NEWS AND NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1910, Page 7

NEWS AND NOTES.

Some extraordinary ideas were propounded by the Rev. J. Morton Barnes to an audience of tw.enty-five in' the Opera House at Welling-ton.last Sunday night. One of them was /a claim to the discovery of a real "elixir oi life." Alcohol, he said, caused exhilaration with subsequent depression, but if this reaction could be prevented and the exhilaration applied to the body as well as the brain, here was the means of prolonging life. He had, by means of a committee of doctors'' "in the spirit" or "on the other side," been given the idea ' which was to work this wonder. That antidote to alcohol was radium. By the kindness of a professor of Victoria. College he had been able to swallow in alcohol and water, a minute quantity of that substance, and he be lieved it was giving him a resic\yal of life. He hoped to further investigate remarkable action of radium. If it turned out as he believed, the com ing race would pass to the higher life without seeing corruption, arid in this way Sir Joseph Ward need have no fear of losing office, because his progressive government need only take enough of the alcohol-radium solution and they would never "run down " '

Private information, received in Qhrsfc church indicates that Sir Ernesfc Shsuckietoii has abandoned hisS intention of leading an expedition to Ala-ska', at any n'e for the present. A cablegram received a few days ago stated that he proposed to take an expedi-tion-to Adelie Land in, 1912, and this seems to suggest! an intention to be in 'the neighbourhood of MoMurdo SoTind when Capt. Scott's- eoixthem party returns from its march towards the pole.

After many years the old time-worn Testament used at the Christchurch 'Supreme Court for swearing jurors and wi J nesses have been replaced by a' new set of volumes (says the Prese). Some of the tbookc going out of commission have been in use for nearly half a century. They were all stoongly bound m leather, probably for tibo re aso,n lnent:oned in the fly-leaf of one of the volumes :"This book is bound strongly to stand strong hard-^weardng.

In opening the Congo Museum in Brussels recently King Albert said the officials and officers of the Congo ' would introduce wise reforms, extending to it a regime worthy of Belgium,^ whose aim was the happiness of the native population. His Majesty condemned the extreme exploitation of the country, and declared himsell in favour of colonization by customs sanctioned by Christian morals.

Dealing with i_e second ballot in his speech at Rongotea on Saturday evenng Mr E. N-ewmatn., M.P., said that he had always been opposed to i- t on the ground of 'the cctt and the opportunities it gave for improper influences by Manis- ers. What occurred in the second ballot in the Rangitikei election', confirm' aid. the worst fears thart had 'been evpressetl in this oonneouon. A© wais generally known Mr Hookley, the OppceVo candidate won >at "the fir&t election 'by -a large majority. At the second all the ev : ls <and abuses of the system, were aipparr enf. the* speaker de-ailing the action of the Ministry im the elec orate w_.i_ .t th'a second ballot was s&ill pending. Afr Massey and others helped Mr Hoekiy, but this, he though:, was a mistake. Reference was made to the fc'roni; influence 'that Mimfeters could w^eld while thei Opposition wais confin-ed /to its arguments. He would vote for the repeal of the Act which indiiced such strong nss> ; stance from Mim'ft/er<? in support of a -main who was a keen freeholder, and j lips afforded 'the sr>eotacle of a. leasehold Govern' Test fighting for a freehold candidate.