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Grey River Argus, 2 July 1914, Page 5

"Papa, mamma says that one-half the world doesn't know how the other half live." ."Well, she shouldn't blame herself, dear. It isn't her fault/ _ ._ ....

"For the making of billiard balls ilve hundred elephants are needed every year," said the famous big-game hunter in. his lecture on India. "How strange," whispered Mrs. Winsome to the lady who sat next, "that people cail teach such great beasts to do such delicate woi*k! "■

: -While making alterations in the window front of Dr. Neil's dispensary at Timaru the other day, just before finishing, work a tradesman -kneeling in the. window heard something drop from above, and instinctively ducked forward to avoid it. In so doing he put the hammer which he held through the large plate-glass window, destroying about £20 worth of glass and sign-writ-ing. •

An assault upon a referee in a football match, played under Bugby Union rules, was investigated at the Auckland Police Court on Thursday last (says the Auckland Herald).. The offender was Ralph Craig (Mr. G.~ M. St&wart), and the charge of assault was brought at 'the instance of the Auckland Bugby TJnion (Mr. J. C. Martin). It was explained by Mr. Martin that Craig had assaulted the referee after a fourth 1 grade match- on 6th June. The- Bugby TJnion was not desirous' of seeing a heavy penalty inflicted in this case but wished the public to understand that misbehaviour would not- be allowed at matches. Mr. E. C. Cutteta, S.M., said that such offences should be dealt with severely, but as the union did not desire it in this case, Craig would be cautioned, and would be ordered to pay the costs of the action, amounting to 28/-.

With the prevalent cold weather, chilblains arc a trouble to those of defective circulation and of sedentary occupation. A correspondent of the Wellington "Evening Post," who has brought up a tolerably large family, states that these troublesome swellings can be easily cured by the applicatino of equal parts of olive oil and laiidanum, applied night and morning to the affected parts with a feather. This remedy, the correspondent states, he found a dozen years ago in Dr. Gordon Stable 's suggestions in 1 the ' 'Boys ' Ow n Paper," and he has never known it 'to fail} but the genial doctor who wrote bo much for boys also recommended judicious and regular exerciset as one of' the best antidotes for chilblains.

The new wing of . the British Museum — King Edward the Seventh's.Galleries — was opened by the King last monlth. .It. has. been seven years in building, h&S/Cost in land and buildings more than a million pounds, and adds approximately one-third to the exhibition space, being perhaps the largest of the mnay additions since Smirkc's building was begun in 1823. The front of the new galleries, with its facade of twenty lonic columns, flanked by two massive pylons, in Montague-place must rank as one of the dignified and satisfactory modern additions to London's street architecture.

The United Lawn Tennis Dance was held last evening in the Druids' Hall. There was a large attendance of both euchre and dance enthusiasts and a very enjoyable evening w^s spent. The ladies ' euchre prize was won by Mrs Orr, and the gents' prize by Mr. C. Parfitt,junr. The ladies' "500" prize was won by Miss Holder, and the gents' by Mr. Webb. The music was in the Capable hands of Miss Pascoe, while Misses O'Reilly and Hawkins and Mr. Clarke supplied extras.

When the Governor of New Zealand was making his tour around the Cook Islands recently, the natives of the various places visited generally appeared in gala attire, and occasionally the costumes displayed were a little startling. Uniforms containing striking colours were very popular, and it was a surprising but not uncommon thing to see a very dignified person in the dress of a vice-admiral or infantry captain conducting a native dance, and struggling with a sword, which would constantly get between his legs and trip him (writes a correspondent). At one island a gentleman, with a costume partly composed of mirrors, did much to gladden the assembled oempany, ajfd at Karo tonga all local Caledonians gasped as a party of quick-footed native dancers marched on to the ground, led by a gigantic Barotongan, who was complotely clad from kilt to sporran nnd dirk in the national dress of Scotland.

The question whotner a man could live in the moon has been put to an eminent astronomer, who replied: "I am afraid not. A man transplanted to the • moon would find himself the lone inhabitant of a perfectly lifeless orb, in which eternal silence reigns. He would have to manage without air, water, or fire. He would not need to put windows in his house, for there is no wind, no rain, no dust upon the moon. It has been truly and practically observed that the moon is ' apparently abandoned to death, nourishing no inhabitants^ producing nothing resembling trees, flowers, or beautif.ul things of any kind — useless,in snort, except as a mass of extinct volcanic rubbish, which drags the sea into tides, and reflects sunbeams."

"We spend less on education than we do on tobacco in this country," declared Mr. T. U. Wells, of the New Zealand Educational Institute, in an interview on Wednesday last between "" Auckland members of Parliament and representativse of the teaching profession.' "Surely it is. not too much to ask that we should spend -as much on education as on tobacco. It is only just that the country should be asked to do ,a- fair thing for the teachers. So much depends on education — the whole national efficiency— and if we are not able to attract a good class of teachers, who will have a good, influence on the children, the result is bound to be unsatisfactory.

Wednesday, the 15th day of July next, will be observed as a public holiday in the Government offices throughout the Dominion, for the celebration of Arbor Day. In order that, the movement may be made as successful as possible, the Government hopes (says the Minister of Internal Affairs in last week's Gazette; that the Mayors of various municipalities and chairmen of local bodies will place the matter prominently before the people of the Dominion, and do all they can to encourage the planting of public reserves and other available lands, both public an private, with, trees suited to the locality. The day will be observed as a Government Holiday throughout tlie Dominion.

Th ecultivation of tomatoes ot be placed upon hte market in Now Zealand during the winter months, has been successfully undertaken by Mr. W. M'Birney, a Barotongan planter. Last winter Mr. M'Birney sent an experimental shipment 1 to the four principal 1 cities of the Dominion; and he realised such ' satisfactory prices for the fruit, which carried well and arrived in" excellent' condition, that he ! immediately made arrangements to work the 'market '83 r stematically. He has now a large area- under tomatoes, and the fruit grows and ripens to perfection in the open air. Mr. M'Birney believes that he is pioneering an industry which will grow to considerable proportions in the future. '

When a native of Niue dies, he is usually buried on land adjoining a roadway, and some of the public thoroughfares of the island .are more or less lined with the ornamental graves of the departed residents, but the thing that greatly interests visitors s the islanders' custom of -placing on 1. grave some, article that was much valued by the deceased in. his lifetime. Thus recent callers at Niue saw upon the graves such articles, as. a ■ green sunshade, a watch a -pair of roller Vaces, pp-H — th?q thn property nf ?n Hand gentleman who had met in Auckland an enterprising secondhand dealer— a sadly rusted typewriter. The goods- placed upon a grave arc perfect- '" safe. The average native would sooner kill himself .than interfere w.nh tho disposition of a dead man's property.

The white residents of the Cook Island are nearly, all of the opinion that the effect of cinematograph pictures upon the natives is bad. There are two syndicates operating in the group, and the pictures siown are of the usual class. _ It is argued that the •average native is not sufficiently edu cated nor versed in the ways of the world to enable him to appreciate the fictional character of the picture stories told, and, as he- is extraordinarily ; mitative in his habits, he is frequent ly moved to emulation. Little groups of natives, for instance, may often be seen trying to act cowboy plays they have seen in the picture theatre ; and, students of the native character unhesitatingly ascribe certain outbreaks of hooliganism and a recent epidemic of burglaries . experienced in Raratonga to the influence of. the cinemato graph.