NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20315, 25 January 1928, Page 14

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Reports from various parts of the West Coast show that influenza is at present rather prevalent. A Wanganui resident suggested to a Herald reporter the other day that unemployed men who were willing to do any kind of Work might make a little money by gathering certain grass seeds, an abundance of which was now ready for picking in hundreds of acres in Wanganui.

Stay at the Prince of Wales Hotel. Good accommodation: best brands of liquors. ’Phone 10-721. —C. HinchclifE, proprietor... An unusual spectacle in Mackay street (Greymouth) about 1.30 the other morning was a motor cycle without a side-car carrying four persons (says the Grey River Argus). Three is not an uncommon freight, but four is exceptional. Have hares acquired a “motor sense”? Judging by the remarks of a service car driver they must have (says the Taranaki News). A year or two ago a hare “ put up ” on the road would run for miles in front of a car, dazzled, it seemed, b the lights. To-day, however, hares disturbed during their dust bath simply look at the approaching car and hop off to one side. Barton and Trengrove want Pigs to supply ths enormous demand for their famous sugar-cured Bacon. Highest price for cash. —Manse street, Dunedin...

An infant musical prodigy has been discovered in Bluff (reports the correspondent of the Southland News). His forte is singing, and to hear the little boy (not quite five) giving a rendition of one of Lauder’s famous ballads is a treat. Appropriately the child bears a Scotch name. If taken in hand early and trained, it is quite safe to say that the young singer has a bright future before him. A record weight for newly-born twin babies for New Zealand was claimed by Mr G. S. Hardy at the Ashburton Hospital Board meeting., when he stated that twins had been born at the Rakaia Maternity Home between Christmas and New Year, and the weight of both was 171 b. He added that the average weight of a single baby at birth was about 71b.

Hats for Men, usually sold at 25s fid and 29s fid, have been all. reduced to 17s fid for this week only. See our window and pick your hat. All Shapes, Shades, and • Sizes. At the “ Ascot,” corner Princes and Rattray streets... “ When you were in court before your lawyer stated that you were a returned soldier and made a plea for mercy out of the fact,” said the opposing counsel to a judgment debtor in the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court last Friday, “ Well, you should remember that the man to whom you owe the money is also a returned man.” “If he is,” said the debtor gravely, " he should have more brotherly love than to sue a fellow soldier.” The lawyer joined in the general smile.

Waters’Chap-Lotion keeps hands lovely to look at and touch; 2s posted.—Waters’ Pharmacy...

In the course of the Auckland City Council meeting last week the Mayor (Mr G. Baildon) gave a ruling that Mr W. H. Murray was making remarks that were “ out of order,” as they concerned matters in the engineer’s department when a report of the Water, Tramways, .and Electricity Committee was on the table (state# the Star). “Well, I must submit to your ruling,” said Mr Murray, “but I disagree with it.” “I will not allow that. You must agree with my ruling,” said the Mayor. Mr Murray then continued.

Extravagance is paying more at one store than you have to at another. Moral! Shop at Gray's in Milton, where prices are lower...

“ It s a sad heart that never rejoices,” said a judgment debtor in the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court recently when questioned a s to the proportion of his wages that went in drink, “ and although I do not spend any in drink I sometimes have a little given to me.” “But where does all your money go?” asked the cross-examining counsel. “Oh! I have got to eat you know; 1 can’t live on suction,” retorted the summoned one imperturbably. A ripple of laughter went round the court and rhe lawyer sat down. Save your eyes. Consult Peter G. Dick, D.8.0.A., F. 1.0. (London), optometrist. Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians, 490 Moray place (opp. City Hotel)... Smoking compartments on railway trains are no longer exclusive preserves for occupation by men (remarks the Lyttelton Times). The woman smoker, who

arrived ” some years ago, no longer indulges in a furtive _ and surreptitious whiff. She takes her seat in the. smoking compartment, and is open and unashamed about her enjoyment of the übiquitous cigarette. There are still some men who think that the smoking .carriage is ' no place for women,” but that attitude of niind is becoming prehistoric. The general view among male smokers is that if the ladies are to join their ranks there should be extra accommodation for smokers on the express trains.

A man who works on the wataifront and is a trifle short-sighted, had an amusing experience recently (states the Por.i'.iland News). He was in a gang which was loading cargo in nets on to a vessel. Every time the net comes down it is caught by the workers before it reaches the ground and pulled across to the front of the wagon. The short-sighted worker was observed to reach out and grab, but to hia amazement he could not catch the net which he thought he saw. The laughter of hia companions made him realise tnat something was wrong, and he suddenly became aware of the fact that he was trying to handle the shadow which was reflected on the wharf!

Grandism (307) —Spirits are expensive. Try a large bottle of our Famous “ Aragon Spanish Wine,” 4s. Obtainable also at the Oban Hotel. “ Aragon ” is our registered Brand... Wearing placards on his back and cheat testifying to his need of employment, a small man (who had been parading the steets of Auckland for weeks) presented himself before the door of the Prime Minister’s temporary office in the Grand Hotel last Friday (states the Auckland correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). The placards read: “Work wanted urgently. Married. Ex-service man. Good references. Wife going blind. Had two operations.” He was soon noticed by Mr Coates’s private secretary, to whom he confided that he wanted to see the Prime Minister. The request was not granted, but he departed hopefully a few minutes later with a sealed note to the Public Works Department. A novel idea as to how much money could be saved in hardware and furnishings was devised by a young Dunedin couple. They selected two well-known home-furnishing establishments, and decided that, comparing quality with price, they would buy where the saving was biggest. The shillings thus saved were recorded, and it is significant to note that they not only saved nearly £l9. u’j. bought mostly from the one shop—Laidlaw and Gray’s, Ltd... “Is this Invercargill '! ’’ queried a woman passenger as the first inward express pulled into the station last Saturday. Her question having been answered in the affirmative (states the Times), she expressed surprise, gathered up her belongings—and her small boy—and biushingly explained to fe|low passengers that this was her first trip to Invercargill. And further, she was told that the express did not arrive till half-past 2, “ and it is only 1 o’clock now.” And still further, she expected to find Invercargill “ a pokey little hole,” he had heard so many disparaging remarks about it. Why, it was as big as a city. A Times man within earshot learnt that the travellers werft, visitors from Dunedin !

Exceptional value: Flannel Unders, the well-known Doctor Brand, in Shetland and navy, 6s 6d each; AU-wool New Zealand Flannels—Shetland 6s lid, natural shade (unshrinkable) 8s lid, navy 9s 6d, posted anywhere for cash. —Kilroy and Sutherland, Ltd., 192 Princes street, Dunedin...

Oysters, officially speaking are out of season but apparently they are still considered a dainty lunch by some people (remarks the Auckland Star). While a young lady was entering a bus in one of the marine suburbs the other morning her hand-case flew open, and a neatly-pre-pared package of sandwiches and a mysterious looking bottle fell on to the roadwav. Unfortunately for the fair owner the shock was too much for the bottle, which shattered into the proverbial thousand pieces, scattering a dozen or so luscious oysters in the dust. The young lady blushed; the other passengers smiled, not a few with an undisguised lick of the lip. Quality, Quality, Quality) Quality, Quality, Quality—all the time.—Barton and Trengroye, Manse street...

For all your Medical Wants special attention given to country orders. “ Conn’j Sell it for less.”—Conn’s Grand Pharmacy...

Visitors to the Southland Electric Powei Board’s generating station at Lake Mono- ■ wai are required to sign their names in the visitors’ book on being shown over the works, and a good deal of humour, deli* berate and unconscious, seems to Uav» found its way into the book (says the News). The staff of the generating station was no doubt flattered to see that after the signature of one young lady came the comment, “was shown over by quite a * thrill.’ ” Many famous persona appear to have visited the plant, and among the names in the book are these of Henry Ford (U.S.A.) and Annie Laurie (Maxwelltown). The Power Board, however, has grave doubts as to the authenticity of these signatures. Forty-sixth annual summer sale a huge success. A few of this week’s specials: Ladies’ Tailored Coats and Coat Frocks, 39s 6d each; ladies’ straws and ready-to-wears, from 3s lid up. A call will be to our mutual benefit.—A. Cheyne and C 0...

“ A lot of people think engineering and business are not connected, but in my opinion they are closely inter-related,” remarked Mr F. N. Thompson, d’?t' : ct Public Works engineer in Napier, at a farewell to him recently prior to his leaving for Wellington (reports the Telegraph). Mr Thompson said that it was an engineer’s job to give value for money and he quoted the American definition that an engineer was a man who could do for one dollar what any fool oaiild do for two. An engineer, he said, was not to build imposing structures to be something in the nature of a permanent monument, but to make the best use he could of the money that was available and give the most serviceable article he could for that expenditure. He remarked, however, that if ever an engineer recommended a temporary structure it was usually done “ against his grain.” Old curns banished by one touch of the magic “ Kornbane Is 2d posted.— Waters' Pharmacy... “ Try your skill at the genuine game of Monte Carlo,” roared the leather-throated showman at the Lumsden sports last Saturday, after making sure that the local contsable was well out of hearing (says an exchange). A neat roulette wheel was displayed in an open box, and the “ sportsmen ” gathered round and tried their ‘‘skill.” “Even money on the even money on the blue, and 10 to 1 on the gold,” proceeded the croupier in a more subduea tone, but a warning from a fellow showman was entirely sufficient u> stop his prattling and the box closed as if by magic. When the man in blue arrived on the scene he saw nothing more suspicious than a game of • dart-throwing in progress, and he strolled away apparently satisfied that there was no gambling going on anywhere on his beat. Chic bathing dresses, made ot pure wool by New Zealand mills. Bright, bold colours; could distinguish you a mile away; 8s 6d. Also British-made Trouville colours and shapes, pure wool, from 16s 6d. —At T. Ross’s, 130 Princes street. Advt.

A good story comes from the Doubtful Sound track concerning the extraction of a tooth (says the Southland Times). One of the two guides, who for all the world were like rough bearded bushmen, complained of toothache so thej conferred and decided that the offending tooth should come out. In a minute shining forceps and a hypodermic syringe were being sterilised in a billy of boiling water, and after the use of iodine and much hand-washing the patient was propped up against a box, whilst the other “ bushman injected the anaesthetic, applied the forcepSj and out came the tooth in an almost Pickerill-like manner. On making inquiries it was learnt that the bearded guides were dental students making good use of their vocation. Just landed, ex Somerset, a full supply of new season’s Blue Mountain Jamaica. The finest Coffee grown on earth. —A. Durie and Co., coffee specialists, 32 Octagon, Dunedin... A remarkable coincidence has been mentioned to the Settler by a Kawhia resident, whose experience in the northern portion of the North Island extends over a considerable period, to the effect that drought summers have occurred in exact cycles ot 10 years. The informant states that in 1898 an unprecedented dry season prevailed, more particularly at Pahiatua and the Forty Mile Bush, where fierce fires spread destruction in every direction. In 1908 the King Country and Waikaw wilted like mown hay before the summer * sun. Kawhia residents can vividly recollect the devastation and loss of stock and property which followed the bush fires. Again in 1918 there was another visitation, the district of South King Country (from Taihape to Ohakune) suffermgmost severely through losses. Whether 1928 is to be an equally disastrous year time has yet to tell, but appearances are by no means reassuring. . , . She shakes her bonme little head \nd lifts her eyes so black At hubby, who hit her as he said. Have Hitchon’s cooked when I com» back.”..