BREEZES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 20 January 1932, Page 4

BREEZES

“For Better or For Worse.”

“So Dora took the rich old invalid for better or worse ! ’ ’ “No, she took him for worse, but he got better.” # “You’re Our Dustman.’’ An amateur conjurer who was pelforming, in evening dress, at an Aidershot (England) entertainment asked his audience for assistance. A little giii stepped on the platform. The conjurer said: “Now, you don’t know me, and I don’t know you.” The child looked in his face and said: “Oh, but please I do. You’re our dustman.” The conjurer joined heartily in the laughter. He is ex-Captain E. Wears, and is employed by the borough council as a dustman. * * * * “Just Ewes.” “Just ewes,” laconically remarked the auctioneer in submitting a pen of 44 aged ewes to buyers at the Feilding sale on Friday. They were in very poor condition, but they had reached the market. Needless to say, they were in a class of their own, and apart from the other offerings. Bidding was not spirited, but eventually a buyer offered Is a head. This was accepted and the ewes changed ownership. Asked latei why he did not make a purchase, a prominent farmer said that lie could not afford the feed for the sheep.

Competition in Butter. “Much is heard of the advantage in price enjoyed by Danish butter o\ei the New Zealand product,” said a leading Auckland exporter. “The fact seems to be overlooked that English butter, of which a large quantity is sold, commands a price on the British market still higher than Danish. Quotations in Lohdon on December 5 showed the following interesting comparisons: Devonshire farm butter, 1/10, English dairy and Cornish, 1/8; Danish, 1/7; Irish creamery, 1/5; New Zealand, 1/4. At the same date margarine was quoted at Sd, t)d, lOd and 1/per pound.” In a word, English people prefer fresh and lightly salted butter to that which lias been stored for four or five months.

T n e Biter Bit.

A Hauraki Plains farmer one day recently, just as he was completing las milking, noticed some stock straying on the road near his gate. Having had trouble with such animals at an eailiei date, when the}' had come to conclusions with some of his fences, the fanner had no reason to feel particularly benevolent towards them. Accordingly he rang up the ranger and they were lodged in the pound. That liight, when the farmer assembled his herd at his shed, for some unaccountable reason there were three short. Suddenly it dawned upon him. The animals languishing in the pound might be his own having escaped through an open gate after being milked. He investigated this deduction, found it correct, and was obliged to bail the three cows out and rush them home to be milked. * * * *

Slum in Dog Aristocrats

There has been a slump in the num-ber-of pedigree dogs as a result of Britain going off the gold standard! At least, that was the explanation offered by an offical of the Kennel Club. The day Britain went off the gold standard was the closing day for the Crystal Palace Show, which is the “levee” day for the aristocrats of the canine worldy The entries slumped and the number of registrations has fallen off because owners have decided to economise on the registration fees.

The normal “output” •of pedigree dogs is 156 a day. _ That is the number registered at the Kennel Club, where in the dogs’ “Debrett” they have over a million purebred dogs. Dog licenses issued in England total only 3,000,000. The fashion in dogs changes, but wirehaired terriers are still easy favourites.

Twixt Love and Duty,

How near England came to losing her greatest sailor is related by Mr Clennell Wilkinson in his book called “Nelson.” In 178'2 the future victor of Trafalgar, then a young ship’s officer, was in Quebec, where he met “an amiable American lady” who was living there. He fell in love with her. On the morning that his vessel was due to sail'a friend, named Davison, was astonished to see Nelson returning to the shore in a boat. \

Scenting danger, he hastened down to the landing-stage, and met him there. .. Nelson declared passionately that lie was about to return to his lady-love and throw himself and his fortunes at her feet.

Davison argued against the match, saying that neither of them had any money. A marriage could only mean debt, he said, and, after that, ruin would follow. “Then let it follow,” declared Nelson. But Davison finally dissuaded him—and Nelson sailed.