NEWS IN BRIEF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 November 1924, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF.

POOR - PHYSIQUE. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT ■ LONDON, Nov. 17. The report of the Board of Educahon on the medical inspection of school children. emphasises the surprising fall-ing-off in the iihysique of the rural children. It says that the country-bred chiloren were formerly far superior in health, and. physique compared with those bred in the towns, but now, in- , steady of chubby faces, pink cheeks, bright eyes and sturdy figures, country schools, apart from the farmers’ children, are full of pale-faced,, anaemic, undersized and_ underfed children. The change is attributed to the migration of the most fit to the towns, to bad housing, lack of sufficient suitable food, intermarriage among the unfit left be<rm/ ov er-large families. The report suggests that as the times , are not sufficiently advanced to apply eugenics to marriage, the only available relief seems to be a search for new blood and by encouraging the town dwellers to return to the country. CHEAP LIVING IN FRANCE. PARIS, Nov. 16. lhe Minister for Agriculture announces that in ordqr to reduce the cost of living the Government intends to abolish import duties on meat, except from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. ..The Opposition journals claim that these are the only available sources of bu i 1° no*-mention Australia and New Zealand. • RECORD WOOL PRICES.

. SYDNEY. Nov. .17. At the wool sales there was particularly keen competition, and prices for all descriptions, except inferior, ruled from par to five per cent, above last peek’s rates Comebacks and crossbreds were fully equal to last week’s j merino realised 49*d, a record for the Sydney market