NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS.

"THE BEST INSURANCE." A married man lives longer and is less likely to end up in the workliause than a bachelor. So says Mr. Edwin S. Burdell, Professor of Economies and Social Science at the .Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The professor is further of the opinion, based on his studies of the subject,'that married men commit fewer crimes and less often go insane. "The unmarried man,' , says the professor, 'iias less ut stake in the community because he has a lower status. Marriage is the best insurance in the world—insurance against crime, insanity, poverty and premature death."

THE SMALLEST NEWSPAPER. The world's smallest daily newspaper is published on Thursday Island, which Jies between the Far North of Australia and New Guinea. Jt is called the "Torres Strait Daily Pilot." It is a single sheet, 12in by Din, printed on one side, but it keeps the inhabitants of this tiny speck of Empire abreast of world doings till the ocean-going steamers (with gaps of weeks) bring city papers to the island. The subscription rate is 1/ a week, but to non-subscribers the cost is I/O a copy. The '"Pilot" consists of three columns. One is denoted to shipping news, another to Australian and cable news, and the third to advertisements.

THE UMPIRE WAS OUT. A batsman who had been stumped while yards out of his crease went on to scoro 7.'} runs in a cricket match at Durban. This is what happened before the eyes of a crowd of astonished spectators:—Aiming low and true, a fielder struck the wicket as the batsman vainly raced to regain the crease. As one man, eleven players cried a. confident ''How's that?" The umpire shook his head. The batsman went on running. A puzzled wickctkeeper, with the batsman again absent from bis crease, pulled a stump from the ground. There was another chorus of ''How's that?" The umpire shook his head. The batsmen went on running. A few moments later the mystery was solved. The umpire fell to the groimd in a fit, and it was realised that what had appeared to be negative shakes of the head were the beginnings of a seizure. The batsman who had been given not out went on to win the match for his side.

THE DOLE REPAID. Two San Francisco residents, Mr. anc Mrs. James Cook, forced by hard times t( accept Government relief for nine months were overjoyed to receive news that thej had been left a legacy of £400. Mr Cook's first thought, however, was for tin Government which had come to his rescue lie marched into th* Emergency Reliel Headquarters, told the officials that h< wished to pay the Government back everj penny it had spent on him and requested them to make out a bill. The official! looked into their records. ' In a few minutes they presented Mr. Cook with i bill for £44. Mr. Cook paid the monej and walked out—square with the world.

UNIFORMS FOR YOUNG GIRLS. Senator Colonel Moore, brother of the late George Moore, tabled a remarkable amendment to the Irish Free State Criminal Law Amendment Bill, which proposes to raise the age of consent, to IS years and to make olfeuces against women punishable with very severe penalties. The colonel requires that all girls in the Irish Free State until they attain the age of 18 shall be obliged to wear a distinctive dress. Mr. Thomas Farren (Labour) is moving on behalf of the Government that the sale of contraceptives be banned. The Government has decided to oppose the proposal that men should be charge! with solicitation under the same terms as women.

A REAL IRISH LAW POIIM'i. Can a man le;j illy be convicted of being "in possession" of what is in his stomach? The novel point, was raised at Castlebar, County Mayo, when a man was charged with being in possession of illicit spirit. He was found intoxicated on the roadside, and had admitted having bought, and consumed, some whisky that had been made secretly. His solicitor said the case was unique in legal history. He said there was no proof that the man was "in

possession" of the' illicit whisky, tor any liquor he had consumed was in his stomach and a man could not be convicted on the alleged smell of his breath. The magistrate came to a fitting decision: They adjourned tho case for the man to sign the pledge.

TASTE THAT HITS GRENADA. Britain insists on round nutmegs, mid as a. result the important nutmeg industry of tlic island of Grenada. West indies, may take steps to obtain seeds from plants bearing the rounder fruit. At present it is forced to sell at n discount in the English market. This fact vena disclosed during *he course of a paper on the "Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Empire Agriculture." rend before tho Dominions and Colonies Section of the Royal Society of Arts, by Mr. H. C. Sampson, Economic Botanist. Royul Botanic Gardens, Kew. The nutmeg, h>; said, was an early introduction to the West Indies from Kuw. The price >f Grenada nutmegs on the English market was considerably below that of nutmegs from the East. The reason was that the English consumer insisted on having the round nutmeg iroin the East rather than the oval nutmeg of Grenada, having nlwaye been accustomed to this shape. Grade for grade there was no difference in the price in the markets of America.

PRIEST BLESSES 200 THROATS. Two hundred people suffering from throat complaints attended the Church of the Holy Apostles, Claverton Street Pimlico, S.W,, tor ''the blessing of St' Blaise for throats." They were blewd" by the Rev. Henry O'B. England, a dianlain at Westminster Cathedral. He made the sign of the Cross before the throat of each worshipper, with two lighted caudles twisted into the shape of a St Andrew's cross. St. Blaise was an ca'rlv Christian martyr who cur«d a boy with a bone in his throat. Roman Catholics now believe that he is the special protector of the throat.

DOG'S PATHETIC VIGIL. Shep, ;i sad-eyed Scottish collie dog, has disappeared from the St. Anthony Hospital at Kock Island, Illinowj wliere for ton years he has maintained, a. vigil over the spot where he last saw his master Police and hospital attendants immediately began to search for him. Next morning, however, Shep trotted back. It was his first overnight absence since 1924. Jfa one knew where he had been. It was in I!)'J4 that Francis McMahon, of Erie (Illinois) entered the St. Anthony Hospital. Shep came with him. The man, as he was wheeled into a lift, bade the dog wait for hie return. McMahon never returned. He died the next day. But Shop waited. Now old and sad," he still waits.

ILLNESS BRINGS A CAREER. Tommy Milner, a little boy who only discovered he could draw after he had been lying ill in University College Hospital, London, for nine months, is to be given training in an art school. Tommy's story appeared in the "Daily Express' at the beginning of the year, with ouc of his pictures. It was seen by Mr. 3?, Anthony, who lias an official position in London. Mr. Anthony was impressed with the evidences of Tommy's talent. He sent him some drawing books and materials. "He is a nice little chap," said Mr. Anthony. "I used to imagine him lying there and perhaps •wondering what he would do when he left school." Jt is expected that the boy will be out of ho&pital in two months, then he goes to|. ; , convalescent, home for three months moreii Mr. Anthony proposes sending him to a echodl of art.

WAYWARD YOUTH OF TO-DAY. The "superiority complex : ' which lie finds among many young people to-day is analysed by the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr. Wilson, in his monthly letter to Ins diocese. It is frequently implied, lie says, that the young people of to-day are a very exceptional type —"very wayward, but unusually gifted, and ' peculiarly 'kittle cattle'." His answer is that this is mischievous nonsense, "since it Las infected many young people to-day with a superiority complex and made an even larger number very self-conscious." The rising generation, he maintains, is not essentially different from the youth of 30, or 300, years ago. What is different is their environment. Their conditions of life, lie says, have completely changed. Home life has to a large extent broken down, and for this the parents are more to blame than the children. Stay-at-home and home-loving parents are becoming almost rarities in all grades of society.

WHERE DOCTORS DIFFER. A doctor, giving evidence at Westminster County Court., refused to admit '"that there was such a thing as neurasthenia." He said that lie deaawith conditions of the human body anil not abstract uames. The term had been brought in, and it was time it was dropped. The witness, Dr. W. J. Adit'. was giving evidence in a. case concerning ;i claim for continued compensation to a workman, regarding whose neurasthenic incapacity to work following an accident doctors were at variance. Mr. Edgar Dale, barrister, representing the applicant, a tunnel minor, said: '"The Legislature has put in the hands of a* Itm-medical 'Han the decision of nuch a point. Someone IMS;; to decide whether a man is truthful or not, and a doctor cannot decide that o« one examination." Judge Dumas: "I cannot help laughing at the position thus created."' Mr. Dale: "Where doctors tlis-

agree what better judge between them can (hero be than a man of common sense and large experience of life'" The judge,' who sat with a medical assessor, made aji order for 30/ a week compensation.

A JUDGE'S INVITATION. Mr. Justice du Parcq invited a girl to come up on the beach in the King's Bench, Division, London, no that lie could examine the injuries she had received in a vised aocideut. The girl was Miss Marie Jjij? Hoye, aged 20. of Fishponds Road.'Tooting, S.W. Her counsel said ehe came to court with her father, prepared to accept CIGO in settlement a.s compensation for her injuries. "Has she any permanent; injuries?" the judge asked. Mits Hoye stepped forward' to" show the result of •■» stitch in her nose. The judge uotieed from a doctor's report that a fractured collarbone had not joined properly. ?lis-> HpVS was asked to «o on to the beach, where he examined the collarbone. "Here «s : ' young woman," lie s.iid. "'who will never wear a battling dress or evening dress without this disfigurement beiuy: obvious. If it is not noticed by a young man it will be by other young; women, and t h '» is bound to make her pelf-conscious any unhappy. I am nol sntisfiH that the amount, named is enough." IIthe case for the parlies to reconsider the position.