Woman leads Indian movement

On the whole, matters politically in India are much quieter than they were.

The great leaders of recent days have lost their grip on the politics of the country. Mahatma Gandhi, for instance, whose power was once almost unbounded, though still a great moral force, is no longer a political leader. After his term in gaol, he lost his hold on the imagination of the people as a supernatural being and he is no longer trusted by the Indian politicians. His creed of "back to the spinning wheel" was no doubt good for crowded villages where there was insufficient work to go round, but he insisted upon it for politicians and busy businessmen. This proved to be too much of a putting back of the clock even for conservative India. His great ideal was to unite the Hindus and the Mohammedans, but there is no unity between the two and not likely to be. Yet until they are united it is difficult to see how India can become a nation.

There has been a great disappearance of Indian leaders during the past 12 months or so, and the country seems to be much in need of an outstanding personality. It is interesting to learn that a Hindu woman, Mrs Naidu, is at present president of the Indian National Congress, and showing distinct gifts of leadership.

Now don’t do it again

A boy, 14 years of age, was charged with riding a bicycle on a footpath at Green Island. Evidence was given that at the time of the offence there were 29 people on the footpath and the boy must have passed most of them. Mr Bundle admonished and discharged the boy, warning him that he must not repeat the offence.

Rooms booming

The Hibernian Rooms are being well attended owing to the social attractions provided by the president and Management Committee, who are desirous of seeing every member of the club taking an active part in this movement. 

On Tuesday last, the St Patrick’s Hibernian Social Club invited the Dunedin Hibernian Social Club to play a billiard tournament in its club rooms, South Dunedin. Play was keen and exciting, and resulted in a win for the Dunedin Hibernian Club by 27 points. After the match the St Patrick’s Hibernian Club entertained the visitors to supper, and Mr A. Gillick, president of the Dunedin Club, thanked the members for their invitation and also for the enjoyable evening.

Mr L. Marlow returned thanks on behalf of St Patrick’s Club and congratulated the visitors on their win, expressing the hope that they would soon be matched again. Three cheers were then given for the visitors, thus terminating a very pleasant evening.

A bit crook, Bruce

The worst stretch of main highway between Nelson and Invercargill is that which traverses the County of Bruce, south of Dunedin. It is a positive disgrace. Ask any Dunedin motorist what the roads are like on the run south, and he will reply "All right until you get to Bruce County". And that sums up the position. As soon as the county is reached the potholes start to make travel a nightmare.

They are not ordinary potholes. Oh, dear, no. The road surface in parts is hard, and the tyres are bitten and torn by the jagged edges of young ravines. Mile after mile one traverses potholes in infinite variety. And not even in the pretty township of Milton, the hub of Bruce County, is the road one pothole the better. Some kind of reddish earth, with a pebble or two thrown in like the currants in a Scotch bun, has been spilled on the road for 100 yards or so, in a vain attempt to cover with mud all the sins of road neglect.

The roadway through the town is a wonder in pothole design. Someone excavated across the road for a drain — or perhaps it was an underground passage to save crossing the road — and left a high ridge of clay across the street put to show how little Bruce County cares. Cattle have the free run of the long paddock in Bruce County. Cows slumber in the potholes and when your car crawls slowly through Milton, the inhabitants stand and watch your progress.

If the Bruce councillors still rush business through to fix a game of bowls, then it is suggested that they hire a car or two and bump over their own roads. One feels sorry for a body of men so hopelessly lost to the necessities of the times, and with such little interest in attracting visitors to their district. The roads in the bullock days were never worse.  Poor Bruce!

— ODT, 21.12.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)