GENERAL NEWS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6766, 21 November 1928, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

Describing “muscular sense,’’ to an audience of Rotarians at Now Plymouth the other day, Eotarian G. Homo illustrated his remarks by asking: “What is it enables you to convey a glass of ale from a table to your mouth in the dark without having light with which to guide it '? ’’ There followed a brief silence, which was broken by a very material suggestion from one Eotarian: “ Practice ! ’ ’

Chatting to a Taranaki “Hdrald” reporter, a well-known sheep-farmer said he had never seen liner lambs in Taranaki than were to be seen this season. Generally speaking, percentages were high and all the Jambs had done remarkably well. He could not understand, he added, why more dairy farmers did not run a few sheep to follow on and clean up the paddocks after the cows.

The unique spectacle of au opossum running across the intersection of Ous toms and Queen streets was witnessed in Auckland on a recent evening. Dodging the traffic with remarkable speed, the animal darted along the pavement until it reached a shop door. Here it remained timidly huddled in the darkness until the flash of a policeman’s torch frightened it. Then, with a lightning turn of speed, it ran across the street and disappeared. Farming conditions on Xing Country holdings arc said to be very favourable. One farmer, who has made judicious use of top-dressing, has increased the carrying capacity of, his farm during the past twelve mouths by a sheep to the acre. On his property of 50 acres he has wintered 400 owes, and recently docked 120 per cent, of lambs. In all SO ewes produced twins, and these have been separated. Shearing is now general throughout the district, and some of the early sheds have already been cut out. Reports to hand from these sheds arc very reassuring. The sheep have come through the winter exceptionally well, and losses have been light. It is expected this season’s clip, will be the best in this district for some years.

A mother, accompancd by her four sons, entered a well-known boot and shoo emporium in Greymouth recently and requested that her boys be fitted with boots (reports the “Greymouth Evening Star’’). The attendant pleasantly invited the family to be seateo while he selected boots of suitable sjzcl for her youthful customers. The correct fittings -were made, but the chag rin of the attendant can be imagined when,-,instead of making the sale as she had hoped, the 'mother drew a mailorder slip from her bag and proceeded to fill in the sizes of the boots thereon. She smilingly informed the attendant that she was not a purchaser, but wanted to find out the correct sizes to enable her to complete her overseas mail order.

“When, you’re in Napier you must iJo as Napier docs,” remarks the Gisborne Times. A visiting Magistrate motoring through the town, informed of this with duo dignity by a constable. He had th'e tail light of bis car set high up in the centre of the hood when ho drove into the Hawke’s Bay capital. “Why haven’t you got your tail-light in the proper place?” asked the constable who stopped him. “The police allow us to have the taillights there where I come from,” was the magistrate’s reply. “But you’re not in now; you’re in NapieYJ and the regulations say it shall be as near as possible to the right-hand side, on a level with the chassis,” replied the man in blue. The magistrate had the light shifted without further auo. Circumstantial evidence was never more complete than in the case of a young man wdio throw an egg at a Parliamentary candidate last week, remarks the Auckland “Star”. The egg trussed its mark and hit a lady standing near, doing considerable damage to her clothes. The young man’s efforts to hide himself in the crowd 'were unavailing, and in an instant angry witnesses of the action had formed a knot round him, demanding an explanation. His strenuous denials that he threw the egg were not believed by the crowd. .Eventually, seeing a chance, the young man broke away with a largo number of the crowd in full cry after him. However, he proved too speedy, and ■ disappeared, throwing from his pocket, as ho ran, incriminating evidence in the shape of two more eggs.’ It may be necessary to add that the affair did not take place in or anywhere near Auckland.