NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Mataura Ensign, 21 May 1910, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE HOOKWORM DISEASE

THE KING AND POLITICS. _ What immediate effect upon the politics of the Empire should follow from the demise of the late King? The constitutional answer to this is (says an authority) that it should have no effect, because constitutionally the King never dies. As soon as the sovereignty of the reigning monarch from any cause -determines, that of the next heir to the throne automatically begins. And even though a mistake be made, .and the succession pass wrongfully, during the interregnuri the lawful heir has been monarch all the same, though allegiance to the "d-e- facto" King carries no penalty. Change of personality on the throne had therefore no constitutional significance, though in a moral sense ; t may mean much to the Emnire and to the world at large. Under W system of Government the Crown symbolises everything; the wearer of it "nothing. The present fight for supremacy between the people and the peers is a fight to a finish, and the longer the issue is delayed the further must the nation politically drift to leeward.

According to the senior medic J officer, Dr P. S. Rissiter, stationed Vl Pago Pago, 51 per cent, of the natives of American Samoa are suffering frm hookworm. So serious has the epidemic grown that Governor Parker has called a meeting of the representative chiefs of the Island Government from the various districts to discuss ways and means for eradicating the disease from the island. A recent cable message stated that Mr R-ockfeller, the American millionaire, had given a million dollars to the Medical Commission investigating "hookworm disease" in the Southern States of America. The hookworm is a small, thread-like creature less than an inch in length, infesting the intestines. It fixes itself to the membranes and sometimes burrows deeply into the flesh, sucking blood like a leech, and causing anaemia not only by its voracity but by the persistent bleeding from the wound it leaves. The drain on the vital fluid destroys energy and initiative and leads to general physical decline and imbecility, so that the degenerate "poor whites" -of the South are a by-word in the United States. The female worm produces thousands of eggs, not one of which can develops in the human body, but the excreta pollute the soil and the minute larva has a horrible faculty of penetrating the skin by way of'the pores and hair-follicles, leaving its sheath behind, hence it finds its way into the capilliaries and thence to the lungs, and by devious routes to the intestines, where it fixes itself and undergoes its final stage of development. Men who handle earth, children who go barefooted or sit on the bare ground are liable to repeated infection, and through neglect of sanitation whole regions are poisoned. Many of the public schools are centres of infection. From the time of the lama entering the skin to reaching its final destination is 71 days, and all this time there is constitutional disturbance, with severe debility and anaemia.

During the action hi a ; ; <,ui:!'o.r.',i court recently, defendant, whilst giving evidence, said that a number of statements by plaintiff were '"utter falsehoods." This brought counsel for plaintiff to his feet immediately, who asked what a man liks plaintiff would gain hy giving false evidence. "The case, I suppose," came the. reply.

The fither clay 'the 'North Otago; Times' referred jokingly to the fear en-: tertained by some that tiie tail ot: Hallej's cornet, as it brushed the earth might remove the hair of those who had not taken the precaution of making it secure by the .'application of glue or treacle. In a country school on Wednesday the teacher happened to place her hand on the- head of a promising youngster, and feeling it sticky asked him if lie had not been putting soap on it. He answered her that he had not —it was syrup. Tiie youngster had taken time not only by the forelock but by the whole head, and had determined that the tail of Ha Hoy's comet would not shift his hair if good golden syrup would keep it on.

Mr E. W. Andrews, of Napier, who presided over the conference of. secondary school assistants at Wellington, gave an interesting address on the subject of "The New Zealand English." In his introductory remarks the speaker said that, not content with his prominent position as the pioneer of the world's legislation, the New Zealander, heir to all the ages, had bean at work improving his mother tongue by speaking it with a voice and accent that would stamp him at Home as an "illiterate and vulgar" person. . . . The New Zealand dialect, unlike the provincialisms of England, was not a matter of locality and occupation, not of social position, or of education. The same peculiarities were noticed wherever one went. The university graduate, had the same faulty vowels as the bushman children of cultured parents reprod'ix-d these faults with the same harsh voic a:xl the same aberrant pronounci i'.'oii ;>s were shown by children of a lover social standing.

A prominent leader of the Labor party movement in Auckland informed a press representative that no coalition proposals are to be made to the leader of the Opposition, hut that Labor support is to be given to_ the "Reform party" at the next elections. As the result of their organising work the officials of the Labor party have come to the conclusion that it will be six years at least before they can hope to secure many electorates. They therefore intend to pave the way for what they believe to lie coming eventualities by using their organisation

and voting power in another way. Although, they are generally opposed to the Reform party, they state that they are still more so to the Government; and furhcr, they consider they possess a very good chance of wielding the balance of power if the two orthodox parties in the House are of almost equal strength. Therefore the Labor leaders argue that they stand to secure far better results by this, course than by trying to run their own candidates in every electorate at the next election: They are perfectly candid on the matter and freely state that when they are strong enough hey will strike out on their own account. An inveterate smoker who resides in Ashburton had an experience a few days ago that he is not likely to forget for some time to cor : u- (rays the Ashburton 'Guardian'). Ho was driving a trap in one of the country districts and had been indulging in a smoke, and after puffing at his pipe sufficiently to satisfy his desire and to put him into a good mood for solving some difficult problem he placed bis pipe, the tobacco in which was still burning, at the bottom of the cart near his feet. About half an hour afterwards, notwithstanding the bitter wind that was blowing, the atmosphere near his legs became exceedingly warm, and a look round proved that the cart and some of its contents were on five. The driver whipped up his horse and drove rapidly in the hope of reaching a water-race so that he could extinguish the flames, but the quicker he drove the greater became the fire, so he pulled up and with the aid of an empty sack and at the expense of much exertion lie managed to subdue the flames. Fortunately, although the inside of the cart was' considerably charred no damage had been done to the contents. In speaking to a friend on the matter he said: "f have smoked now for over fifty years, and this is the first accident I 'have had : but I have had such a scare that I am seriously thinking of giving no the pipe." Boy wanted. House to let. R. Coghill inserts notice. Church services announced. Furnished bedroom to let. Horses strayed at Waikaia. Farms for sale at Mataura. Waikaka stock sale on Slay 27.. A. H. Aitken has farms for sale. To-morrow's church serivcos notified. Skin and hide sale at Rialto on Thursday. Further entries for Riversdale stock sale. Southland winter show on June 14, 15 and 16. Applications invited for sole teacher at Sandstone. Stevenson's Pictures in Dominion Hall on Thursday. Applications wanted for erection of fencing .and ploughing. Drag leaves Lainb's stables on Tuesday for Riversdale stock sale.

Mataura Hookey Club social on Tuesday.

M. Cross is booking orders for mutton birds.

Drag leaves Lamb's stables on Wednesday for DuniK'tt's sale at Kelso.