News from all Sources

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 100, 27 August 1930, Page 7

News from all Sources

Toll of Level Crossings. Seventy-seven railway level-cross-ing accidents occurred ip New Zealand during the Arst six months of this year. Forty-six occurred in the North Island and 31 in the South Island. This information was given in a return presented to the House of Representatives the other day on the motion of Mr W. J. Jordan. The number of fatal accidents was not asked for. Finance Ingenuity. A method of raising finances has recently been brought to light in a northern town which shows some ingenuity on the part of the promoter of the scheme. Briefly it is to advertise for tenders for the erection of a dwelling, plans and specifications for which are left at an appointed place. Each tender is to be accompanied with a deposit of £2O. If a tender is received the cheque is lifted and cashed through some accommodating tradesman, and nothing more is heard of the contract for the dwellinghouse. The Silent Witness. A battered and sadly mis-shaped bicycle was claimed by a plaintiff in the Auckland Supreme Court on Thursday as an eloquent witness in support of his case. “You have no witness but yourself to say that the car was on the wrong side?’’ he was asked by opposing counsel. “Yes, I have,” asserted the plaintiff. “Here it is,” he added, pointing dramatically to the wrecked cycle, when he was pressed to name the witness. “Is that the only witness you have to say the car was on the wrong side?” pursued counsel. Plaintiff was unwilling toadmit that this was his only witness on the point, but he failed to specify any other. Life is too Easy. The cause of the present depression in the Dominion was partly the artificial standards engendered by modern living conditions, said Air F. C. Bennett, when speaking to members of the Auckland Advertising Club. “We now live on an extravagant system, which in turn is the result of things being made too easy for us,” he said. When things went wrong people nowadays * were not content to retrace their steps j through the medium of solid work, to find the cause. They just accepted depression, instead of fighting it. “We have forgotten what a great cure hard work is.”

A Tip Eefused An amusing incident related by Mr Vincent Ward during a Southland, address evoked general hilarity. It happened in New York where Mr Ward, then, just out of his 'teens and in receipt of a very modest salary, was deputed to interview a steel magnate at his country seat. The business over the magnate placed a car and chaffeur at the visitor’s disposal to return to the city. In accordance with the established custom of the country, Mr Ward felt it incumbent to “tip” the chaffeur, and from a somewhat lean purse handed over two dollars. The destination reached, the chaffeur, proffering the monetary gift, nonchalantly remarked: “Here, Vincent, you better take this, I guess I earn a bigger salary than you.” And he certainly did —at least double. Liquor at Weddings “I do not think that wo can dictate to our congregation in this direction,” reported the Bev. W. F. Nicholl, of Waimate to a meeting of the Timaru Presbytery, regarding the practice of having liquor at weddings (states the Christchurch Times). “There are members of our churches who have intoxicating liquor at weddings and who do not hold the same views as we members of the Presbytery in this direction. Whenever a breakfast is held ia a church hall, we undertake to see that the hall is not let unless it is agreed not to have intoxicating liquor. The presence of a minister at a wedding breakfast has a restraining influence. There are some people,*of course, who hold that something in the way of liquor is necessary for such occasions.” Air Nicholl made this statement as chairman of the committee set up to consider the recommendations of the Temperance Committee at Wellington; one of which regarded the consumption of liquor at weddings as a matter causing grave concern. The Timaru Presbytery decided to exhort congregations to abstain from having intoxicating liquors at wedding ceremonies.

Ankles Wrapped in Paper. i_ It certainly did not look elegant, " but apparently the several girls’ f whose ankles were encased in brown c paper held in place by string did not - care a jot who noticed them, as they 1 carefully picked their way back to f work the other afternoon along the 1 slushy streets (says the Christ--3 cnurch Sun). Appearances for once t were absolutely ignored in an effort to preserve the spotlessness of silk hosiery. 5 No Use for UnioßS. 1 “Thousands of honest, solid, intelligent workers would gladly break away r from the unions if they could,” said Mr. W. C. Wood, the other evening. 1 when addressing the Timaru Employers’ Association (Reports the “Herold”). “From what I can learn a very large number of men would ’ readily accept work at lower rates to ’ keep their homes during this crisis, but for the threats of the “Red Feds” and agitators. There is much work about, but employers cannot afford the high wage demanded.” Homage to “Cookie” i For a full minute play was stopped on the Oval at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, on Saturday, and the crowd held its breath while a Christchurch announcer used the megaphones to explain “how Cooke scored that last try.” There was a kick at goal pending at the time, but the kicker and the j referee and the defenders all waited I to do homage to Cooke. The incident was slightly reminiscent of another re- , markable stoppage at Lancaster Park on Christmas Day, .1923, when an earthquake rocked the pavilion and Maclaren and his English cricket team stood petrified while the ground rocked under them. Mountaineering Experience An Auckland resident says that he can quite understand the narrow escape the 11 searchers had on Mount Egmont when they were overcome by the cold and were found nearly asleep in the snow. To sleep is to perish. Many years ago, when on a visit to the north of Scotland, he set out on one of the coldest nights he ever knew, when the I country was ice-bound, to try to reach | a house a couple of miles distant. The going was hard, and despite the exertion of the journey he became colder and colder, and eventually sank down in the snow with quite a feeling of relief. Fearing something had happened his wife sent out a search party, and found him just in time and managed to get him to a place of safety. The “thawing” or “coming to” was the ; most painful experience he had ever I been through. Biblical Errors

The report that the passage in Exodus, “For I, the Lord they God, am a jealous God,” should really read, “For the Lord thy God am a God of loving kindness,” and continue: “Considering the errors of the fathers at mitigating circumstances in judging the sins of the children,” will be received with the greatest interest by all theologians. There was a mistake of almost equal importance in the notorious Field Bible printed in 1653. It occurred in Corinthians 1., cht 6, v. 9, which ran: — “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?” instead of “shall not inherit.” A number of errors still remain in the Revised Version text. One concerns the whale which swallowed Jonah. “Whale” should read “great sea monster,” for the throat of a whale, however large, is so made that it is incapable of passing a man down it. Specially Designed.

“Howlers” are more often met with in grammar books than in their original setting (says the Dunedin Star), but a very amusing one has just been detected in the booklet, “How to Get the Most Out of Your Holiday at Mount Cook.” In connection with the journey to the Hermitage the following remarks occur: “Our drivers cover fhe ground in the shortest time that is consistent with absolute safety. They have been specially designed for these routes with wicker chairs, each separately upholstered with air-iilled cushions, plenty of leg room, and extensive window space.” We know the Mount Cook Tourist Company has started many things, including New’ Zealand’s first motor service, but it is news to us that it employs specially constructed drivers.

“It was one of mum’s —she left it on the mantlepiece, ” tearfully pleaded a small Blenheim boy when asked by his teacher where he got the “fag” from. That nipper is starting young! Some day he’ll take to his pipe like a duckling takes to water! “Well, the pipe is many a man’s best friend? But the wise smoker discriminates and shuns brands strong in nicotine (as the imported brands all are). He knows it is impossible to absorb the deadly nicotine daily into the system without heart or nerves, sooner or later paying the penalty. The judicious smoker knows too, that the only tobaccos practically free from nicotine are the toasted ones —Riverhead Gold, Navy Cut, Cavendish, and Cut Plug No 10. These are absolutely the only toasted brands manufactured, and you can smoke them every day and all day long without the slightest fear of their effecting your health in the smallest degree. That is why doctors (mostly heavy smokers) smoke them themselves and recommend them to their patients