GENERAL NEWS

Patea Mail, Volume XLVII, 25 April 1924, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

In an infant school the teacher chose a miracle of the water being turneu into wine as the subject or tne Bible lesson. In telling the story she occasionally asked a lew questions. One of them wae: ‘ ‘ When tue new wine was Drought to the governor of the feast, what did ho sayf” A little girl, remembering what she had heard, probably on some fgetivo Occasion, called ont: ‘'Mere’s lack!”

There was an unusual socuc at. a party at Lady Aator’a house in London recently. Fifty guests wore labels bearing their names aad also their principal interest in. life, business or profession. Thus: “Mistress Blank, women police; interest, social welfare.” “Marquis X.; interest, economics.” Lady Astor says that the labelling of guests is an improvement on formal, introductions, as It facilitates conversation and makes for ease of manner. The guests voted the idea a great success, and it Is Kkely to be imitated by other prominent hostesses.

That London is recovering, if it has not actually recovered, its position as the financial centre of the world, is shown by the fact that foreign loans were placed there to the amount of £148,000,000, while .the amount (placed in Now York was only £86,000,(k)0. The Patea County Council is one of those local bodies which, in thd inattcr of main roads construction, has not been taking things easily, for during the past year they have practically completed the strip o € tar-sealed road between Patea and the Hawera County boundary. There now remain pnly a few ohains Of metal surface on a couple of hills. This year the Council will receive a proportion of their expenditure on the main road from the Main Highways Board. —“Eltham Argus.”

Rumours are current that it is the intention of Sir Joseph Ward to contest the Otaki seat at the next general election or any election that may take place at rtn early date (says the ‘Southland Times’). Sir Joseph Vvard now resides in the Otaki electorate, which, on the recommendation of the Boundary Commissioners, now takes in a large portion of Wellington Suburbs. At the recent general election it will be remembered that Mr W. H. Pcild (Reform) managed to retain the seat from Mr McClure (liberal) by the smallest of margins, approximately 30 votes. It is understood that thoro is a likelihood of Mr Field retiring from politics at the conclusion of the present Parliament.

The largest quinnat salmon that has yet been taken from the llakaia River recently fell to the rod of the Rev. H. •or. Hawkins. The fish, which was an exceptionally fine specimen, tipped the scales at 421 b, and it was with some difficulty that Mr Hawkins succeeded in bringing his catch to land. Ho was fishing on the banks of the Rakaia Island at the time* and the big fish gave him quite a busy time. He piloted the cateh some two miles down stream before ho wss successful in lauding it. There was quite a flutter of excitement on the island when the extraordinary weight nad nature of the fish became known. Mr Hawkins generously gave the fish to a visitor, and it Is the intention of the tourist to have the specimen stuffed. The catch would make an excellent museum exhibit.

.Recently when in Glasgow, Miss Kosina Buckman was being driven each d;iy to rehearsal by a taximan named Matthew Dickie, who diffidently asked hor if she would hear him sing. The great operatic singer, with hor usual kindness of heart, readily consented, and ho sang before the assembled stars. At the conclusion Miss Bickman complimented him on his. voice, and said that he had a very beautiful voice. In a private letter, Mr Maurice d ’Oisley (Miss Buckman's husband), in referring to the incident, says that after hearing him sing it was arranged that he should mal« an appearance that very night at the same concert as Miss Buckman. He wffs driving his taxi till the last minute, and came on the stage at £&. Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow, before a packed house, in his leather coat, gloves in hand, and in spite of extreme nervousness, sang splendidly, and received a great ovation. It is expected that the Glasgow people will arrange Sor him to bp sent to Italy to be trained, with a view of his entering the opcratU profession. Ho is only 25 years old, and is eager to study.

By moans of lantern slides, a large number of the beauty spots «ff New Zealand were brought before the eyes of an audience in the Victoria League rooms, Wellington, recently, when Mr F. E. Tomlinson, the Wellington publicity photognapher, gave an idea of the natufe of the work he intends to undertake in Australia to advertise the attractions and resources of New Zealand. Mr Gordon Rra-ser, president of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League, thanked Mr Tomlinson, and in doing so said he was convinced that such a means of publicity in Australia would prove a great commercial asset to this Dominion.

A resident of the West Coast of the South Island told a reporter that he was One of three brothers who had. a total of 4.4 children. One brother had 17, he had 15, and another who died when but 3(5 years of age, had 1-!.

At a recent sitting of the Bltham Magistrate's Court, quite a titter of laughter went round when the Magistrate said that it was nows to him that raspberry and beer, when mixed, made a delightful drink. It might be mentioned that the drink is very familiar to those who worship at the “Shrine of Bacchus,” and is known to the elect as “Maori shandygaff.”

Uneven temperatures and lack of sufficient moisture in tho air are playing havoc with tho woodwork in the new Canadian Parliament Buildings at Ottawa. Doors, desks, tables, chairs and floers have been under attention by ex« ports for months. Now tho Speaker’s chair in the Commons Chamber is suffering. There are cracks in places; already there have been repairs. This is the chair which was presented to the Canadian Parliament by the United Kingdom branch of tho British Parliamentary Association. It was made in England, a replica of the Speaker’s chair in tho British House at Westminster. Much of the wood used in the buildings, it is said, was not properly seasoned, an’d hence it will pot stand tho strain. In any event, a curious feature is that the eoat-of-arms surmounting tho Speaker’s chair in the Commons seems to bo unaffected. And whatever may be said of the rest, the coat-of-arma cptnes from wood thoroughly season with time. It was taken from a beam installed by a Plantagenct King in the old Westminster Hall over 500 years agj>.