Visit of the Springboks.

“Our mission is to play football,” is the confirmed outlook of the Springbok Rugby players who will be spending much of their time in the comfortable carriages of the New Zealand Railways during the next few weeks. Those of us who might criticise the visitors for their attitude to the game should pause and consider! New Zealand has made a fetish of its Rugby and we have, in the past, imagined that our players are the best in the world. Recent tours of South Africa and Great Britain have done much to restore our true perspective but, naturally enough, the Springboks are keen to retain the proud position their country occupies in Rugby.

Australians confirm the opinion that the visitors are a team of sportsmen; that they play the game according to the rules, expecting no favours and giving none. They are assured of a hearty welcome throughout New Zealand—and record attendances, too!

“Some men will tell you that women can't tell good baccy from bad,” said the tobacconist, lighting a cheroot, “but I don't know so much about that, I've a lot of women customers and they seem to know what's what when they buy cigarettes, anyhow. But bless you, ready-mades are fast dying out, the roll-your-own brigade's seeing to that! Look at the run on Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold!—the two most popular cigarette tobaccos on the market. Yes, cigarettes are in huge demand, of course, but you take it from me, the pipe will never go out of fashion. Pipe tobaccos? Why, their mere names would fill a book! Which are the most fancied? Ask me another! But the three toasted pipe brands—Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead) Cavendish and Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog) sell like hot cakes! Customers used to ask me what toasting was supposed to do, but everybody knows now that it cleans up the nicotine and improves flavour and bouquet. What?—are you off? Well, tooraloo! Be good!”^*