PERSONAL NOTES

Grey River Argus, 22 January 1912, Page 2

PERSONAL NOTES

.Mrs C. Y. Fell, a member of the Nhlson Hospital and Charitble Aid Board, lias been grunted leave of absence for nine months. Mrs Fell stated it was her intention to visit various institutions both in England and on the Continent, and (hat she was intending to take particular interest in the Swiss home for drunkards, cf which a great d-sal lias been heard. Mr J. )i. Merrett, editor of the New Zealand Poultry Journal, has received an invitation to act as the representative of New Zealand on the Provisional Committee of the proposed- International Association of ' Instructors and Investigators in Poultry Husbandry. It is intended that a meeting shall be held in London in June or July, at which the details cf the proposed Association will be discussed, a constitution adopted, and a plan of. procedure formulated. Dr. Wright, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, has. arranged to. leave on a holiday tour of "New Zealand "early iii February. He proposes 'to '" spend a month in the -Dominion, 'and his itinerary will include a visit to Wellington aVtlie first port of call. Thence he will go on to the. South Island, alterwards making a tour- of the principal pl.3as.uro resorts of the North Island, leaving Auckland on the return- journey about March 10th. A Wellington tekgram states that the following are the ten highest Junior University Scholarships: -J Natalie. Allan (Wellington) 3783; Arthur Ponder (Christchurch) 3773; Beatrice Belt (Auckland) 3716;. Cyril- Lennard (Wanganui). 3683; John Tait (Dmicdin) 3679; Athol Hudson (Waitaki) 3630; William' Stevens (Auckland) 3614,; Edward Neal-a 3601 ; Martin O'Shea (Dunedin) 3594; Alex. Aitken. (Duuedin) 3562. V.

Perhaps Mr. Lloyd George's next imitation of German ,prdcsdent will be a bachelor tax (Aviit.es the London correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus' 3 ). The Principality of Rcuss has justJ imposed ons on bachelors and spihstersl- Hesse 'taxed bachelors .'some years. ago,'-the Austria is' thinking of including"' child] ess : widows aid couples Avith ' ibachelors and spinsters. 'But it is* recalled that \\ r e have precedents af Home.' Two centuries a ( go Parliament, 'besides taxing a duke's interment ■■ £50, and so on down to £1 ; foir +ih:e' commoner, who; had land of £1 annual value, and like\vi &c births and marriages, imposed 'a duty upon unmarried 'men, above the age -of five and itwsnty years, except such as receive alms."'

Mr. J. F. Hogan'-ha-s been' explaining the origin and significanc^of the mongrel : w6rd -"bartacliing" to the Londonei-s. He says : c 'Even ' thus early in the tour of the M.C.C. team Hie word ' "barracking" ds becoming conspicuous. But it might ib-e more accurately callsd chaff. Australian crowds like to comment audibly on the game, and this fact makes cricket far mone lively at the Antipodes than it is here.' Professor Morris," m His dictionary of Australian English, says the \yord dates from 1880. It. orgihaUy denoted the. excited cries of ;the crowds ati football matches. H? has ' nothing to do with, barking or ;bai- • racks. _ It comes f rom 'Miz' aboriginal Iborak,' : which, in. • ithe language of the Australian -blacks, means banter or fun at another's* expense. To 'poke borack' is one of tlie carfest recorded specimens of Austral Jan" slang-."