JUVENILE DEPRAVITY.

NZ Truth, Issue 946, 12 January 1924, Page 4

JUVENILE DEPRAVITY.

"It gets my goat," fatuously declared the "Man at the Corner," smoking a cigarette himself and holding it m nicotine-stained hands, "to see mere kids smoking: fags. The young: urchins reokon it's manly, you know, and then get a taste for smoking." "Hear, hear," we agreed, thinking of the days long distant when we and our cobbers bought fags at two a penny from the Chows— who didn't harbor any ideas about the evil thereof — and puffed them round the corners. "We got our taste that way and Lady Nicotine has us now m her dinging embrace and we're too enamored to lift a finger to shake her off. But boys

will be boys, you know. As long as men smoke, the young brats will want to do likewise. It is smoking amongst women and girls that we dislike most keenly. Heavens know what they see m It" , "That's right. They probably like it about as much as the small boy does when he starts." "Well, they don't do it to be manly, do they?" "Hardly, though some of the older Btagerß get a bit that way. No, we think the flappers take, to it to be among the smart set, as they call.lt. They consider it auite the proper thing to smoke a cigarette at a ja*« cabaret— de rigeur, they'd call It. It shows off their nice powdered arms, and they imagine they look awfully superior and mysterious, head back, lazily exhaling th«J blue smoke. I'd give them nil a good smacking for mine. That's the stun!' to fix 'em, like their little brothers who smoke fags." • TRAIN MINSTRELS. • k I sympathised with your sporting reporter the other day, 'Truth,' when I read of him being tortured with bagpipes m the train, but I've had a worse experience." "Worse than bagpipes? No, incredible." •'Well, as bad, anyway. It was bags of pies this time, on a King Country train. Three roysterers blew In filled With beer* their mouths filled with pies, and waving the greasy unconsuined portions m token of goodwill. One blithered a sentimental song and two others joined m a swelling chorus of 'My heart Is aching.' Upon my soul, 'Truth,' it was astonishing how many old songs those Jokers knew the words of and not the tunes. Those pies must have been filled with pure, concentrated bird seed. It's many years since I heard that old ©ong about the candle light and sycamore and my old Indiana homestead, but they remembered the lot. Loudly, tunelessly, and enthusiastically they bellowed those old-timers for a couple of hour.-). By that time, as far as I was concerned, 'All the world was 'sad and dreary.' Then they all fell asleep and snored horribly for another couple. Think ! you, 'Truth,' there should be a law for the suppression of unmelodious drunks and sonorous snorera?" "tJnmelodloua drunks, certainly, but no, not sonorous snorers. Unfortunately, old man, we are led to believe that we ourselves snore m the richest of basso profundos." ARE THE FEES HIGH? "Do you think doctors are hot with their charges, 'Truth* 7" "They have not struck us as particularly so. They are specialists and spend a good deal of time and money to gain the knowledge they retail." "Go on. I lil'e to hear your side of the case. I was inclined to think their fees were a bit stiff."

"It isn't our side of the caao. We're only giving an opinion. But we happen to know the assistance many inodlcots rtlvo these who have no money to pay for tho attention roceived. If thone who can pay are quietly made to contribute towards the help given those who can't you wouldn't complain would you?" "No, of course not." "Well. that'H tho view wo'ro inclined to take of tho matter." IN THE MADDING CROWD. "My word I was annoyed during the holiday season." "What's on your mind this time." "Well, women pushing prams through crowds of holldaymakers have got on my nerves. Everywhere I went I found trte thoroughfare* blocked owing- to tho congestion caused by proms. Going aboard a ferry bo«t I recotved a prod at the back from one of them and was nearly knocked overboard." "We are surprised that you should be pushing your way ahead of a woman struggling with a pram, Suro enough the age of chivalry is gone/ "No you don't. 'Truth.' I always glvo whatever assistance I can to a woman with children, but I cannot understand n sane woman pushing, xhovIn* Ktid drngfjln* a pram through crowds of holidaymnkers to the great annoyance of ov#ryon*», hcreolf Included. Why should not women with very young ehtlflrrn upend the dny «t a QUl«t bay or bench; anywhere away from tho bustle of the crowd?"