NEWS OF THE SAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11786, 24 March 1924, Page 6

NEWS OF THE SAY

An extract from the report presented by the school medical officer to the Hawke’s Bay Education Board is as follows: —There is a tendency to overclothe children during the hot weather. It would he .well if parents understood that undervest, knickers, and frock or shirt are sufficient clothing.

The first car to cover the Wairoa road from end to end since last week s heavy storm, arrived at Napier (says the “Telegraph”). It was 5} hours, including stoppages, on the read. “From the Devil’s Elbow on,” said the driver, “the road is almost unrecognisable. The worst part is round about Tango to, where there is a great deal of water on the rood. At we white pine hush there are successive slips. We had to crawl over them slowly in the second gear. All the creeks are scoured out amazingly, and the road is in places dangerously narrow.” The Prince of Wales must hare realised long ago that the drawback to being a Prince is that you canuot do as other men do (says the Auckland “Star”). He will have fresh proof of this if he reads the comments on his latest mishap. The ordinary young man with a liking for riding races and money to indulge it, could take half a dozen falls a week without any newspapers mentioning him, but the Prince of Wales is a pubic possession, and people are naturally alarmed that he should take so many risks. There is the more anxiety about his hunting and race-riding because it seems to he a fact that while he has plenty of courage and nerve, he is not the best of riders. There is force in the contention that he should take more care of himself.

“You are what they call a young shrowd successful business man,” said counsel to a witness at the Assessment Court- at Greytown (states the “Age”). “You flatter me,” retorted the witness without a smile.

A well-spoken working man, reading on Saturday of Mr Massey’s intention to ease the taxation on settlers and the return to penny postage, remarked, “I don’t write many letters, but if ‘Old Bill’ would take a bit off the tobacco it might save some of us a bob or two.”

A laugh was caused at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court by a judgment debtor, who was asked by counsel why he had not paid any money off Ins account. “I went to the plaintiff,” was the reply, “and he told me if I could scrape up any money to bring it to him, and not to take it to his solicitor.”

One would have thought the floods of past years had completely cleared the upper reaches of the Wanganui river of all its fallen timber and other bush debris (says the “Chronicle”). Recently, however, the river presented the unique spectacle of being covered from bank to bank with a carpet of logs, branches, twigs, and all manner of rubbish.

During the course of a nature study by one of the classes at Gonville School, it was discovered that several of the pupils had never seen New Zealand bush. Their teacher, Miss Pieroey, therefore Arranged a little trip to Fordell, when some fifty children visited an area of bush-covered land, to have the experience of seeing their native land in its primal state.

The Wanganui Hospital received about a lorry load of vegetables oi every description as a gift from the children attending the Wanganui Central Infants’ School (says the “Chronicle”). The vegetables had been collected by the children for their harvest thanksgiving festival, and their thoughtfulness in handing them to the hospital was much appreciated.

“If any of you boys want to smoke cigarettes, don’t smoke one, but smoke two or three. You will then probably have no inclination to 6moke again,” declared Mr C. R. Orr-Walker, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, when addressing a number of juveniles, who were charged with the theft of cigarettes at the recent military pageant.

“The alarming increase in the use of wine and stimulants at dances by young people in both city and country, with its inevitable lessening of the moral tone, calls for more vigilant work in tho cause of purity,” stated a passage in the report of the sooial and moral department, which was presented at the annual convention of the W.O.T.U. at New. Plymouth.

A pretty incident was recently witnessed in Wairoa (say 6 the Napier “Telegraph”). While the storm was at its height a Maori boy was observed struggling through the rain carrying a white girl, almost his own Bize, in his arms. He had evidently overtaken the girl on her way home, and, wrapping her in his oilskin, was plodding on determinedly while the rain and wind blocked hie progress.

“I have noticed that the people of New Zealand are a healthier looking lot than those in the United States,” said Dr. J. Miller, during the course of a lecture at Dunedin (says tho “Star”), “and there are apparently not so many cosmetics used here as there are in the States.” The speaker added that tho New Zealand Plunket system would get a world-wide reputation, and though tho Dominion had not a monopoly of the system it was handled best in New Zealand.

Some very odd reasons have been given from time to time for granting a school half-holiday, hut one of the oddest instances surely happened near Rotorua, where one of the neighbouring schools was closed on. the occasion of the recent Rotorua race meeting. When the Board of Education inquired into the matter, the headmaster said the secretary of the committee approved the granting of the holiday. The headmaster added that' he himself did not attend the race meeting. It was decided to send on this explanation to the local committee, which had been asking for information.

Names like “Pigburn,” “Hogburn.” and “Eweburn” do not appeal to Sir Maui Pomare (says the “Evening Star”). At Waipiata he expressed regret that the district was losing its pretty Maori names. He explained the meaning of Waipiata—“wai,” the water and “piata,” shining. He trusted that hope would always burn bright and shining for those who came to the Waipiata Sanatorium, and that they would drink of the living waters. A peculiar coincidence was later disclosed in regard to the name Orangapai, the proper name of the plaoe. Sir Maui said that it was even more appropriate than the name “Waipiata,” for it meant “restoration to perfect health.”

Further evidence of the laok of Government publications giving information regarding New Zealand available in other countries is conveyed in a letter from Montreal, which the organiser of the Canterbury Progress League has just received (says an exchange). The writer states: “I have just received from the shipping people in Vancouver, 8.0., Canada, a copy of -your buttetin, or pamphlet, entitled ‘Canterbury, New Zealand.’ As I am contemplating going to New Zealand this year l would, naturally, like to get all the information I oan. Your pamphlet <s extremely interesting, and I might say the only thing I have been aiblo to get concerning your country.”

Those confiding ratepayers who fondly imagined that after spending nearly £200,000 they liad secured an efficient gas service have suffered a rude awakening,” says the “Manawatu Daily Times.” “Saturday evening brought a breakdown of the supply over a considerable part of the borough, and a further heavy expenditure will be necessary before all-round efficiency can be assured. The immediate cause of the trouble was the collapse of the ancient gasomoter in Short street, on the site of the old gasworks. It is now out of commission for good and all, and the borough is faced with an expenditure of anything up to £20,000 to put matters right.

The great art in advertising is to I get a message conveyed directly to j the party it is intended to impress (says an exchange). Thus only may reI suits be expected. The Railway Department has shown considerable ingenuity ;in advertising a “safety first” cam?aigu in regard to railway crossings, ts latest scheme takes the form of a i “sticker,” which depiote a carelessly driven motor being crashed into by an express train. The title on the picture read. ‘ ‘ls it safe ? Stop I Look 1 Listen 1” By an arrangement with local bodies, the “sticker” will be affixed to all licensed vehicles, who will thus receive a message of caution at the same time that they obtain their driver’s ticket. | For Coughs and Colds, never fails, j Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.—Advt.