GENERAL ITEMS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 52, 11 February 1913, Page 2

GENERAL ITEMS.

A man who pleaded guilty in the Wellington Magistrate's Court to a' charge of having failed to keep a proper wages and overtime book, urged an extenuating circumstance that the fault was his partner's. Dr McArthur (in the act of, writing in the fine; : "Very well, you go and take it out of your partner." Mr J. C. Williamson, who has ji tt returned to Melbourne after a business tour, made a holiday trip through Europe to Egypt, where he journeyed a considerable distance up the. Nile. In Egypt he made one discovery. "I j found," he stated, "that there was one town whej'e there was not a picture theatre. It was Assouakin, a place with 12,000 inhabitants, and no picture show." The Eltliam correspondent of the Taranaki Herald' has been told by Mr Ben. Boycs that, during the past 12 months his 60 odd hens and' 12 ducks have brought him in £75 clear profit. "He reckons each member of the poultry yard has returned him 20s clear of expenses, which shows that there is something in keeping fowls besides clearing ftiho kitchen scraps. Mr Boyes' total taking for the sale of eggs was £l4, and he is willing to show anyone interested his books of cost and sales. Brown Leghorns and White Hocks were the poultry strains, and Indian Runner tho breed of duck kept by him,'' Evidence that the settlers in the King Country have taken advantage of tho offer made by the Massey Government to .supply them with dairy stock is given in the registration at Hamilton of no less than 27 transactions by which 189 cows and heifers have been handed over to the settlers, the amounts involved varying from £6 to £59. Six similar transactions were registered at New Plymouth, covering 80 head. The interest charged is five per cent., and l the principal is repaid by deductions from the monthly milk cheque. The purchases were made by Mr Jordan, Crown Lands Hanger, at j Te Kuiti, who was successful in securing a good class of stock.

Epsom salts is not usually thought to bo "good for fires.'' There was a big tire at Rocks Toinpsitt's drug and chemical stores, in Winders Street, Melbourne, the other day, a big fivestoreyed bluestono building with concrete floors and all modern tire-resist-ing appliances. The brigade recognised the great danger to sucli a crowded commercial quarter of the city if the fire once got a fair hold. Operations were begun at once on the fourth and fifth floors, where large jars of methylated' spirits were burining through the excessive heat and thus adding most dangerous fuel to the flames, but then the work of tire-fighting was aided by the flames igniting barrels of Epsom salts, which assisted to quench the outbreak, and within -10 minutes what had threatened to be a most dangerous and extensive conflagration was completely stopped. An unusual case was heard recently at the Wellington Magistrate's Court, in which James Cole proceeded against his wife, Fanny Cole, 011 an information charging her with failing to maintain him. Applicant stated that he had been married for 32 or IW years. He was a joiner by trade. 53.years of age, but could not do heavy 'work on account of an injury to his'right arm some years ago. His wife was running a fish supper business, and bad property at Wangsnui. He had 110 funds, and 110 work, but after providing for herself, and meting expenses, his wife would be able to support liim. Cole denied that his wife had kept him ever since they had been married. Last year be went to work on the wharf, but could not do it. After further inquiry the magistrate decided that Cole was not a destitute person, and dismissed the information. An unusual occurrence was related to a reiKirter the other afternoon by Mr W. A. Hewitt, manager of the Stratford branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Companv (savs the 'Stratford Evening Post'). While on holiday up North Mr Hewitt said he .visited Mr Wagstaff's place at Te A roll a West, in company with Mr W. Montgomerie, late of Stratford, and was shown a new and up-to-date' milking shed -which had been set 011 fire in three different places through the sun's rays being reflected by the milk cans «n to the weatherboards of the shod. The cans had been turned bottom up, and were leaning towards the shed, and some of the holes burnt in the shed were more than three inches wide, while .several smaller holes, representing each can, ran down the side of the .shed. Fortunately one of Mr Wagstaff's sons! happened at that particular time to lie going to the shed for a piece of harness and discovered the fire; otherwise the results might have been disastrous.

In consequence of the arrest of a constable on, charges of burglary, some curiosity has been aroused (says a Press Association message from Wellington) in regard to the methods adopted by the Department for ensuring that applicants for positions in the police force are men of good character and antecedents. When questioned oil the subject, Commissioner Cullen stated that Rcmmers camo from the police force, of I/uidon, a very select body recruited only from the best, branches of the jwlice service in Great Britain. The city authorities required a high standard of character from applicants, and members of this force were better men physically, socially and educationally than the London metropolitan or any other county police in England. Remittors had served three or four years in this select force, and when he resigned lie was given a very good character by the authorities. He came to New Zealand and applied for admission in the local force. The Department made inquiry from the London .authorities, and received a reply giving Remmors a very high character, and repeating the former excellent credentials. It also stated thai, his character and antecedents before joining the force in England were thoroughly inquired into and found to be highly satisfactory. The Commissioner added that previous applicants had been refused positions because their papers were doubtful or otherwise unsatisfactory. However, in a large body of men it was impossible to guarantee that every one should have the high cha.racotcr demanded. Several Liverpool policemen, hitherto having excellent characters, had lately been concerned in a. series of burglaries, and similar incidents were not unknown to Scotland Yard. Before Remniors joined the police farce in England he was a cycle mechanic, and also studied at an art school, so tliat his education, address and genfer&l fitness appeared to be superior to the average. 1

Last week's 'Gazette' contains a ft of the licensed surveyors in th e jjj minion. It includes 473 names , which 26 were licensed last year. The sum of £5 (conscience has been received by the Minister? Finance, and by his direction has paid into the railways account. "They are peculiar people. If y ( cannot lend them you cannot dtii them."—Hon. W. H. Hemes' of tho Maori, as expressed to a tation the other day. Recently a collector of coins »J fortunate enough to secure a "lion sM ling," a somew hat rare coin issu w | 3 the reign of George IV. (savs t|J Cliristchurch 'Press'). Tho partieulj coin that camo into his possession »•,. dated 1826. The peculiarity of 'lion shilling" is that it has on it ( lion over tno crown, and tlin ro S( shamrock and thistle below the crown' Speaking at the dedication . • new chancel at Christ Church, Goldburn, Bishop Harlow said he tny ed the social lite of tho Church woul take its place side by side wit!) tj spiritual. As a bishop of the Unite ol Christ, lie said is was tlk« one and blot and frost and chill < n tj Cluireli of England, that they son. loving and warm enough towards on 'another. "I have worked this thing out mid amounts to my geting a farthing a di for throe years, and that will not sati fv me," said a rather disturbed cr« tor at a meeting in the office of t] Official Assignee yesterday afterix* at Invorcargill (states the 'Southlai Times'). There was a pause, and thi the Asignee remarked, "1 would like remove any misapprehension yon m have about this. I do not intend pay out every day, nor for that mi tcr every month." The 'Masterton Age' is anxious learn the value to the general co nninity of the publication known the 'Labor Journal.' Our contempt arv says:—"The January numl>er the 'Journal' is now before us. 1

have perused it from end to end, bg tor the life of us we cannot find aw 'thing to either interest or instruct tb average reader. The cost of the jmj lication must run into hundreds 0 pounds every year, and the coninmmli has a right to demand that in a tim of financial stringency .such as the pr t sent, this extravagance shall cease.'' A Territorial who appeared at tl, I'etone Court a few days ago on i charge of failing to attend drill, ev*, de.ntly has a keen eye to busiiHu l)r McAi'thur, who was on the bench decided to discharge him, as a letts from his employer stated that lie baj been working 011 the day in question. The youth, however, was not satisfied "Uu know, 1 lose a half day 011 this,' ho began. "I think you had bitter clear out before 1 change my mind," retorted l)r McArthur. The youth took tile hint and made a hurried exit -'Post.' Paper Loin the bamboo cane will soon be of the usual order of tiling Scottish engineers are mainly i< -pursi Lie for bringing about this new (iiparture. Oil a site- near Kagi (Japan) a factory Is being 'iisuif'ed wall even ruin-site to deal :n ihe fi-sb 1 .la<v with only 300 tons of pulp per month, brn with room for any development. Tin cane is cut up into small pieces «l out or two inches, then boiled with sulphate of lime, bleached by electricity, washed, machine-rolled, and pressij into tissue form and dried by steam. When wound into rolls or sheets it Lai a pleasing appearance, and makes an excellent quality of paper. The raspberry growers of Waimatt have lost hundreds of pounds this vear because the raspberry crops have liwj a failure. Everything looked grand i\ the start <it the season (says tlif 'Times'), and the growers were in gooJ spirits, but hot, dry weather with list nor'-westers set in, and this .spoiled more than fall' the crops of fruit. The growers will not take near half of what they did last year. One man who last year took just on .€IOO has only taken about a quarter of that amount this year. Many of the growers could >.Ol get pickers, and so hundreds of buckets of fruit went to waste. Some growers are going to do away wits their canes and give up the game. Mr Clarke, S.M., heard an interest ing _ maintenance case at the. CJlele (N.S.W.) Court. A wife who proceeded against her husband was asked by .Mr Parker, the solicitor for the latter, to say at least one good word for her husband. The wife hesitated. "Nod didn't your husband .save your life on one occasion r"' asked Mr Parker. ~u

11 ess replied that it was the doctor that did that. "Well didn't the doctor 1 take some blood from vonr husband's! body iind put it into yours to save yuur life!'" The wife explained that "t'l.it was a long t'mei ago—when the Ante ricjni_ fleet was in Sydney." On that occasion the favorite ((notation was, "Blood is thicker than water." The parties to the dispute have been married lo years. A 'Wanganui Chronicle' reporter was recently shown some samples of wooi grown on sheep depastured on the hilly land near Okoia on No. 3 Line, an<i for appearaneo and length of staple it would bo hard to beat, being fully 13 inches. The ileece was shorn >i! i wet ewe three days short of l'i months' growth. There was altso an exhibit taken from a lamb fivo niontlu old. the staple measuring hilly six inchM in length. The wool was also of excellent quality. Mr Herlihy, the owner, informed tho pressman that bis sheep, eight years ago, were Lincoln, and since then he had had them cros'i'i v. ith Ilomney rams. Ho has bought no shoep for the past 12 years, and the excellent results achieve'!, I>c thinks, should be a sufficient inducement for other flockmasters to work on the same lines, particularly as i'.m growth of wool in this Dominion will for many years to come be one of the principal industries. How is this news note as nn indication of the ever forward inarch of .science (states a writer in the 'Chn,stchurch Press'i! A Moscow savant, Professor Bakhmetielf, is .said to have proved that aiiimnls may lx- frozen alivo and then resuscitated without the slightest harm. Butterflies were enclosed in a. vessel containing ;l ; r a ( a temporal me of minus ->3deg. Cent. By slow and careful warming they were restored K> life at any time before the body temperature had I a lien below minus lOdeg. Cent. Trials with warm-blooded animals followed, and it is added that nearly all of tho 200 tests made were successful. Bats wore refrigerated and kept "dead" for many weeks and then completely restored. At this rate, when tho process is perfected, an ocoriomicoi tourist who wishes for a cheap passage Home, could juat get himself frozen fyid go as beef or mutton, or whatever ho particularly fancied—perhaps as game!