NEWS IN BRIEF.

Thames Star, Volume LX, Issue 16960, 6 December 1926, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

An Infallible Barometer.

According to a London ’bus conductor, an infallible portent of wet weather is the softening of the indelible pencils which he and his colleagues use in making those : notes which are, to the passenger, such a mysterious part of the job of conducting omnibuses. Rain is sometimes signalled in this way, as much as 24 hours ahead, the conductor says, and his view, justly or unjustly, was that the indelible pencil had a more accurate notion of things meteorological than the experts. He evidently does not know of the daily use made of wet-bulb thermometers. Pukekohe Potatoes.

It was reported at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce that on Wednesday no fewer than 25 truck loads of potatoes were despatched, the biggest consignment this season. What is a Lady?

A new answer to the question; “What is a lady?” was given in Mr. Justice Roche’s Court in the King’s Bench Division. Mrs. Anghelatos, a Frenchwoman, was asked if her mother had ever worked. Shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders, she replied: “Ah! no, no, no. How could I say such a thing? My mother never worked. She does not know how to work. She is a lady hv birth.” Mr. Justice Roche: “That is a new definition. but, of course, we know what you mean.”

Stoat and Rabbit.

The pursuit ot a rabbit by a stoat held the attention of a motorist the other day. He had left Ins car, and was standing under some trees waiting for a shower to pass over, when he saw the stoat start its chase after the frightened rabbit. The quarry foolishly did not run directly away—it could have outdistanced its pursuer in a straight race—but exhausted itself in dodging about.' Consequently the stoat was finally able to seize it by the back, of the neck, and give it a quick despatch.

Overcrowding the Rail Car. Although there is seating accommodation tor 48 passengers on the steam rail car which runs between Frankton and Thames, there was a total of 59 aboard on leaving Frankton a few nights ago, while a further half-dozen or so travellers entrained at Hamilton. Judging by the support the service is receiving, * the Department will soon have to consider the advisability dr providing extra accommodation —at least for the summer months.—Morrinsville Star. All Doctors.

A doctor as bridegroom, a doctor as bride—both children of doctors —with one doctor and two doctors’ daughters as bridesmaids, a doctor’s son as page boy, and the bride given away by a doctor, and doctor at the organ. These were the remarkable features of a recent wedding in England. Train Control

A new system of train control is to be tried on. selected sections of botfi the North and South island railways’. It is a telephone system, dealing with movements of trains and control ol rolling stock, and is designed to ensure punctual running, to regulate traffic according to the capacity of yards to receive it, and to obtain the maximum haulage service with the least possible number of locomotives. Wellington to Marton in thp North Island and Christchurch to Oamaru in “the South, are the sections over which the trials are to be made.

Gipsy Smith’s Mission. “I can see nothing else for it—the guarantors will have to be called in,’ said Mr. F. H. Christian at Christchurch the other day in regard to the expenses of the Gipsy Smith mission Mr. Christian said that the total expenses of the mission will amount to £BOO, and so far the collections have realised £526/977. At the Gipsy Smith mission the same night the llev. E. D. Patcliett stated that the mission was paying its way and the guarantors would not be balled' upon for’a penny. They had over £SOO in hand, with four full days still to run. Next Sunday the collections would be a thankoffering tb the missioner and party. Gipsy Smith said that he was glad to heai the chairman make the statement, as it seemed to him many people would like to know the mission was failing. Goldfield Stars.

■On November 27th Te Aroha won the challenge for the Goldfields Stars, and were represented against Paeroa by Childerhouse, Kriskovitch, Wyllie and Bygrave, who gained a win by 21 to 19. An interesting and even game ensued, the result being decided by the last bowl of the game, which was successful in turning the score in Te Aroha’s favour. Thames, the next challengers, will now be received at the Te Aroha green on Saturday, December 11th.

There Ain’t No Such Horse! The man who was most unreservedly thankful to see the end of carnival week-'at Christchurch was the announcer at Station 3YA (states an exchange). Well, he stuck to his job, and no doubt many people are grateful. Some of them, perhaps, made their acquaintance with wireless. We arc reminded of an incident recently related by a. commercial traveller. He was putting up at a hotel in Timaru, and in the smoking-room be listened for half an hour to the usual fatuous discussion on horses. Finally he remarked: ‘‘Do any of you young fellows know anything about radio-tele-graphy?” He vvas answered in a tone of pitying contempt: “There ain’t no such horse.”-

A Missing Car. An amusing story is'being recounted concerning a search for a ‘ ‘missing’ ’ car which occurred on the closing day of the Egmont Show., On the conclusion of the day’s attractions, a country visitor is said to have notified the police that his car had been taken by some unauthorised person from the Camberwell Road parking area, where he indicated he had left the vehicle The district being one which lias beer, fortunately free of the “joy-riding” pest, the local representative of the law was somewhat incredulous concerning the likelihood of the car having been taken, and the opinion was justified when, after a taxi had been engaged in the search, the “missing” machine was found at the Waihi entrance, and with its discovery the owner of the car recollected that the car was in the exact spot where he had left it on entering the grounds.

Anomaly in Freights. As evidence of the differential freight rates on the railway between Timaru and Christchurch, it may be stated that the freight from Christchurch to Timaru on a ton of biscuits is 37/1, while the freight on the same weight of biscuits from Timaru to Christchurch is 71/1, a difference of £l/14/-. Rather than submit to such unequal treatment, a Timaru firm of biscuit makers is now using a motor-lorry to convey its manufactured goods from Timaru to Christchurch, where there is a good demand for them; and on each trip, after allowing for. all costs, the company makes a substantial saving, as compared with the cost of sending the goods by rail, the saving being made substantial through the back-loading which is obtained. A transport firm is negotiating with a view to establishing a permanent cartage-by-road business between Timaru and Christchurch.

The Lady Scored. During a street appeal one is often heard to exclaim, “Oh, yes, I’ve dodged them nicely, so far ...” and the other day a number of men who .were working on a scaffolding on a rather high building in Timaru thought they would be quite safe from a lady collector, who yvas on the footpath below signalling for them to come down. With a “you can’t get me” feeling of satisfaction, the workmen invited the lady to come up, not till then would they support the Plunket Society. To demonstrate the enthusiasm of the collectors, the young lady procured a long ladder, and reached their haven. Needless to state, the workmen paid up.

149 Years. Discussing the visit of the GovernorGeneral to the Plains on Tuesday next* Mr. W. E. G. Willy observed that it was 149 years since a direct representative of the King had visited the Plains. Pressed for an explanation, Mr. Willy said that in 1777 Captain James Cook, who held a direct commission from the King, landed on the Plains.—Gazette.

Fashions in Wall-papers. The latest controversy that threatens development into a wide-angle wrangle in Sydney is connected with something that would never be suspected as a. source of disputation outside family circles directly affected. About 20 years ago Sydney abandoned wallpapers. Not all Sydney, but the greater part of that section that matters or . that believes} it matters. It was set out that clean walls painted Or calcimined or finished in' special art cement were more pleasing, and., at the same time, more hygienic. There was no lock of argument in favour. Even the silverfisb were called as witnesses to the condition of, wallpapers and the scrim that at one time backed them. A change came a few years ago, as it was certain to do—just as women’s dress changed from long to short, and will presently change again from short to long. Wallpapers became “the thing.” Walls thus decorated were boasted of, and now papering is almost general. Sir Mertram Mackennal is reported to have fired a bomb at them. He first commented adversely on the lack of colour in Sydney buildings, and then expressed disapproval of wallpapers, or, at any rate, of the wallpapers observable here, though he seemed to remember favourably wallpapers he -had seen in England. The result of the argument may be beneficial in that many people will take at least brief excursions into the realm of aestheticism.

Weather in the Souths

The Hon. A. D. McLeod and those who accompanied him on a motor trip from Oamaru to Hyde and* then te Dunedin via Middlemarch on Thursday, had some striking evidences of the unseasonable nature of the weather. When the party left Oamaru the woather was fine, but they had not proceeded far before a bitterly cold wind was felt. A heavy shower of cold rain was experienced before Palmerston was reached, and when the travellers were approaching Macraes they ran into a. snowstorm. Another fall of snow was experienced at Hyde, and on the way to Dunedin two or three showers of snow and rain, accompanied by a very cold wind, made matters very unpleasant. The roads generally were in good condition but near Clark’s Junction a very bad patch was encountered.

Breach of Courtesy. International courtesy appears to form no part of the equipment of some aliens. At the Opera House at Christchurch the other night sitting in the front row, were a party of American citizens who, when the British National Anthem was played at the close of the performance, ostentatiously kept their seats, and the men of the party deliberately put on their hats as the first chord of the Anthem was played by the orchestra. One of the men is oi. k temporary business mission to that city. ‘ /