BY THE WAY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20653, 29 June 1935, Page 11

BY THE WAY.

Some Collections and Reflections. BY ONE OF THE BOYS. The Scottish Society are nobly working to get funds to build themselves a hall as a memorial to Robert Burns. M. E. Lyons will not allow any of the Cabinet Ministers to give him a hand. And that is what we think of them too. Lord Galway has telegraphed our Dan that he will be visiting Christchurch on August 10. By a strange coincidence the National meeting starts the same day. The police chased to Blenheim. The chances for young men successfully opening a business is not too good nowadays. Our Labour Mayor, Dan Sullivan, opened a skating rink on Thursday night, but his colleagues, Harry Thurston, Mabel Howard, Jack Mathison and Tommy Armstrong went for a skate last May. At the relief workers’ dance. “ Maisie seems to be popular with the young men. yet she has no looks.” “ Yes, you see, she’s got a good job.” Went to the Toy Dog Show. There were Sydney Silkie Terriers, Pekinese, and Poms, and the officials of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Society were there to see that there were no cases of malnutrition among the dogs. A Jot of our boys are unlucky in not being bom dogs. Jean Borotra, the bounding Frenchman, who visited New Zealand a year or two back, is to fight a duel. Borotra was well known for the black beret he always wore. “ Herbie ” Ford brought one of Jean’s back with him from Sydney. And now Borotra may die. It would be beret sad if they had to beret him. There is a man we will call Jasper Linwood because that is not his name, lie tells a good story of the time Lyons fought Terence McCombs’s father for the Lyttelton seat. Jasper was working at one of the Akaroa bays where the farmers were extreme Reform. They eyed Jasper suspiciously, but he said to himself: “Darn ’em, I’ll vote for McCombs.” lie did. At eight o’clock that night he stood outside the local schoolroom and watched the result poster: Lyons 33, McCombs 1. Jasper turned on his heels and walked and walked. lie stopped when he felt the pavements of Christchurch under his feet. On Sunday young New Zealanders listened to a sermon in “ braid Scots.” The Cambrian Society met and the young people joined in the singing of “ Mor o gan vww Cymru’l gyd,” and “ O na bvddai’n haf o hyd.” At the Scottish and Caledonian Societies this week similar things were perpetrated.

And this shows the greatness of the English. The Cockney mother corrects her colonial son when he drops his aitches. Extract from the “Star” of i 939: Yesterday the event of the year, the Ashburton-Christchurch Wheel-barrow Race, was run for the Hart Gold Cup. Lord and Lady Galway were present at the start with their suite. The class this year was for 10 hours or better. Walter and Spencer were on the limit with Lovelock and partner on scratch. Walter often tells of the time when he took eight daj r s. This year the barrows ■were all stream-lined, air-flow models. It was noticed in 1935 that the wind resistance of Bill Spencer was a big handicap. Streamlining is the biggest improvement since the pneumatic tyred, ball-bearing barrow wheels first used in 1936. A sum of '£75,000 was invested on the totalisator. and Walter and Spencer were again the winners. Jock Walter generously gave all the credit to Bill Spencer. Jock said there was no better wheel-barrow sitter than Bill. Spencer in agreeing with this said that he had gained his skill by sitting for many years on a great number of boards.” “ Will the rates be* reduced this year?” I asked Ham. Ham grew thoughtful. So thoughtful that he poured most of the coffee into the saucer. “ I hope not,” he said. “ When I attend an annual meeting of shareholders and hear one of the directors say ‘ We intend to cut down expenses,’ I know the worst. The running of the city is a business—a big business. We have to sell Christchurch to New Zealand—to the world. The parks, gardens, river, are our shop windows. Our electricity, w r ater-supply and services are our goods. I want to hear Dan Sullivan as chairman say: “Our directors congratulate the shareholders of Christchurch. Unlimited, on the progress we have made this year. We have made a new entrance to our premises. The Tunnel Road is a beautiful vestibule opening out on to a wonderfully picturesque harbour. We have provided an aerodrome for our patrons, and more recreation grounds for our visitors. This has cost money, but will be money well spent in attracting likely buyers of our city and therefore increased business.’ ” “ But they aim to reduce costs,” I told him. “ For your good and mine,” said Ham. “ let us hope they are rotten shots.”