A. is not a success he’ll try something else. Our Labour Government has the same idea, but the miserable taxpayers have to find the money for these experiments.

What with a shipping strike, a motor strike and floods, is the hand holding the lamp of the Goddess of Liberty at New York harbour entrance, not drooping a little?

Mr. J. A. Lee, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, is of the opinion that land is too dear at Greymouth for building purposes. It’s about time Mr. Lee visited Te Kuiti.

The trouble in Spain is not a civil war. The Italians, Germans and Spaniards fighting on the side of the insurgents are calling each other names, and seem to have nothing in common.

Now the Borough water scheme has been turned down, will there be an opportunity to vote on the alternative scheme often mentioned—a fourinch main starting the other side of the Puniu River? . - -

Sir Harry Lauder has cancelled his fishing trip to New Zealand. There has been no increase in fishing licenses, but an increase in the cost of living. Anyhow he’s going sea fishing which doesn’t require a license.

One of the oldest residents of Te Kuiti has said that he has never seen as much interest shown in civic affairs as at Tuesday evening’s meeting. My hat! How many, then, would have been there if they had known what was going to happen?

If Hitler lets the Germans down then his prospects for a long life are not bright. If Don Bradman does not win the fifth test all his brilliancy of the past will be forgotten. These are not the days when stars can live on their past reputations. Still I like Don’s chances more than Hitler’s.

Just twenty-five miles from Te Kuiti this happened the other day; it has the merit of being true. A Maori walked into the country store and indicated the petrol pump standing alone in front of it, asked, “This te •

only spirit you have, boss?” “Yes, Honi,” came the reply. “No use getting a whole lot of petrol pumps down here, it wouldn’t pay me, you know.” “That’s bad,” commented Honi as he turned to walk out of the shop. “Why, what’s bad—don’t you want anything?” asked the puzzled storekeeper. Honi explained. “Why, you only te Plume pump—and I only use te Shell in my cigarette lighter.”

A few remarks passed about our water supply came to the mind of a local resident when he turned on one of the taps in his home this week. When an aroma of much power but no appeal arose from the water he thought of things that had been said about our source of water supply—“a filthy supply that should be scrapped,” etc. Just as he was about to agree in no uncertain terms, a bright idea occurred to this resident. He turned on the cold tap. The water was as pure as, well, it usually is. He turned on the hot tap.—the water was highly odoriferous. So, he found, was the tank Wf&ve the hot water cylinder —and even more so were the two rats whose career had ended in that tank. The mystery was ended, but not the trouble. Unfortunately, it happened that as he ejected bucketfuls of water from the tank, his brother came up the drive underneath . . .

I’ve been rather worried whether I should put the following story, told by Mr. Morton last Tuesday, in “Notes by the Way” or in the agony column, but seeing that it happened a long time ago, perhaps we can laugh at it now. Here it is. Some 15 years ago the position regarding water was as acute as it could be —and just before the Council considered the supply, word was received that a certain native wanted 35s for removing a dead beast from out of the reservoir. Seeing that the beast probably belonged to the native in question, the letter was merely received and no action taken. At next meeting a letter was read that as no payment had been received, he had put the beast back! P.S.—I wonder if in 15 years’ time they will be telling similar tales of the present day, purified by the years into jokes?