It is easy enough for anyone in a moment of pre-occupation to walk off and leave behind an umbrella or walkingstick, especially when these are of the kind that are bought to be lost, a description that applies to most of those offerred for sale yesterday, but it is altogether a different matter for a full-grown man to leave a railway carriage and go on his way rejoicing, in the sublime unconsciousness that he ever possessed a trunk, or a gladstone bag, of a kit of tools, or a ''swag''.
Yet this is done quite frequently, and the list of articles enumerated might be extended, to proportions which would cause a good many people to stare with astonishment.
''I wonder where I left my glasses?'' asks some forgetful old man, entirely oblivious to the fact that when he dozed off in the train he placed them on the carriage window sill, where they were found reposing at the end of the journey by a dutiful porter.
And at the risk of appearing ungenerous it must be averred that even women have been known to leave things behind them.
Yesterday's collection included not only many articles of jewellery, but such peculiarly feminine possessions as ''peggy-bags'', containing the mysterious paraphernalia of the gentler sex, certain items of which looked as if the application of a match might produce dangerous results.
Milk rounds affect school work
The temptation to employ child labour on milk rounds is said to be strong among certain classes of parents in and around Christchurch. School teachers can detect the results in the mental lethargy of the children who have been exhausted by manual work before their arrival at school. Mr J. A. Blank, truant inspector for the Canterbury Education District, speaks with authority on the subject.
''At the present time, I could locate in and around Christchurch between a dozen and 20 boys approaching the age of 14 years who, instead of being at school are out working somewhere.'' Mr Blank said he found it extremely difficult to secure the attendance at school of children of this age. Many parents who were quite respectable were equally desirous with the poorer parents, of sending or allowing their children to go out and earn money under the existing conditions.
''I find the greatest and most prevailing trouble of all is in connection with people owning milk rounds,'' continued Mr Blank. He quoted a case where a person made the pretence of taking the child and employing him from a charitable point of view.
On inquiry it was discovered that the extent of the charity was that the boy rose at six in the morning, milked a number of cows, did the whole milk round in company with another person and got to school about 10 or 10.30am, perhaps without having had sufficent or any food.
Prolific hare
A correspondent at Henley, writes: ''Mr W. Marshall, of Berkley estate, while working at one of his hay stacks made a strange discovery, finding a hare's nest with seven young leverets about two weeks old, all strong.
A number of residents express surprise at seeing so many. I have seen scores of nests, and two seemed to be the usual number of young. I think this is a record for one nest.''
- ODT, 19.6.1919
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