INTO WRONG COFFERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16740, 23 May 1922, Page 3

INTO WRONG COFFERS.

CITY COUNCIL AMUSEMENT TAX. A motion by the Gore Borough Council read in the City Council last night •on tho subject of the amusement tax, was unanimously endorsed, almost without discussion. Tho motion, for which the City Council’s support was solicited, road: “That all the amusement taxes collected in tho district he paid over to the local body of that district or town board as the case may be.” Councillor T. A. Flesher, in supporting the motion, said that he had little time for the amusement tax, which penalised a great many worthy charitable projects. “ That’s what the Labour Party said in Parliament.” stated Councillor I). G. Sullivan, M.P., who asked Councillor Flesher to move in a different form. Councillor Flesher said that he was quite ready to amend his motion to read : In the opinion of this Council amusement taxes are unnecessary, hut so long as they are levied the Council endorses the principal laid down by the Gore Borough Council. In this form the motion was carried unanimously.

LUCKY JOEY. “ Jo-ey 1 Jo-ey ! Come along!” “ AYhat’s lie looking at?” “ Oh, a .silly old notice—something about a lecture 1” “Jo-ey! Come on!” Joey "took no notice, hut went on reacting. “ A Trip Round the World —it sounded fine! And you could get a ticket for sixpence; hut then Joeyhad not got sixpence, so he did not see how he could go to the lecture. Johnny and Sammy shouted until they got quite hoarse, and at last they went off leaving Joey still looking at. the notice. After a little while he sighed and walked slowly on, thinking very hard. “ Now, if only I could rescue Romeone from being run over,” he said to himself, “or pick up a lady’s purse, or—why, what’s that?” There on the pavement in front of him was a sixpence! Joey pounced upon it. at once. There was no one near to whom it could belong, so he ran off home with it in delight. Ho went to the lecture all right. “ And I -didn’t have to do any rescuing or anything of that sort,” he said to himself. THE NEW HAT. It was a very nice liat. Daddie had bought it only the day before, and Dora liked it because it was so soil. Daddie laughed when she fetched it down from the hall-stand after breakfast, the next morning, and handed it to him. 111 “ I think Pd better wear the old •one to-day,” he said. “ Look how it s raining.” And then he went off to the office, and the liat was forgotten. Dora thought no more about it till the next day. “Which hat, Daddie?” she asked, running out into the hall. “ The sun s shining to-day ; you can wear the new Daddie laughed and said: “ All right. Bring it in.” “It isn’t here,” tried Dora. Daddie looked at Mummie. She shook her head. “ The last time I saw it, Dora had it,” she said. “ I put it down on tho sofa. ’ said Dora ; “I haven’t seen it since.” Nor had anyone else, and Daddie went off to buincss leaving them all hunting for it. They couldn’t find it anywhere, and they gave it up at last, wondering i! a tramp could have come in through the open door and stolen it away. That afternoon a lady came to tea, and w as taken to see the chickens. She admired them very much, and before she went Dora was sent into the dairy to fetch some eggs for her. Dora collected them, put them in a basket, and was turning to go out again when she heard a faint mewing. It came from under the table. Dora stooped down, and gave a cry of astonishment. There was the old cat, proudly mounting guard over a pretty group of new ly-born kittens. “Mummie! Mummie!” Dora cried, “ Come and look at puss! She’s got such a lot of kittens-—and they’re all in Daddie’s new hat!”

So the mystery was solved. Dor hadn’t been the only one to take fancy to Daddie’s nice soft hat. Pu must have thought it would make, splendid cradle for her babies, and lia stolen it for them. TOM'S PARROTS. There are two of them—one is hi and tho other is litle. One is cross an the other is merry. One is clever an tho other is stupid. One can talk an the other is dumb. One will bite an the other runs a>vny. One is prett and tho other is ugly. One is youn and the other is old- T wonder whir one you like better of Tom’s two pa rots? And 1 wonder why ho ke<q both of them, don’t you?” THE PIXIES’ HOUSE. When l was walking in the glen, 1 saw the little pixie-men; ! They wore tall caps and painted hoof j Their houses were in oak-tree roots. ! Across their doors did spiders spin, To k£ep big folk from looking in But T crept like a little mouse, And looked inside the pixies’ house. The table was a toadstool, spread With blackberries and honey bread The chairs they were big cliestnu hro*v n. With cushions stuffed with tliistledowi There was a little cupboard, too, All filled with jars of flower dew ; j The tea-set was of gold and green, ! The sweetest acorn cups I’ve seen. The beds were up the mossy stairs, i Of deep and cosy chestnut burrs ; ! With blankets made of night-moth | skin. j \\ ith rose-leaf sheets tucked warmly ii And near by hung a. harebell cup— A hell to wake the pixies up ; And round the walls wore twinklir lights. To make them gay in wintry nights IF T "WERE A BIRD. If I were a bird I would warble a son, The sweetest and finest that ever wj heard, i And build a warm nest in the swingir elm-tree; Yes., that’s what I’d do if I were ! I It I were a flower I d hasten to bloo And make myself beautiful all tl day through ’ By drinking the sunshine, the win and the rain; Yes,, if I wore a flower, that’s wh; I would do. t If I were, a stream I would sparkle ai dance Among the green fields where tl little lambs stray, | And say to them “ Lambkins eon hither and drink.” Yes. if 1 were a stream, that’s wh; I would say. j If I were a star I would shine, clear ai bright, To guide the poor sailors who trav j And wanderers lost in the desert ar woods; Yes, that’s what I’d do if I we;