LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

b? MEiicrmo. "Well, what about the All Blacks now? There was an idea circulating round Auckland last winter that the Auckland representatives could give the rest of New Zealand points and a beating. A brief 4d regrettable incident at Napier rather dashed the enthusiasm, but bow it. rebounded when Hawke's Bay came, to its Waterloo on the Auckland Domain one never-to-be-forgotten Saturday afternoon! K6-v with one of Auckland's bright particular stars in the opposing, three-quar-ter line, with another playing at fivef eiahths, and two others not on the scene 5 all the rest of New Zealand about to co forth to conquer the world get a-sound Kd thorough drubbing. If the selectors of the All Blocks could only know what the Auckland crowd thought about tVm • ■:„„ there would be tear-mark* Z their piHows. It is a great gome, this football- In its glorious uncertainties it L equalled only bv cricket, tennis, goi< Wis hocW. billiards. marHes and Sg-pong. The tenm that ought to wn I L'ofU does inst the opposite: the one tfc*t boats a combination supposed to bo infinitely its sunerior is mute capable of succnmbing a little while later to ; scratch crowd gathPrj-d from a'mpst anywhere. But one thing: the All Blacks need to realise clearly. Though they ■ma* Ir'-.-i, fallen before the onslaught of Auckland, they are not to go getting beaten hv any mere All Khetend, Welsh, Iri'h 0 f French team. That is not wKitthev are heinc sent round the world for, so they nad better see to it. If they inns* have another licking, let them wait till they return, and play Auckland again.

The late Sir Walter Buchanan was a roan of many parts. In the Wairarapa, and to a lesser extent, in Wellington, he was/an institution. Unlike many others in such circumstances, he was not the subject of manv stories, but there was one told with great gusto by the Hon F. M. B. Fisher. In the days when Mr. Buchanan—not yet knighted—was a member of the House of Representatives, he never took his wife to Wellington with him. He had no wife to take. On one occasion, said Mr. Fisher, thera was a certain official function open to members srd their wives only, and no more than one wife each. Mr. Fisher went accompanied by his wife and a lady friend of theirs, whom they wished to get past the sacred portals. At the door they wen stopped by an attendant, who said: "J know you well enough, Mr. Fisher, and Mrs. Fisher, too. But who is the other lady?" "That's all right," answered Mr. Fisher promptly. 'This is Mrs. Waiter Buchanan." ."Well, if you say so, I suppose it is all right," said the attendant, "but he must be a gay chap this Mr. Buchanan. That's the third Mrs. Walter Buchanan I've let through already."

"We get rap with the 'birds, and go to bed with them," said a member of the Wanganui Education Board in discussing daylight saving. Well, that's one way to scire the housing problem; but it must be rather chilly perching on a roost this time of the year. Citizens have noticed with melancholy misgivings that the civic authorities have just painted Auckland's , "safety," , or "danger," zones, as they are now more 'popularly known, in black and silver, those colours so emblematic of. in memoriam cards. Absit omen! The bill which the City Council wants Parliament to pass this session has very mixed emotions. It is astonishing really the number "of people Xlishava discovered the council to be a bani of wicked conspirators plotting '.: aCTinst.the property, rights and peace of imiid'Ot the ordinary citizen. Instead 01 which thoy are a collection of most estimable gentlemen, entirely ; ; dependent on the votes of the aforesaid citizen for their continuance in office. Thev don't go slouching round the town in the roomy cloaks and ffoppy felt hats of the Iras conspirator. Not they. Th&ir dress like ordinary people, pay, their tailors, and endeavour generally to set the community a good example, as required by their exalted position. But it would be hard to persuade some, folk living in the neighbourhood of the city of these simple facts. Not for them is the ready acceptance of anybody's purity of motives. As the poet said, not exactly in these words, but somehow similarly, they see "railways in streets, trains on the tramway tracks, arid wrong ia eveiything." It's a sad condition to have dark suspicion as a perpetual companion. When a party of 20 Aucklandurs, wishing to attend a New Zealand,, Poultry Association conference atf Nelson, found that the railway regulations would not permif; them to travel at excursion rates as poultry fanciers, they went as a glee party. Thev have been crowing ever > since over their' victory at the expense of the department. But they salvedl Itheir consciences by giving a concert at; one place while away from home. The programme has not been published; but it is certain that it included the heartening strains of the "'Dock o' the North. ' Among the solos was "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers," with its memories of Plymouth Bock, Another was The Death of Nelson," which the vocalist lustily began: Iwas in Trafalgar's Bay We saw the Frenchman lay,, with the accent on the "lay." Altogether it was an experience that put the performers in fine feather, and left nothing to brood over. '! ; It was in a Sunday-school of a go-as-iFcu-please order, for the neighbourhood ,was not remarkable for either culture or l>ietv.' The regular teacher of one ciass was'away, and a substitute was in charge. '".. Now, the substitute was a young lady o) Blipht acquaintance with such wow, but a''heart for anything, She was unprepared, save by some lading memories of early scripture lessons. "What shall I ..talk to you about, children ?" she asked, j taring already made up her mind to take s safe course; "shall it'be that lovely : -■. norv of • the Garden of Eden?" "No ;ttfeks. Miss," said a shock-headed urchin •if'her discomfiture; "we've 'eard enough stout them Adamses!" But the one ol *'them ; Adamses" who has been introduced to many classes in Auckland this seems to have been very wclconu cud he deserves to be.

"The drift to the towns"—it is a Phrase of wide currency nowadays, pro d&clive of grave head-shakings, when census returns and other statistics are made public] The Governor-General dwelt or it the other day when making one of those Speeches characteristic of him—speeche 'o which shrewd common sense an' 1 felicitj of expression are happily blended «ut, defpite the authoritative 'folks wh<" why the "drift" to the towns ? Wty not the move, the shift or the cmi Ration ? Go and look at some of the rpad< leading to Auckland town, and yo> pH know why. The only way to negr tiate them, especially ;ifc. this time of thf y e ar. is to float sluggishly along them.

There have been all sorts of political upheavals m the "oldest colony", of the *«Bphe, Newfoundland. Its affairs seem father remote from Auckland?- but one feature of a recent change of Government them right home here. A n w Ministry has been formed, with a Prime Minister just elected to Pailiament, and fcj:" the first time. After that, some of tho?e folk who are working so hard to promote new political parties in this community can go on with the job heartened and refreshed. They don't need to worry about looking far 'afield for the, leader and Prime Minister. One of themselves Vill do. The choice may be a matter of delicacy, but if done in committee there should be no undesirable publicity about