News from All Quarters

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 254, 23 October 1920, Page 19

News from All Quarters

He did not ask for tvail, as he hail splen-, <!id pudding for dinner in prison, said I William Evans, of Newport, when com-1 mitted for trial at Hereford for alleged forgery. There is in use in France an electric sub- , stitute for the -barber's scissors. It consists of a comb carrying along one side of '. its row of teeth a platinum wire through j which flows an electric current. As the j comb passes through the locks to be shorn . the heated wire instantaneously severs the , hairs, leaving them of even length, and sealing the rut ends as in the ordinary process of singeing with a taper. UNGUARDED MACHINERY. Giving evidence n gainst a Teddinstnn tirin, fined for ueileetiug to hare their machinery properly fenced, jo inspector -said there had bein nearly I.TOO deaths in j the pnst Vi. months utie entirely to (ho neglect of simple precautions in this matter of guarding working machines. THE LATEST PROFITEER. ! .Police in Newark (X..1.) wore on the lookout recently for a new kind of rent proiiteer—the kind who accepts deposits, but has nothing to renr. S-'cores of anxious ! would-be tenants complained to authorities j that they had made deposits, .ranging from I i'l to £4, to a man wno strutted around j new apartment buildings, posing as the landlord. j . j LUCK! Charles Darwin, who said the struggle for existence results in the -survival of the fittest, overlookivl one essential elementluck. ,I'roo-f of this oversight was supplied l>y an infant member of New York's east side tenement dwellers. "When Mrs. Joseph 'Veecbio, the baby's -mother, saw him fall from a fourth story fire escape, she Tan out panic stricken, expecting to see him crushed to death. ißut she found her child I ! happily gurgling in a cushioned 'baby carriage into which he had landed, unharmed. NO SNOW OK MARS. Oamille Flammarion. .France's veteran star gazer, who has taken up the scientific cudgels against American and 'British astronomers who thus explain the reappearance of the va.st white spot on thie planet. M. Flammarion. says the temperature there at this time of tne year is nearly as comfortable as It is at iDeaurille or Atlantic City, an<l also ridicules the idea that; Martians have found a new method of signalling the earth. The savant contends the spot is merely a plateau higher than Thibet, which has not been seen since 5570, due to atmospheric obscurity. TAXES BY INSTALMENTS. Bottle Borough, whicb adjoins Liverpool, has just adopted a novel system for the payment of taxis. The borough authorities have just issued adhesive receipts In tfif form of stamps, which have been -designed for the corporation. These receipts may be purchased in the town hall and at some of the schools. They are in the form of a book, and are in denominations ranging from two to seven shillings, with some smaller denominations to make up odd amounts. Under the system are allowed to pay their taxes in thirty-six weekly instalments. The system is regarded by experts as ingenious and practical. Already it has been adopted liy about liOOO taxpayers. "•CAST THY BREAD UPON THE j WATERS." j When a working woman from Xottlngdale was about to be sentenced for theft at ["West London Police Court a discharged soldier rose in the back of the court ana exclaimed: "I should like to speak for her. "JI Qive 'in 'flic same Ihouse as 'this woman," he said, when he had entered the witness-box. "She is hard working, and she always does kind things when she •When I was out of work she used to gire my people bread and huttef if she had a little to spare. I hope," he added with emotion, •'your worship will deal mercifully with her." Mr. Cancellor (the magistrate): You have acted well in speaking like that. The woman was bound over. THE SECRET OF BEAUTY. Unless the authorities of the United States relent and permit Ceclle Sore"l to bring with her forty cases of champagne, the Parisian songstress, called the most beautiful woman in Europe, will refuse to fulfill her American engagements, says a New York paper. Mile Sorel, who inteuded to depart for New York in October, wrote to the Prohibition Commissioner, asking permission to bring in the champagne. She said she took champagne baths twice a week by a doctor's The reply was a refusal, and Mile. Sorel is now appealing through diplomatic channels. She said: "Champagne baths are one of .the secrets of remaining beautiful. My other recipe for good looks—a bandage of raw veal on the fate at night—will not be interfered with by my American trip." MARRIAGE AND HOUSE SHORTAGE. 'Marriage ill London is being seriously \ interfered with by the housing famine. | Xiesiiite a big drive for the sale of housing ! ■bonds, the proceeds or which are being I used in the erection of buildings to relieve I the living congestion, .shortage of homes Iμ increasing. Hundreds of couples are unable to marry because they can find no place to live, and after many marriages the j bride tlnds it necessary to live with her j people, while the husband returns to hia ! parents' home. In the uvu homes they | share rooms with sisters and brothers respectively, but there is no spare room in 'either home in which they could live. As a j result, many are following the example of' 'Fanny Hurst, the American novelist, who i j wiih her husband, bn! seldom sees him ! daily. \ "WHERE IS THE GULF STREAM 1 Scientists arc Uu>y urguiug whether tli" i Panama Canal iias dun;:.-.! the cour.-e of j the Unit Stream, or if there have heen |. volcanic upheavals in the '•■•i of the ocean j j which hay.- deflected i.'. At any rate, thai) Gulf Stream is reported missing, and argu- v incut as to the probable influence of the I canal on it. which stirred the scientific j world iK-fore the opening of the big ditch, . t is .heing rehearsed. \ l Captains of Atlantic steamers report t c 0 absence of the usual eastward course ot i •.be Gulf Stream. The water in the u.Mial ;•> path is warm, but stationary. leather .\ -harks have seized on this as a cause of b Britain's cold summer, and are speculatlna I as to what it may mean to th= .uture ,- climate of the British isles. If the change o proves permanent. England may have a much colder climate, which may moan a a change in the system of living end In the t «»fhf>ds ii°*ri<*n!cure even, possiblj , , i■' i tbe nature o* crops.

i The privilege of free rides on tramcars enjoyed at Hull by blind people and'by men who lo»c a leg in the war U to be extended to old age pensioners. Mr. John D. Rockefeller is said to have i made f50.000,000 or his colossal fortune out Jof oil; his brut her William, £-Ju.ixJo,oOo; and ;.I. H. l-'lagler and J. v. Archbol.l. about I£7,OOO.<XXJ each; while, within a -eueratlon (the Standard Oil Company. w hi"h started with a capital of ii'OO.OUO. were payln" £16,000,000 a year Iα dividends. The former royal ranr.-.y of Austria, followiug the example of members of the ■liussian royal family, are earning a living, il'rince r.eorge, grandson of Emperor Francis Joseph, bps taken holy orders, and. In the capacity of priest has baptised Disransln's pen, Prince Adalbert of Bavaria, i'rince Caudachef has taken up farming. SHIPPING TRADE " ON ROAD TO RUIN." Speaking at the annual meeting of the Anchor Line, at Liverpool, Mr. Francis Henderson, the chairman, said that the present price of building ships and all operations would cause absolute disaster in I the suippin;,' trade inside 12 months. BIGAMIST WITH SEVEN i CHILDREN. I At .Terser a Military Medallist named I Delahaye, aged twenty-nine, and a fatter jof seven children, was sentenced to three years' pen.il servitude for bigamy. It was stilted that lie met a young girl oa a cross-Channel steamer, and later on a Folkestone train, and "married" her thU year In Jersey. TIo nlso proposed marriage to another young woman In -Hastings. NOVEL PUNISHMENT. ■Mr. William Lander, the police maslsj frate at AVest Orange. New Jersey, has .discovered a punishment for tho' mis- ! demeanour of fruit stealing. Disregarding the natural penalty for eating unripe apples and pears, 3lr. Lander has ordered six boys guilty of orchard robbing to go tfl lied every night for n. month at 6.30 on pain of reform punishment. The lads must bring to him a weekly report from their parents rertlfvini that they are carrying out the sentence. JUDGE GETS THREE YEARS. A judge, with, tears streaming- down his face, sentenced a fellow jtidse nnd frienn, named Hartmrser, at the Innsbruck ISwltJiI erland) tribnnal to three years' penalservitude. Harburger h:id been found guilty of embezzling large sums of money entmsiel to Ms care, chiefly by Austrian and Tvn>lese landowners, during the war. His downfall was due principally io the extravagance of a -wife much younger than himself and to speculations ou the Bourse. The two judges shook hands in court before separating, while their wives shed tears. BARBED WIRE FROM BATTLEFIELDS. •A British company is engaged in :ha salvaging or the barbed wire r/rnin Hie ■French 'battlefields. A special apparatus lias l>een invented for the purpose, and the company referred to has forty of those at work in different parts of tho rniiiury. Hue truck and trailer carries the who!- ~f the plant, which can work on the most urn veil ground. A stoul wire m;ie with a number of hooks is n-urkeil by n w!udi. As the barbed wire is drawn up it pa'sos tliroujr'l two set* of rollers and the siih-pd mK.-il appears in Mocks of ~iie fi.nt to i-ijrhl. ell I inches square, and weigliln" fnun »evi>:i.y !to piglM}' pounds. For smeli iin: it s■ i!- for about 25 d<ils a ton. There are lim.um t.>n.-i that can be removed. THE SKIRT-SLASHER. ■A new terror to women li.i.« mri*-"ii in the West .End of London. 11.- :s [:-.■ skirtslasher. A .MllSWPll Iliil w. .111.1... IVllil wa« wearing a £1- 3" costume 1...- the tirsr. time, had her skirt, slaslitnl in :j r ,.,. planus while waiking in Oxford .Sired dur;njj i lie early- evening. 'J'he onir;iK<- w:n im: -iiscovered until she Was scale.l In the ■ rnin homeward bound, and it v.-.-:-- in-, lit- t.> make any effort ro trace the ofTiiider. Another (.North London woninn KUfTere.l Iα exacL-ly the same way during .-i walk from .IMeradLlly Cm-us In I he l..wcr .-nd of Bond Street. The slasher works wit! , »" t [t -- «kti! or a trained plckpocker. ,nnu; ins victim entirely unaware that she luis been attacked. "What the motive forihes.. ..utrages may be Is a mystery. In neither case was tho victim wearing a pocket m her skirt: moreover. the slashes—whlc.i were nearly nlue inches long and h.-i.i evidently been made hy an extremely shan> knife—were In the lower part of the iuirnient where liocliets arc never plaifiia JUSTICE "WAS DONE. This ytory should ill<liire roundi , : ■.- in those who have Invested m.ini-y In French loans, for no more complete proof is i <li-.l of the inlegrity of the Frencli treasury. All employee ill the embassy al liruxupK in luaUiiis up bis ai-niiiiiis inadvfrteii!l.v robbed himself i>C one c-untltm-, wliich .it the normal rate <jf cx.-imiiei- i- •■unal In ihtftith part of a half-pwiuy. The error was dlwuriTfl al tlw Mlnltlry of Finance. Anxious!.* the . Icrl, rcspoiisilde j reuorted it To Ula'*ii|>i-rlur :m-l !'•■ in turn (reported it to the i hiif ilerk. N..t.- \\-:e j excuanired "iili the turrW ii- .-. \.-iiii.i----i tious were made and conn!.-.- vcritl- iiti.in.- ---: In the end a muslin ■■•:.: r-|J')rl »:ii I drawn Uμ wlji- li »:i> .-i:.-n.-.l bj tin- ■ liief ! cashier of the inKK'iry and ihe ilii-mr "( accounts of Hi- .Minis-try of l'..n-lKn Art.-iir-. not t.» meiiriuii others ..f lm|mrran<-... I and the wlin'" was dispiitche.l to Urnssel-. J iufortiJing (he .-rii;.l.>.-«■ :!■■•'• a -r.-.1.i of ..n- ---: i-pntline was to his »■ .-ii-inl. i The pos-t.ipe of i hi- lui|...riant cost twemy-tivo centlu.es. but j»*<l'" »-' s done, aud the reputation "f tlip ili-parinient fur strict integrity was maintained. J SHOT IN JOY RIDE. ! ~„ prtreerdlnnry offHlr. In «M-h the wife of v New V-'rii l.:ii,U.r was f.iuud sii..t after a joy ride with h.-r hiisbaudu rl-snf-who was also killed, is r.-p..rr«l fr.va New York. Tl.- lady is MM. Arthur d<- .'.., !■•■.. wl,.i was |~,llday-inakiiw Willi 1..T liM=-.;uid an-l ,hiidren. near N«w 1...1..1...,. .'.,,,:.,-.;c. ; t. ilr , C.rJoM! was f..m,d .:..M "li Ih- r«i.l, ~„! h.-r cliuiifr.-ur. l!em:ir.l r..-M.-r. wai away with .i bullet hob- In his ieav\<: Evideiic shows that liic pair uad b.-.-a joy rlJiiis !'"■ thi-i-,- bmm l.efnr- .he tragedy 0.-curred. They left the hot. '. in i three-seat.d - : .'.r:s car. and headed tor the old colonial m-tlon ..f Stonir.ston. Half an hour later .lames F. lSr..-.\n. .>r North S'oninirt'iii. .-amp upon [hi- body ~f Mrs. ili- ' nrrt<nii. nn<l the i-huiiffvur. sti:i breathlnc. but evidently fatally wound.-d. Between th two was'an army plefd. Th" rhauff'-ur »a- rush-d to the b'p-p'tul iv.l op-ruted upon. In Mrs. Cordova's purse was £i!O in innnev. and her jewels had uot henii t.in-i|i-d, la the automobile were found :. !.„•!•..■ ~( S.-on-li .vhisky. -partly coii.sm.i-.1, ...:1 tnaay i-iaan ■ •■ -lutnps