LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17662, 24 December 1920, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

sr MEH CUT 10. Tl.is issue comes just in time for " .MercV:o ' to wi<h his readers a Merry Christm:)s' He ri 'iral goodwill for f"," 81 ' haS V ' r;,Usht evidence that ...s mam a|>|Moving friends, and not " S °" °' tU S amn "S ,I,OSR v,' lo *' a " !K " ' '<•> ai] readers, friendlv " r C " iM ' al or constant, he wishes , :' cft lhat the ran brin?, with >. ,u.i measure of plums i„ the p"udding aim - well with present* p'.it in tim matter of storkmirs als U w,-h than for Santa Claus to-a* ti>, Ameri.-u.ns say --deliver tho goods.' M ' ,r the other evening fr-nl . t » window full of toys and h£ heart «a« s»>r« for the voungpters Nobody kr..i s more about the cost of living th. -i fa!he.r a-.id mother, and when they ii upon themselves to play Santa I'laus they will find it easier to empty tlr Hocking in v , hicli tln-y place their own savings than to comfortably fill the slocn.ings expectantly hung on tho bedPteidsSome materialist will come along end us that these regrets are foolish became the price of toys must follow tho universal upward trend. No doubt, but rui ii comments, however wise, fill 31a Ktorkuigs. lliat, at this week-end, is the business of every parson who takes up tho uro.6 of Santa. Clans, and *' w-eh.'s them all a happy outcome of the TPnturo without ruinous results.

Writing the above -recalls a subject to which attention has previously been paid tn this column. There is no bonus for Santa Cia.ua. Why not? There wa s once 6. bonus which wag called a " clothing bonus " so why not a bonus for the fathers of families which might be called the " Santa Ciaus bonus" just to make certain that the free and easy bachelors do not grab at it as they have at all the bonuses so far granted. It's a pretty idea which may be commended to the sympathetic consideratio-a of the Arbitration Court.

Habit -aril! as sort itself. We have all been waiting for prices to fail, and declaring that we will not buy until they do Bat those who have been in town during Christmas week know that that resolution is at least temporarily in abeyance. Howwer much we may desire to economise the Christmas tradition of spending is too strong for us, and perhaps it is &a weLL There are 51 weeks in the year for economy, the extravagance of Christmas does ua all good.

The Auckland "water is establishing a reputation as a summer perplexity. Most summers we cannot get enough of it. This year we are afraid to drink what we can get without boiling it, and the taste for boiled watar is neither natural nor hereditary, but must be acquired by long practice. Small wonder that, tha population of Auckland is turning to beer or ginger beer as a substitute) beverage, according as its inclination may prompt it. Perhaps, however, the water is not so dangerous as seme of ua suppose*. There has been no appreciable increase in sickness, but he would bo a bold person who would guarantee that the glasses out, of ■which wa drink our whisky and eat ice creams and the cans in which our milk is carried are all washed in boiled water.

U was impossible not to feed sorry for the Davis Cup players last week. What with rain and wind tha conditions were very galling to tennis players whose hearts were set on. practice. It is certain that Mr. Brookes' estimate of Auckland weather was very widely shared by the visitors during that 'week at least. Let us hope that the sunshine of the past few days has restored the prestige of the Auckland weather. After all the Australians should make allowance for tha fact that our storm was partly due to a disturbance from New South Wales.

A London periodical hag taken upon itself to warn British women against corning to New Zealand, In a paragraph recently published the most tangible item of information is that cabbages and cauliflowers are 4b to 5s each. The balance of the " warnirig" is, so far as accuracy goes, about on the same leveL The statement is made on the authority of " an Auckland lady," who says New Zealand 15 no place for women partly because of the slavery of the housework, which the New Zealand women refuse to do and put on to British immigrants, partly because of the price of cabbages, and partly because newcomers are fleeced on every hand." It is not clear what purpose is served by this sort of malicious propaganda. Apparently it is specially directed at New Zealand. It should be the business of the High Commissioner's office to see that it is stopped, and that intending ]-immigrants are furnished with accurate information about the price of cabbages and of all the other necessities of life.

A great many people, including not a few Presbyterians, appear to have made op their minds that an uncharitable thing """as done by sending the Rev. Mr. Murray adrift from the Presbyterian Church and from St. Andrew's. But is this not judging the ca?e rather superficially, and are those who so judge it not in danger of h»ing themselves charged with lack of chanty? It is easy to be indignant at the narrow -mindedness which will not permit a rr.an to have his own opinions on such a subject as baptism, but it is not so easy to see how a church can be organised and maintained on that basis. Possibly it can be done, but it is not the common bans and certainly it is not the basis of the Presbyterian Church to which Jlr. Mii-ray assented with his eyes open ■"ben he attached himself to that Church. No doubt there were uncharitable things sa.id over the case, but it is not uncharitable to toll Mr. Murray that since he has ceased to believe and refills to practice, even in one respect, the doctrine of his Church lie must leave that Church. What e ' se could the Church do unless it said that the doctrine does not matter? That of course may be the view c ' niany good people, although it very fo identiy is not the view of Mr. Murray, l t never ha.<: been the view of the Presbyterian Church. The thing to do is lor Presbyterians and Mr. Murray to part from en "h other good friends, rft.--)icrt.!nc: par ether and each other s convictions. There should be no great difficulty about that 011 either side.

Among the quaint, arguments used by Point Chevalier residents who opposed amalgamation with the city was the suggestion that the city was waiting to relf*a£e an army of inspectors, some of them iimazons. upon the former road board district. "I o judge from a circular written lr i Print Chevalier, one would imagine, thai the. city lived under an inquisition, •itid that the warning " verboten " governed the most innocent of our backyard recreations. Yet the average Auck- > wider sees an inspector so seldom that lie welcomes the opportunity to have his ■"«i?hevs replaced free of cost, arid to disr®.- the conditions under which he may kse-.-i fowls without endangering the aei 'th of bis neighbours.