GENERAL NEWS.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 310, 13 January 1912, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

The planet- Mars and its canala are a frequent source of controversy among astronomers. In his astronomical notes the Rev. Mr Fairclough refers to the feature of the existence or otherwise of canals on the planet. He remarks' that the majority of observers cannot discern these so-called canals. They see abundance of details and markings, but not the6o straight lines. Lowell is the great champion of them, and so al?le" an observer is difficult to dispose of. He claims to have photographed some of the principal canals, but others sav they . cannot see them in his photographs. It is now .suggested that a company of expert referees be appointed to go, at next opposition, to Flagstaff, uso Lowell's own instruments-and atmosphere, and give - the woidd their finding. It is high time we knew whether the canals actually existed or not."

Considerable interest attaches to the experiment regarding the treatment of the mentally afflicted which is being carried out by the Danish Government, under the superintendence of Professor Kellers, the well-known psychological expert. About eighteen months ago the Government acquired the island of Llj'oe, which is situated in Limfiorden, and is about a thousand acres in extent, of' which about a hundred acres are well wooded, the oak tree predominating. Professor Kellers has for? some timo been a presistent advocate of the out-of-door treatment of lunacy. His chief contention is that fresh air tones up the nervous system, while the varied natural objects are calculated to arrest the attention, of, the patients and dissipate the more distressing symptoms of monomania ofttimes prevalent. The authorities, however, preferred to effect' a compromise, relegating to the new sanatorium many of the criminal lunatics hitherto held in practically solitary durance. A peculiarity of the system is that under the'comprehensive classification adopted.by the authorities men of the more degenerate class, both as regards crime and vice, are regarded as mentally unfit, and are removed to Llyoe for treatment. The method of "cure'" of confirmed laziness is somewhat Spartan. Either the men must settle down to regular habits of work —chiefly of a rural character—or the "rest-cure'' is pushed home to its logical result—'they are forced to lie in bed for terms varying' from a day* to three or four days. By that time the ennui becomes simply unbearable, and' the men are glad to escape from the torture of sheer inactivity.

The London representative of the Nat l ional- Dairy Association of New Zealand" in a letter to the secretary of the Awahuri Dairy Company, snvs: —As sho\Ving Iho many uses to which New Zealand butter is put. I was reading a pamphlet the other day. issued by a .man who keeps a large goat farm in Surrey, and the following paragraph appealed to mo strongly: Mr Shcppee ma Ices up a goat milk blended butter which can be highly recommended for its nutritive value arid delicious flavour. It consists of b"st New Zealand butter blended with fiesh goats' milk, and is sold at 2s 6d per lb. and once tried is always used. It goes twice as far as ordinary butter."

The United States Geological Survey has estimated that the "smoke nuisance" costs the country, through waste of fuel, injury to merchandise, and unnecessary labour caused by clouds of soot, over £i40.000.000 a year. About 6 per cent of the coal that fills the firebox of the locomotive actually drives it across the country. The rest is wasted. No 1 , more than 10 per cent, of the fuel value of their coal is consumed in the furnaces of manufacturing plants. The rain of cinders from the stack of the locomotive, the pillar of black smoke from the factory chimney, account conspicuously for part of the waste. But these are minor losses. The chief difficulty lies in the failure to use the combustible gases that arise from the burning coal. They are either allowed to escape unignited, or are discharged without having done anv service beneath the boilers, to expend their heat on the air.

The gravest events dawn with no more noise than the morning star makes in rising. All great developments complete themselves in the world and modestly wait- in silence, praising themselves never, and announcing themselves not at all. We must be sensitive and sensible if we would see the beginnings and endings of great things.—Ward Heocher.

At the Sydney Grammar School prizegiving the other week the headmaster had something to say about Australian manners. "There is one service."' he said, "which the schools can render this State at the present time. Our social life just now suggests the danger of a general deterioration in manners-ra danger that people may mistake rudeness of conduct for the best, expression of a spirit of independence. It. soems to me that the schoolmasters and mistresses of this country should devote themsolves to a conscious and specific effort towards education in manners. You can't teach, manners from a book of etiquette. You need in teachers a personality which will infuse into the pupils modesty and good form which seems to consist in the avoidanco of unnecessary offence in word or deed to one's peighbour."

Ruther a neat fraud was committed in Paris the other day. A man fell down in the street and thrust his elbow tlirough a shop window. The shopkeeper rushed out and demanded compensation. Tfceman who had fallen apologised profusely and produced the equivalent of a twenty-pound note. The shopkeeper promptly changed this, stuck to £3. and handed over the balance, and the man staggered off. When the shop-keeper came to examine the note he found it was a forgery, and that lie was the possessor of a Broken window, and a worthless piece -of paper. The missing stranger, on the other hand, was £l7 in pocket.

An overseas exchange "fells how tinWa; are changing for the pig:—"Once upon i£ time the man who bred pigs was regarded as a very ungenteel individual. He was far beneath the notice of the cattle and sheep aristocrats. Now the pig is emerging into a domain of fashion. University Knglish is talked at the pig pens, and the animals are made accustomed to the aroma of the finest cigars. The pig is possibly as opinionat ive as ever, but he is in an atmosphere of 'respectability'.''' >

Since September there has been in effect in New York a law which permits the destruction of any commercial sign or advertisement on a highway. . It authorises the destruction "by anyone" of such si<jns arid advertisements "within the limits of a public highway." Taking- advantage of the law. a squad of automobilists. representing the Automobile Club of America, has been touring the State, armed with axes and hatchets, destroying thousands of advertising signs which have disfigured the country roads, Ori fences.- rocks, and trees'throughout the State, the wandering advertiser had erected these defacing signs, and the law was the result of a general protest bv automobilists arid others. Of course, the law docs not, apply to cases where owners- of land near cities, or elsewhere, have sold the privilege of erecting advertisement, signs, but. it is made a crime to paint or erect any advertisement on private property without the written consent of the owner, although private persons are not authorised to destroy such signs on private property. Already, it is reported, the appearance of the.country, highways of New York has been greatly improved by reason of the j activity of *tlio sign-destroyers.