NEWS AND NOTES

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1211, 10 December 1919, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

LORD FISHER ON OIL.—"SCRAP THE WHOLE NAVY."

From Lord Fisher's Reminiscences in "The Times": The future of sea and war and the future of sea commerce absolutely rest on the internal combustion engine, and the internal-com-bustion engine cannot exist on oil. There are some idiots who say that oil is limited. Oil- is not limited. Oil is extraordinarily like port wine—the longer you keep it the better it becomes. * When I got back to tho Admiralty on Oct. 30th, 191-i (after the tirst three months of the war), to my still endless amazement I found eight, new battleships laid down to burn coal uiilv, and destroyers galore. They didn't'last long! Oil fuel gets rid of 300 men in" the Mauretania —but 1 cease kicking these idiots. There is something better to talk about. The earth has only been hitherto scratched for oil. For"war, imagine the possibilities! No funnels. No smoke; you can see the smoke. iO miles off. Air fighting dominates future war, both by land and sea. By sea, the only way to avoid the air i= to get under the water. So you are driven to the internal combustion engine and oil. That's why I keep on emphasising that the whole navy has to be scrapped. Get rid of the spendthrift crew! Scrap the lot! Stop the money!

WOMAN WINB THREE MONTHS' FREE SHAVES. Tickets to the number of 285,000, realising £13,000, were sold for the Norwich tombola. A comical result of the draw was that Miss Dorothy Witham, of Pottergatc-strcet, Norwich, found herself the winner of a free shave and haircut for three months.

A BIG SHOOTING CLAIM. Tipperary Mural Council have received claims amounting to £23,522 for the shooting of six police officers in the district.

TELEPHONE OPERATORS "GO SLOW." With what a member of their union described as "quite satisfactory results," telephone girls in Melbourne entered upon a "go slow" strike on 7th November. The method is to adhere strictly to every departmental regulation, and so reduce the number of calls to be answered. The day was admirably chosen for teh venture. It was hot and close just such a one as makes waiting at tho telephone a punishment. It was apparent to business people and others that tho operators were "going slow," but there was no serious disorganisation.

PRO KAISER CHILDREN. According to Renter, strikes of the school children have occurred at Griefswald (north of Stettin) a 9 u protest against the removal of the Hohenzollern portraits from the school rooms. It is reported from Stettlnthat school children of both sexes held a meeting before tho town theatre there t-i make a similar protest. They afterwards sent -i. telegram to the Minister of Public Worship requesting that the portraits be replaced. Fifteen hundred children then marched in procession to the Hohenzollern monuments in the Konigs-Platz, where they raised cheers for the Hohenzollerns. They resolved to go on strike on the Friday if the portraits were not replaced by then.

FOOTBALL FINANOE. The • Victorian Football League rereeently distributed the profits of the season. The net receipts oi the- semilhiiil and linal games were £7586 lis. This was distributed thus. Sydney and Melbourne school boys' match, £l2B 13s; Junior League, £io; levy league, £7ii lGs 9d; clubs' expenses, £4io; chanty vote, £G23 12s; dividends clubs £OOI2 10s 3d. Each club, in addition to the expenses allowed for tho semillnal matches, receives a dividend of £023 12s 3d, which amount is reduced by various levTßs and charges. The sum of £G23 12s was voted to pharitv.

AGED COUPLE'S FIRST VISIT TO A BANK. An aged couple walked into a Gillingham Bank and placed on the oountcr a bag containing £SOO in gold. The sum represented their life savings, and the visit was their first banking experience, Owners of gold were expected iu war-time to give all their wealth to the banks in exchange for notes. The largest hoard discovered consisted of 700 sovereigns in a bag- found amid the ruins of a house that was shattered iu an air raid.

ARMY CABBAGE PATCHES. The report of the Army Agricultural Committee shows that during tlic war Ihe Homo VowSs cultivated 0458 acres and made a profit ol £OB,OOO (or about £lO an acre). In France thousands of acres were cultivated and vegetables wortli at least £500,000 produced. Hy irrigation the Army in Mesopotamia became self-supporting in vegetables by the end of 1918, and both the soldiers and the native population were practically able to do without imported grain. Agricultural operations by the Saloniea army saved abotit 52,0,00 tons of tpansport and £57,000 of expenditure.

PRICES DOWN. Tradesmen, fearful of the Profiteeiv ing Act, have begun to put'their house iu order. A spontaneous decrease of prices set in last Sept. Hood suits for £i 4s and £5. ss...are now to be. seen iu. tailors' •windows in the West tend, where a few weeks ago nothing of the sort was displayed at less than £8 Bs. Morning coots and vests are displayed at £i 17/6." ;,It is now possible to buy woollen half-hose at 2's 6d and i{s jfe pair, silk ties of excellent quality for 3s Od, men's underwear of. mediinn weight- for tis .1 \,\ and 7s lid. (lie gar-. menl. and for 30s }>ooJs arid'good quality, marked at 3.55.at the beginning of summer, :'} : . ,e