Local and General.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 57, 22 June 1908, Page 2

Local and General.

A circus rider named Alexander Raab, who committed suicide at Budapest, was, according to a letter ho left behind, a viotim of stamp-collectmg mania. He required a rare Swiss stamp, valued at £25, to complete his collection of stamps for that country. By months of self-denial he managed to save this sum, and sent it the other day to Messrs Seuf, the stamp dealers of Leipzig, with, an order for the coveted specimen. He received a reply that the stamp had since gone up in valuo and now cost £35. Raab's disappointment was overwhelming, and as ne saw no prospect of raising the necessary £lO, he took his life.

Visitors to the Quebec tercentenary fetes will have a somewhat novel experience. In order to provide ample accommodation for the crowds who will attend the celebration, the commissioners decided to erect a tent city on the portion of the Plains of Abraham where Wolfe's army formed before the battle. Several thousand tents will be erected and provided with running water, light, stores, and floors of wood. Only by an arrangement of this kind, it is mought, can the visitors be accommodated.

"Did you say anything when the second officer called youP" asked counsel at the nautical inquiry at Auckland into the wreck of the Northern Steamship Company's steamer Muritai at the Hen and Chickens. The question was addressed to the master of the Muritai, Captain Hopkins, who replied: "I do not remember whether I said anything. Just as toy feet touched the floor the vessel struck. I was not asking questions just then, and if I had said anything it would probably have, been something that is not to be found in the dictionary. (Laughter.) I put it to you," he added, "whether yoti think that a master of a steamer carrying passengers, on feeling his vessel strike a rock in the middle of the night, would be likely to stop to ask ft lot of bally questions P" It may not be generally known that Germany is the greatest potato producer of any country in Europe, and as a consequence the greatest pork producer. Mora th'am «ight million acres are annually devoted to ths crop, and the production, according to the seasons, varies from forty to forty-five million tons. Contrast with this Great Britain, where the crep, although an important one, is comparatively small. Potatoes are grown on only 500,000 acres, yielding about three million tons. As a rule the crop in Germany is a profitable one, the result, to a large extent, depending on the price of labor, on the value of the tubers for the manufacture of spirit and starch, and in the pig-feeding industry. About 7 per cent, of the crop is bought by the spirit factories, 3 per cent, for the manufacture of starch, and 44 per cent, is used as pig food. The German growers supply the crop with liberal dressings of nitrogen and potash. Recently the advantages of green manuring for the nourishment of the potato crop have been recognised, and good results are obtained by the adoption of that system. The Hawke's Bay Education Board (states the 'Telegraph') has a method of conducting its business which, under the able chairmanship of Sir William Russell, has made it a model for local bodies. Pastor Ries does not believe in that method. The large amount of detail work which members of the Board transact to their mutual advantage in committee should, he holds, afford food for discussion in open board. He will not attend meetings of committee, and when the Board sits he takes up the bulk of the time in discussing tedious matters which have already been decided, with the result that important policy questions are crushed out to the advantage of leaking taps and broken back-yard fences. Last ovening Pastor Ries delivered a speech of half-an-hour's duration on some stuffed taps, and was continuing to talk when Mr McLernon cut in with a motion which settled tho> matter and gave members a chance to go home. But Pastor Ries had another matter to bring up. In an earlier part of the meeting he had made a statement about something he had said at a former sitting of the Board, and some members had expressed the opinion that he had never made tho remarks which he claimed credit for. Ho asked the secretary to produce books or say from memory if the remarks had not been made. Sir William said he would protect the secretary or any other official from coming into conflict with any member of the Board. (Members: Hear, hear.) Tho secretary coirld, of course, produce the books. Pastor Ries asked that tho books should be produced. Tho secretary said he did not take a shorthand note of everything that was discussed at the Board's meetings, and Pastor Ries loudly asserted that his memory was as good as any other man's. Nobody felt inclined to argue the point. A curious accident, with a humorous side, occurred in Johannesburg recently. A man named Lewis was proceeding home along Bloed street after dark when he walked into a live electric wire, which had been blown down from its post by a storm and was lying across the path. Lewis became entangled by both legs, and before he could extricate himself was thrown to the ground half paralysed with the electric shock, and rolled in the mud. Ho was carrying a double-barrel shot gun at the time, and the weapon fell close to him. ITinding himself unable to move, h© called loudly for assistance, and a policeman and some wayfarers hurried up. It was assumed m the daTk that th© man had shot himself, the proximity of the gun being at once noticed, and the policeman would not allow the bystanders to touch him. Fortunately the electric current was not very strong, and the victim, being partly protected by his leggings, so far recovered as to bo able to free himself at last from the wire. Although very weak he had still strength enough to express his feelr ings to the constable who had misunderstood the predicament in which he was placed.

A great stir was caused in Shanghai by the opening of a portion of the electric tramways in the International Settlement. Wild reports have for months past been .circulated by the native press about the danger of the electric power. One statement made was that during thunder storms thousands of people would be slain by the cars careering about at express speed. It was feared that the opening of the lines would start a riot. The tramway authorities, however, offered free rides to the Chinese during several days' trial trips, and the idea was such a success that the natives mobbed the cars for seats. The streets were lined with expectant . orowds, who watched •.: the cars with . open-mouthed astonishment. j