LOCAL AND GENERAL

Feilding Star, Volume 3, Issue 523, 2 May 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Pigmy mice, which come from Africa, are so small that- a. family . of thorn could be comfortably-housed in an ordinary matchbox.

The weather in Transcaucasia lias boon so severe during the past winter that 67 people and 27,000 cattle have been frozen to death.

What is known as. No. I field punishment, which authorised the tying of a. defaulter in the army to a gunwaggon wheel, has been abolished by the British army.

Paris and London wireless concerts have been heard clearly in Savafand, 12 miles north of ancient Tyre. Sarafand is really Zarphath, or Zarpeta, where Elijah's widow lived.

In refusing an order against a. judgment debtor in An Id and, Mr FK. Hunt, S.M., .said “AYhat can J. do? litre is a man getting C 4 10s per week,, pays C2 2s 6d per week rent, and lias to keep a wife as well as four children. No order.”

The largest library in the world is the Bibliovhoque Rationale, Paris, founded by Louis XIV. In contains 1,500,000 volumes,. 350,000 pamphlets, 180,000 manuscripts, 300,000 maps and charts, 1,300,000 old prints and engarving, and nearly 150,000 medals and coins. ' ,

“A Alaori who had boon working for Ihc country told me if he worked for me he might live for 40 years; if lie worked for the County Council or Livers Board ho could live for 100 years.” CT. Orr, at a recent 1 Hawke’s Bav County Council meet-

Thoro is platinum in the British Empire other than Africa. Australia Canada, Borneo, Burma, each produces a. little .either from aHu vials o” in the refining' of other metals—copper matter, for instance —hut it i, doubtful it" the whole annual output lias ever readied 1000 ounces.

In completing the ascent of Mount Cook in 14 hours 35 minutes recently, Mr .lack- Ross, of Wellington, and Guides Milne and Williams reached within (5 minutes of the record. The a-cent was of unusual interest in that it was the first occasion in w|vich skis have boon used for the climb during I ho summer months.

Hints that this company would hack efforts to construct- a new hotel in Honolulu, to cost in the neighbourhood of 2.000,000 dollars, were made by W. P. Roth, general- manager of the Matson Navigation -Company of San Francisco, at a recent luncheon attended by business men of that citv.

Mr l‘], J. Gravostock has arranged with Sir Thomas Beecham for a tour of the London Symphony Orchestra through the Dominions. It is estimated that the tour mill cost £60,000 and it will occupy 20 weeks. The scheme is practicable through the interest and enthusiasm of Sir Thomas, who will aeept. financial recompense. only if the tour is a financial success. . '

“If is not good for a country when. / good imported in a year amount to £*•1,000,00!) avovo the value of those exported.” said Mr T. .'Rlondworth (Labour leader) quoting figures from the' cliairmnn’s report at tli:? meeting of flic Auckland Harbour board. “It is not perhaps a serious matter for the Hoard, hut it is important to the country. IP the figures, were reversed then it might be said the country was in a healthy condition.” ■

“Business is all right, hut the slowness with which money is coming in this month is deplorable. It is the worst April we have over had in this respect,” said the head of a wellluiown nursery men’a business in ChrisLliotirch. “The orders are coming in all right, but the people simply will not pay their accounts, or even a. portion of them in many cases. I am fold flint this exporoineo is typical of all business just now, but I dqn’t know what the explanation is/ The epidemic can’t have affected our trade.”

An unusual ease of illiteracy came under notice in the Arbitration Court a: Auckland, that of a Now Zealand born Caucasian, aged 49, who lias never been to school, and who, consequently, can neither read nor \\Mte. A curious feature in the matter, however, is that illiterate persons is- able to sign his name. It was explained that as he was required to sign his employer’s pay sheet every pay day, and was sensitive on the question of exposing himself by making merely his mark, he had had himself schooled by a friend tracing his name.

The through hooking from island to island, and between stations on different lines, of passengers on the New Zealand railways will commence on the 11th inst. Much inquiry is being made from all parts of the Dominion in regard to this new departure, and it is apparent that the facility will supply a. long-felt want. Another thing which is apparently much appreciated is the ■ new arrangement whereby passengers may hire cushions for their comfort on long joyirneys at Auckland and Wellington, where the supply of cushions is exhausted every day.