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Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 5 May 1911, Page 7

The Hon. T. Mackenzie has informed tlie New Zealand Times that quite twenty short branch railways through good country are being asked for m various parts of New Zealand. His personal opinion is that the Opunake branch would pay, but it is for the Government to decide whether it will raise a sum sufficiently large to deal expeditiously with these lines.

Ah interesting example of the referendum in working has been afforded in the' canton of Grisons. For eleven jears motor cars had been prohibited, when last 'May the authorities made an exception in favor of the road between Coire and Landquart, on the frontier of the canton of St. Gall. Nearly 7000 inhabitants of the villages on this road then signed a petition for putting the referendum into action on the question of motor cars. This referendum has now taken place, with the result that of 25,000 electors 10,648 voted for absolute prohibition and 3875 against. Motor, cars are accordingly banned throughout /the canton without exeception.

The Sydney- Zoological Society has come by a specimen in rather a strange manner. A little while back a barque arrived in port in ballast, and when thb rubble and other stuff was emptied out of her a tortoise in good order and condition was found. The vessel obtained her ballast from some South American river bank. The reptile was Forwarded to the Society, and forms an interesting addition to the collection^ it being the only specimen of its kind in the gardens. r

The body of King: Chulalongkorn of Siam, who died last October, was cremated at Bangkok early in March (says a Renter telegram).' Followed by King Vajiraoudh and the princes on toot, the body was conveyed through the streets thronged with silent, whiteclad people. After the body had been placed upon a magnificently decorated platform the new King set the funeral pyre alight. According to Siamese custom the remains of a king should be kept thus for from two to five years, but King Vajirooudh determined that preparations should begin at once for the cremation. According to practice everyone present at the ceremony is provided with a taper and an inflammable wreath of imitation flowers, made of wood shavings. The service concluded, the new king; after lighting his taper at a holy lamp> lights the pyre and retires. The others present then, m order of precedence, light their ta-" pers and add them with their wreaths to the pyre. The ashes are afterwards collected in an urn and placed in some royal palace. The cremation ends the period of mourning. Gramophones.— E. Dlxon and Co. has arranged for the agency of the very latest machines in gramophones. Inspection invited. •