News From All Quarters

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 15

News From All Quarters

WANE OF DRUNKENNESS.

The >effects upon drunkenaess of >the*nevr : reduction of public-house- hours in London, : following other restrictions, are strikingly ; shown .in, Lambeth, .where the police court : jurisdiction covers probably half a million ' inhabitants. In ■ the jfive, days November " 22-26, there -were 67 charges (40 men, 27 • •women);-' November 23-December 3, 44 (27 : men, 17^women). ■ A DYING RACE. The hookworm 1s gradually exterminating ' the Indians in the interior regions of British : Honduras, according to the report of an American medical expedition -which has recently returned to New York from there after several months spent in investigating tropical diseases. The report says:—" The large preponderance if cases of hookworm is very noteworthy. Its occurrence among the Indians is probably the chief reason for the gradual extermination of the race. The etiology of the disease seems to present special difficulties in British Honduras, and Its cure is attended witk more than ordinary difllcalties by reason of the environment and habits of the inhabitants." FROM HAWKING TO WAR WORK. The I/ondon streets are losing a personality—the hawker. ".M one time our trade was chiefly with hawkers," said a wholesale toy dealer in Houndsditch. "Often a hundred or more came in a day to make purchases, and .plenty returned two or three times before nightfall for further supplies. .Nearly all the present purchasers are email shopkeepers. On Ludgate Hill one day last month the number of hawkers, apart from those selling newspapers, -was ' five -where usually at this time of year : there are dozens. "I've stood on the hill for 22 years," said one old man, "and I've : never before seen it as it is now. Most of • the hawkers of military age have joined the Army; women hawkers are doing munition work." ARCHDUCHESS AND DOCTOR. According to information received by the Borne -~i lessaggero" by -way of Zurich, the Archduchess Isabella, daughter of the Anstrinn Archduke Frederick, eloped with Dr. Paul Albrecht. one of the directors of the Austrian Red Cross, with which organisation the Archduchees had been serving as a nurse. The Emperor, in order to avoid a scandal,' is said to. have given, his sanction to the marriage. The Archduchess Isabella is the fourth of the Archduke-Frederick's five daughters, and although only 27 years of age, has already come prominently 'before the eyes of Enrope owing to her unhappy marriage with Prince George of Bavaria. The -wedding was celebrated at Schoenbrnnn In February, 1912, but less than a year afterwards was declared null t>y the Bavarian Supreme Court, and on March 5, 1913, was annulled by the Holy Sea. THE "NEW , ? BRUSSELS. A •German 'woman, writing for the "Lokal-Anzeiger" from Brussels, describes the Belgian capital under the conqueror as follows: "The new Brussels gives the fanpreesion of being a German garrison town. Every third person- one "meets is in field-grey. Be overflows every tramwaycar. One encounters him in every shop. Hβ is able to help himself ont among the natives with a smattering of plcked-ap French. But there is a good deal of German epoken. Every shop assistant and every waiter talk German.--.- . -The German colony is now about 6,ooo.strong (exclusive of soldiery). They survived unth le !? t l rSe dayß, vbeD ' ter ror-stricken, they hid in their homes in the early days of August, 1014, -wondering whether the next .hour .would .'bring .the French or the At present Brussels makes the impression o f a quiet, wardered com' mnnrty, even, if something like a dark nail seems to those who knew the city- in brighter days to hang .'over it." NOBLE SISTERS. There was a novel.'scene at Middlesex Sessions one day recently (sa ys . tt «? y) " wtal Bencl1 ' «*: - -ana officials all joined in applauSihgV 16-year-old girl, for .her pluck in. looking after her small brothers and sister on inadeauat" .means.-" ' Her father, Chas. Batsford, cabinetmaker was. charged with neglecting his four children, ages from 7to 12. They liT e 4 in a four-roomed fiat at 'Seven Sisters Boad, Tottenham, and were looked after by the daughter, Blanche, aged 16, who received from her father 6/6 to 8/- per week. She kept the •home very clean, but the money was Insufficient to keep the children, in food, bedding and boots. Batsford's earnings were 28/- to 30'/- a week, but he" drank heavily. The N.S.P.C.C. Inspector said of Blanche and her two elder sisters: "A. more .noble, self'sacrificing set of girls I have never known in the whole of my 40 years' experience." Mr,,Xield, calling Blanche forward, said: " I think you have behaved so uncommonly well that I shall give you fl from the Court fund for yourself." "Thank you very much, sir," smiled' Blanche. A juryman,' started to applaud; his example was immediately followed by his colleagues, and in a moment the magistrates on the bench, bewiggei counsel, officials, and others in Court were clapping enthusiastically.

BY 'PLANE TO THE SHOOT.

■■ The members of a shooting party... on Deeside had an interesting and novel experience this autumn. Jnst as they -were about to commence the day's -work the drone-of an aeroplane -was heard In the distance. Soon the machine' itself 'became visible, and approaching rapidly it gracefully alighted in a grass park near by. One of the "guns" had chosen this novel method of reaching the scene of action. 1711631' the first drive was in progress -the aeroplane rose and circled over the 'beaters. The grouse and partridges, however, seemed in nowise put about either by the noise or by the appearance of 'the strange visitor. WHERE THE CHINESE FAIL." Though generally adroit in launching an undertaking, the Chinese are a people very poor in bringing it to a final success. The number of native industrial companies promoted in .China in the last dozen or more years has been very great, but extremelyfew of them live to-day to show any favourable financial results. All these modem companies -n China start with plants of the latest and most approved type, employing foreign experts, who are generally assisted by Chinese newly returned from abroad with a store of scientific knowledge. But as a rule they seldom reap profits from their enterprise. They are overtaken by deficits, and by contracting loan.after 'loan they sink lower and lower into the quagmire of debts with no hope of ever getting out of it. OLD WINE BY ELECTRICITY 'Giving raw -wine and spirits the properties they acquire .by being kept for a rmmber\of years is an art that has been sought after by scientific men. for very many years. Tie secret has now, it is cis-med. been solved by an. eminent professor of the ' Sorbonne, Paris, Professor Charles Henry, who is able in a few minutes to convert whisky three years old into a mature whisky pronounced by experts to be at least twelve yeare old. Burgundy ds already being ripened and matured by this -process in France, and successful experiments iave recently been made with .beer ana essentist oils. The spirit or -wine Is' placed In a. special receptacle fitted with two tubes called "purgers," and the tubes are charged with • nigh tension electricity of torn 60,000 te 120,000 volts. The result is that all the bacteria, ferments, and impurities collect in the tubes and are removed and all further fermentation is stopped. The process which is very Tapid, does-what only age has .been able to do hitherto.- The cost of the electricity is only a*bout one penny for every hundred gallons treated. ' ■ MEW LONDON CHURCHES. •In his address -at the dedication of the mission church at St Barnfttas, Temple Fortune, Hendon, the other day, .ffl» Bishop of London dwelt on the fact that 250 churches had been built in London in the last 60 years. That is an. indication of the extent of the work done *>y_the Bishop 1863 -It is one of tie most important efforts of its kind in history, remarks the Observer." aSje Great Fire of necessitated the * <S church«. To cope with.the grow-ns-neede of London, «yen in her time, .Queen Anne made plans.for 50 chnrehes-of which sJohn's, Westminster, much maligned by Dickens, was <me-and in 1836 Bishop Blomfield started a fund on diocese lines which resulted, directly, or indirectly iTthe tlon of 128 churches *Th7'courseof % year*.' But atf Bishop * has done mtieh more than-«ny of iSiese.' In the 60 yean, it has raise* ana speßt « ne «d a-half millions of money, andlte churches represent such an accesrton of church accommodation es hae never been calculated rat lo to the increase In* populawlHi the greatest efforts of some snpreme spiritual 4mp«lse.". ... . NEWSPAPERS BY SOOTl*; .Interesting.acconnts of the- work of what is probably the Grid's greatest conrier semce are.found te the lemi fiipi WM —--^ growth are due ™* 0, ««»»-M sETMouR7^i^; OSSEs Mr. Seymour Hipts +% k>. a «°r, Playwright, d ?>* well :fa»*a = a- ICt^-^ «W« the production of UtHe ««£ the building o, the AM 252 Wtf Pr °* UCtiOn ° f "^Darling." ' Besides-large sums on the buudin- of the Queers and- the Hicks (now "$"" g „£ Iheatres and on the production of •• Bwadway Jones." With regard to his expenditure, Mr Hicks declared that to travel about the country as he had to do cost about £40 a week. Hotel bills alone amounted to £20 a- week. If was true, he admitted, that this was somewhat high, but "it was sometimes a mercy to get awayin your socks." (Laughter.) Describing the small loans he had to make to people " by way of gift," Mr. Hicks added-: "Ever since I was ruined it has been quite different. People, seeing that I am now poor, come to mc and say; < What will you have's" (Laughter.) He expressed- his intention, when happier times came, to pay his creditors 20/- in the