LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18457, 21 July 1923, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP .

I.'T JCSRCttTIvJ.

oj Ib& rule of the road on Hie' footpath Alas been , agitating tho Municipal ■ Confer•jn%v_ lb*, decision is that there should bo ft 'iißiiorm practice for tho Dominion, and "keep to tho lift" has ; been ' approved.' The original motion was moved by Mr. Taple}-, who ought to be "a ■ cheerful soul if the miiu<.;nco of Charles Dickens stands for anything. Anyway, now the principle has been approved, all that remains is to see that it is observed. This may seem simple, compared with obtaining agreement at th« conferences This was'done, however, and without applying the principle of proportion 1 .representation, oven though ih'i r . .>ciing ; was in Christchurch. For all that, In secure observance is another matter; old habits, especially bad cnes, die hare. Tho occasional dancing of un involuntary schotttsshc, .vis-a-vis with a follow, cituen, is jtrmoying, but to drive .Into the heads of people generally that the way to avoid ii, 13 to stick to the left sll the time, will not 'bo tasy.

The seaman learns thfi rule of tho road Until he becomes word perfect, indeed, letter perfect, at it. Hi/ has to. If he has aspirations toward a master's ticker, and, when put to the test, fauers in his knowledge of _ that vital thing, an ironvisagtsd examiner tells -, him to p;o nway istiu Rime again another day. The civic Authorities may make it compulsory for padestritwis to carry port and starboard lights, no that thoy may pass one another in a proper and seamaniike manner. But I hey mustn't carry too much port, or too many starboard lights, or trouble will ensue. The rhymes sailors use to remember the rules might be useful. For instance, In approaching a mass of femininity milling and mailing round a bargain safe window,, what could be more appropriate than this i' —

Both in safety and in doubt, 'Always keep a, good look-out. In danger, -with do room to turn, ■Em her I Stop h«r! Xio astern!

■Ihe> Canterbury Progress Lsagurt has arranged tha formal opening of the Otira Tunnel for August 4. It is to bs hoped that no siaiiitejt intention of new hostilities lurks in the choice of date, reminiscent of another great war. Perhaps it is merely meant to provide sneakers at the banquet with, a thrilling introduction [--'•'Chi this day. eo full of reminders of a florious struggle agailnst fearful odds." here might evan be in view reference to uie angtfj«<jirfng feat of construfjtint' communication ! tranche* jind aaps, rounded off with a quotation about "the imminent deadly breach/' Canterbury is certainly bellicose abont the tunnel. It wasn't going to &--« happy until it got the tunnel. Now it refci3"j;» to be happy because of, the coal freigh : being charged on that lino. .Ihose who iaarad that having got the tunnel, Canterbury was going 'to. settle into inglorious content may Irtish, their fears. Canterbury ia not built *hst «»y

<>. • ; .--:VT» V. > ■ : l.tH[&*pv> ;'.;»-iU ■■■'"-'. .. y ** <i-. ■-■•^< > i'xiS k..;,<.J l,: *:<d ; iyi ''■'.. ';', ~' ; Cj j. QCTtlr.r u .t?^-..,,: Jjloyoes were getting hut under the collar and determined to present a stiff front, while the .oroprieton;. were ■wringing their hands in dismay j li it in good to know that there fa to be an .washing of dirty linen in public. Had agreement not been reached, would the coppers have been 9»Ueo. in to keep order- while th« disputants lot off steam

While everyone) will agree that the Minister for Education ; should receive some souvenir of his association with the : .new rvrts building„of th "i University Col- j l*g«; there will, be some curiosity as to I tlhrt reason why authority for the pre- j station is bo belated. The form adopted by thq Collages Council A mallet with a ' £-u.:.iat'le fnscri-)..tion ; suggests kg associa- ' tion with the laying 0! thi foundation Eton».; But. hat importer;-!/ cer«-ion./ -*-»a Vt'-" f .K&V-& cvmn weeks *•*<) by ..he /?rie,<Minister, w> i-hom \'\3r pre.<ertev '' it' traditional so-jvstiir »f ;*«■.-. silver ifty-n ~•; Something must bave t''J. r r-A the ooanrd to recognise its oversight 'pa that 1 occasion, and it is to be hoped thfit tho Minister will not make an unpleasant stir In 'Dniv; rsity circles by refusing the gift on who i pound that it was an afterthought. • It, may be that, the choice of a mallet was prompted by f.he Minister's announcement of hia success la obtaining t\. subsidy on contributions to the buildir. fund. If ho can compel the Cabinet to" do so much by the weight of argument, how 'gre&t will be his achievement armed with a mallet'

;■-.' iilt.'; : lso-»v*tiß*» 'Cwjr man, »ft*r a country tour,, , rein**.!)is ; : iftiiu ?.h«) piMt iii 'w» °»~ ilian ihu ufiicaaJ dobr. He adds iSjrc '.l .wyrft*- )■■'}' us to double that debt to r?' l ua b-., .;": >.',■ ■'. ~ ~i : -- ■-■ an .nytimifi.; 'j.\- -.■■•.' M*' : ■' the "cars go, by we wi'l double the deijt—-and still- have the blackberries.

Mr. Pair has been <3itremoly frank upon the Bubjoct of tho education of Ministers. He says it takes threa years to educate a Minister In the work 01 hi.s department, and in the 'case of himself, he has had to resign the portfolio of Health just when his education is ' complete. Mr. Parr's remarks conveyed a suggestion that he did not retire voluntarily, but in response to the dir&rtiorts of higher authority. Of course, If ihat is so, the responsibility- is not his. But such education must coat a great deal, and has advantages for tho Minister himself. Is it not linnet regulations were made requiring members joining the Cabinet to give suretes for service during a definite period after their probationary education T ,Tho Minister for Education demands a bond from girls 'who might treat their training for teachiHras preparation for marriage. Have hot these wis and their enfranchised friends' the "right' to demand *, bond of tho Minister that he too ohall stick to his Job 7: '~'''•'

Those were fascinating possibilities sketched by Mr. Seabrook when he was telling the Rotary Club about the reasonable future developments of air travel. As an American cartoonist has discovered, the poor old world is shrinking visibly in the eyes of it-, inhabitants. Mr. Seabrook emphasised the benefits to accrue when an Auck.iandsr will be abie to reach London in 12 days instead ol five or six weeks; quite right. And.think, too, how ranch it will mean to the Londoner when he can slip round the world to Auckland in 12 days!) If. thfij . all decide to come along at the same time, there will be something doing under the Southern Cross that night! Most peopio reniMPher Macaulay's prediction about tho future day when a New Zealander would survey the' ruins of London; 11 . the attempt to fly across is made too hastily, the ruins of- a New Zealandpr may bo more conspicuous in th(j foreground than those of St. Paul's. Anyway, the president of. Rotary was _wei! in accord with the lecturer, emphasising tho advantages aviation would .. offer to l.'u'-.inej-vncn. Agtdri, 'quits right. With :.'.L"shij.:- all over the place it should be '•s,n;t<> wa«y to lioat ft -company. ;

Complaints about certain incidents cluv'irig the students' recent carnival proc< : ~ sion have been fairly well yentilatec.,.: TV, 8 authorities are ponding the _ situation, an.i it requires smrrf power* fn -, 'j&v-. ception to realise that they don't, q'iite know what to do about it. "An American newspaper, in a heading, conveys a suggestion, herewith offered to the authorities 'of the University College. It is a sober journal; being published •In the United States it must be. What else fa iSrhe.Volstead Law for? Anyway, here fa the heading " Picture? of , jSalyjrtwjj,. Army Cooking Students." • This is the cut for the baffled ■ authorities. .."Roast: the students hoard; grill them unmercifully. If unable to do it yourselves, call I*4 ib& Balvatioa Army;,