LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15234, 22 February 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

' \ . ' : -• — >?- ; *,\' BY MEHCUTIO. ftggfe- : ' ' ■" .":.'■•'■. '"• \ Some family men are much concerned over %1* the " news, ..published on the authority of the British Board of Trade, that the -sovereign is no longer 20s but only 16s 3d. ' One householder, ho 'has discussed the" jiiatter with his wife over. the breakfast . I table, f»y this is the worst news he has \ seen published in the Herald. . His : wife , }i4b made;: out an excellent case. / She '"'■': counts every sovereign allotted to house--Ihol- expenses as value for 16s 3d and deV "ma'nds that 3s 9d be added to every ■ •-. - iiovereign, so that the household ■ funds . shall not be short. Hopelessly beaten in ■'• the argument the husband is still wonder-' 'ing how it can be done. '§$&;"?-v ' ' .'■''■'■'■'' Sl> ' A Plymouth man'who spent two years v near Auckland has been publishing his views on New Zealand and New Zealanders for the information of Devon folk. .'".''He thinks the term '* lower middle-class"., .' describes ■as well as anything the bulk of .'•. the population of New Zealand. It is good in the circumstances to read that; among this "lower middle-class "kindness '/'meets with" kindness, and perhaps a few of those who met this wanderer from '..Devon during his stay in New Zealand will chuckle when they read that "any • assumption of superiority produces scorn, indifference and dislike." Whether it ; was modesty or a. regard for truth that compelled our visitor to use the word '!Msumption' ; he does not say, »but the "~ 7 scornful and! indifferent will no doubt agree , that it if well placed. Shrewdness, .we are ioldi is among the characteristic of .the New,- Zealander, but he is too ready to believe evil gossip and only the sporting insiinc fc 'is saving tho workers from deterioration. ' After much more in a 1 similar • strain, the , Devon man" concludes ■'■■" •iiy'■ PV'Og'a high compliment to the c-V;young :'. New Zcalanders _ and for this .we may be 'able to forgive him for putting as all in 1 "the lower middle-class." "In my oprujon," lie says, "at least -SHOO is ~f reeded ikf start farming, even in a small way, nuless the new chum is prepared 'toimitate the plucky young New -Zealandeis who, having small capital, accept, eontracts for bush-felling, or road-making, or . * r 4 bridge-building, whilst waiting for farm :■'." :■■: profits; to come by natural increase, alter ......once.»their sections are fenced and lightly " -■: Blocked..,, In this way £300 will do as 4 well as £800 in the r end." The trouble ; '; about- many of the immigrants who" come and go and write about:us in the English (press is thatV-hey are not prepared 'to ' ( imitate the plucky young New Zealanders,. ."..:■'* but only to assume a superiority, and .'ex*. '• ■ press surprise when it produces scorn, indifference, and dislike. : '. , '/'." ■■' i The practice.; of leaving a- tramcar ; before . -;; it has come to. an absolute standstill is, no \ t doubt, very reprehensible and (one .■■ upon \ which the; ■Tramways '■ Company steadily- , frowns. i Nevertheless, it may, be granted |s:that f if a person does take it upon himself "; A' to.risk life and limb by making a. jump for ll|i a little too soon, he Is only human. There. •§|is one class (' of person." who frequently; brings upop his. head unkind (thoughts i»o>m : those who are ■. recklesj* ; enough to (want to . alight at the :. earliest moment. He is a are of i courage and caution— 1 per Krtecnt. mixture. When- a car is approaching :i; his stopping-place he jumps from : his seat .. . and makes a dash for the platform; Armed, there, he (■ descends "to the step, • clutches the pole -and. remains there-with a '■: • or die" expression 6ri" his face. In- ', • :-:&d.'however, of making a descent of im- ■ |«?a|leled audacity he ■ remains there until J ; tIM-3fc*B-bad l time to realise that the car has < only stopped but is not ..deceiving him. ( meekly -steps.off. • All this time he ,'i 3 as> been monopolising • the ' only " position ;-; from which it is possible to jump with any ' ' -".otgi&'jkf safety, "while those who : are pos- ; ; being carried \ past, the most con-- i - pouifc for alighting stand back on ; i . the" platform arid wish he would make up ( luVmind ' either to go-or to stay."," It . may ■Is argaed that in preventing other |people .■*■« jumping he is performing a public ser- ' y«*,j biit v jan the other hand, it ra more ; ." tfian prbl ible that someone who his thus js b«h prevented from - Jumping iriil be ' tempted to be even more feckless; on some ] other occasion. From this point of view ■ . the vacillating (gentleman.' is a positive |? menace .to .public safety, and:as .Buch ought ' -"to be sternly suppressed. f : . 0.1 U ' ;:: (((((: *-" : •"'■" : ''./:;"'''' "".".'C'." I ' : ' : '''' ■'"'"■' '•■"'-, ' (:• This. haste to be away (is. more :in '■ evi- : " (" denca on ferry-boats than on tramcars, and' i !•: is "not- wholly confined :^fo;:'tKe;!j^CTg. r and 1 i (athletic. : - The '/'\ pier-head: jumpers" have < %. won -i for thamselves an intercolonial repu- i ( tation, and as for the ordinary jumper/., it } f> must, be; confessed that it is hard for Trarm i blood and springy muscles to wait for i several .minutes with ( the 'wharf close at ;- ( (hand. \:>, Occasional Boakings only,add to the ■:■'. excitement, and, though it is necessary for \ the sedate to denounce rashness' with a loud i ( voice, it • is absurd to class it among the. \ unpardonable sins. • What:surprises me, ( (: however,( is to see how* many grey-beards :, |/keep up the jumping habit! They climb v (painfully to the steamer rails and literally i thrown themselves over the chasm. They land somehow every time; it (-looks ; like (good, luck, but it is really long practice. * • The other day, When visiting the beaches, fi g I saw a girl jump, whose; easy stride was 1 suddenly stopped, short by her tight skirt. c /(Fortunately, her toe reached to the wharf s (• aid she lurched forward a little, giving her a escort the chance to lift her into safety, v (Our colonial girls consider it the thing to J ignore little accidonts)\; and the jumping ? ,; girl walked off as though that was her usual ? (way of coming ashore; but,, 'though she I? (Sailed, her face, was white ; w.'d I'm sure J' (the felt it. •-"... ■ ■'■'''/'■.'.■ : ■.■■.■ . li ! -v'V'." ;-"' ■'••-■" . ■' V :'""'' ' v -(v • ' v ! M\ ■•'' ■' ' '."" "*-.' , '," ; :; ri ( Sharks seem to. be occupying some at- a | tention of fishermen in u various ■ parts of 't* &syr Zealand, lately. Several large ones t! .| hive been captured in Northern watern re- h /contly. .They found the Waitemata plea- f< wnt, until the well-baited hook insinuated ..*?■ S itself .violently into their jaws and exer-' *» (■cised a peremptory and fatal persuasion d ; (Upon them. As these ugly customers have a [ (not invaded the bathing ■'■ v a fcers to any ci notable extent -we should ho at iloast a 2 little grateful to them. :•■-■; - -A correspondent suggests":-—"Apropos *j of .' English .»» she is "spoken' and the h; Tramways Ccinpany's; an:b>g~uous warning f' |iece4*ay referr .- i to by yc:., might not the jj „Mty Council : l'<o "te. asked to justify the u. 'wording .'•>£'•'!. he ';m .'Vlbert Park, „ rea.i as,follows: 'The public are T :.kindly requested not throw paper or „., rubbish about.' The author'.-? intention to * t oe polite is obvious, but, his misuse of the w !r adverb has. no doubt, brought many a smile - r to the faces of passers-by. " ||;ir -.- : st :I A correspondent tells me thui* untT,er, the m Pytel and boardiughouse employees r?gula- V bons, nov enforced at Rotorua, life iii *_ that pleasant holiday and health resort is "* becoming as monotonous by.routine as in w itoilitary barracks, or a pr.blic hosJ,ital. j sc §uip(meal times' are fix<*d 3".. the wvs J" ' .of vhe blades and the Persians. Invalids jj; ;Wv.o have walked too far t » the anglers ljl yho have waited for the evening "rise" cc \?nour the displeasure of '- tresses and m :^ r Woks if • they .ire a few minutes late for Sdinper. No doubt it is a great conveni- o\ pace to any sort of household that meal 3 la placid be started and finished at faiiiv m Regular '{.im^'H ; but in places which depe; «■ th , wgely on y.ieasurc-seekers and sportsmt. . it ' *«P count it a joy to escape from loutiriv ar Bjjjgfe and routine ways, the iron regula- cr $?s?s.. of the cooks and lutchenraaids is ar irksome. There is a danger of cc |s*urse that when meal times arc immov- m ||gle,( tie.time to get up and the time to wi to bed will also be fixed. Evidently th |fte. hotel . boardinghouse employees it no sympathy with mere idlers, such is /■**. tourists, fishermtn, and invalids. If so {:these people wis!;.' ko stay .m- Hototua they re Ast fit their wi %a to suiv *iXi Convenience lai fi i;«ose .who .wool*. . fo.