IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22490, 26 January 1935, Page 4

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY A New Definition. When replying to a toast at the jubilee banquet at Gummies Bush yesterday Mr J. Lopdell, a former teacher, said that he had in an examination once asked pupils to define a clause. One boy had written: “A clause is the end of a crab’s leg.” ♦ » ♦ * A Happy Note. His Worship the Mayor, Mr John Miller, struck a happy note when he commenced his address at the Scottish Society’s gathering last night. ‘I feel somewhat uneasy addressing you on the subject of a great poet,” said his Worship “I’d feel more at home discussing the doings of the City Council. (Laughter.) „ , * Fire in Wash-house.

Shortly before 10 o’clock yesterday morning, the City Fire Brigade was called to suppress an outbreak of fire in a detached wash-house of the dwelling occupied by Mrs G. F. Dawson at 169 Clyde street. The flames were confined to the wash-house and the contents, to which fairly severe damage was caused. The outbreak is thought to have arisen from embers in an ashfin. ♦ » » * Increased Rebate Sought

At yesterday’s meeting of the Provincial Executive of the Southland Farmers’ Union, it was decided to support a request from the South Canterbury Branch that the Government be urged to increase the rebate on petrol used by farm tractors from sixpence to eightpence per gallon in conformity with a similar rebate granted in respect to petrol used by aeroplanes and fishing launches. *

Reflections on Parliament. “The men who are sent to Parliament reflect the opinions of the people. I don’t know what they think of these reflections,” remarked the Hon. T. O’Byrne at the jubilee banquet at Gummies Bush yesterday. He suggested that before they cast their vote at the next election electors should think much harder than they had in the past. Once a man was elected he was in for three or four years. « Old Coins.

A number of old pennies ranging in date from George IV 1826 to Victoria 1857 were brought into the Times Office yesterday. The coins themselves have no especial monetary value, but would form a valuable adjunct to the store of any collector. Much bigger than the “brownie” of to-day, these pennies must have formed a weighty pocketful—a shilling’s worth of them weighs close on half a pound. ♦ * » * A Great Draft.

For many years past Messrs P. and J. Deegan, “Waterdale,” Oreti, have secured some excellent fat lamb drafts, and this year’s figures have proved no exception. From a flock of 1400 ewes, 1360 lambs were taken in the first draft, the line being described as an exceptionally good one, and a particularly high percentage being graded prime quality. The success of Messrs Deegan Bros, is attributed to the use of Southdown rams and good young Romney ewes. t Talk on Trade Matters.

A short address, of a private nature, upon trade matters of mutual interest to New Zealand and the Home markets was given to the Provincial Executive of the Southland Branch of the Farmers’ Union yesterday afternoon by Mr R. Boulter, C.M.G., his Majesty’s Trade Commissioner in New Zealand. The president (Mr W'. J. A. McGregor) welcomed the visitor who was given an attentive hearing. At the conclusion of his interesting remarks, he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. « « » ' * Two Swallows. Bums Night at the Scottish Society found the Chief in rare fettle. He told a story of how friends in Scotland had sent him a small package inscribed “The Tale of Two Swallows.’ The contents proved to be two small bottles of whisky—very small bottles of whisky. This, the Chief considered an indication that the people of Scotland regarded Invercargill as a very sober community. “It’s not so much for its intrinsic worth that I value this gift, added the Chief, “it’s the ‘spirit of it that I appreciate.” » » * * Ducks Recommended.

Among the tales of early days in Southland related by the Hon. T. O’Byrne at the Gummies Bush banquet yesterday was one which concerned a landlord and his tenant. The latter on one occasion was imploring the former to effect repairs to the house and outbuildings. When they came to the fowlhouse the Scottish tenant told a sorrowful tale about his hens getting all wet owing to leaks in the roof. “Sure, and why don’t you buy ducks instead of hens,” was the Irishman s reply.* « » *

Opening of Oyster Season. The oyster season opens next Friday, when the annual Oyster Derby, inaugurated by Shaun O’Sullivan, will be run. According to reports there will be a record entry for the Derby this year, and it is hinted that an aeroplane will figure in the contest for the first time. Little is known at present of the condition of the oyster beds, but preparations are afoot among Bluff ana Stewart Island oystermen for a record season. All boats of the fleet have been undergoing their annual overhaul, and, weather permitting, good first catches are anticipated. » » * * Proud of the N.Z. Scouts.

Praise for the New Zealand contingent of Scouts who recently attended the Jamboree at Frankston, near Melbourne, was contained in a letter received yesterday by Miss Shepherd, of Nith street, from a former Dunedin friend, now settled in Victoria. “We went down to the Jamboree on Sunday. It was a frightfully hot day and what a crowd! 12,000 people besides the 11,000 Scouts,” she wrote. “Each contingent has its own colony, and it was very interesting. Of course we were very proud of our 250 New Zea L landers and their camp was the most orderly and the tidiest of all.” * * * *

The Haggis. When the haggis was piped in at the Scottish Society last night a Times reporter, caught by the simple grandeur of the ceremony, was filled with a strange desire to learn the constituents of Scotland’s national dish. The reading of the address to the dish provoked further curiosity. An Englishman did not apostrophy his bacon and eggs in such fashion, so there must be an indefinable “something” about the haggis ... In search of the indefinable something, the reporter approached his Worship the Mayor, a chieftain of the Scottish Society. In genial mood Mr Miller proffered the information that, “everything in the house was used except the furniture.” The reporter toyed with this thought awhile, but after running his mind over some of the household goods was forced to regard the Mayor’s statement as a trifle sweeping. Further investigations proved that the Scot knows comparatively little about the processes which evolve his tasty delicacy, but at last the maker of the haggis was found and yielded up the information. The constituents of a haggis are as follows: liver, lichts, oatmeal, suet anions, salt,

pepper and seasonings and boiled in a sheep’s bag. Serve this in a true Scottish atmosphere, with somewhere the wild, sweet music of the bagpipes and you have the Scot’s most highly prized dish—the haggis. * * * * Better than Painted.

“It was an eye-opener, after hearing all that I had about the southern part of the Dominion, to come down here and see your charming countryside and to see the farms in such good order,” said Mr R. Boulter C.M.G., His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, when replying to the welcome extended at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon yesterday. Mr Boulter made it very clear that he had been most agreeably surprised with Southland, though he did not inform his hearers what he had been led to expect from hearing northern reports. He spent Wednesday motoring in the country and before he leaves hopes to see other districts. When drawing a comparison between farming as carried on in Southland and the more intensive fanning at Home Mr Boulter did not forget to mention that the manufacturers of the United Kingdom could supply many articles which would assist Southland farmers in winning the best result* from the land.