GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2240, 17 February 1921, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Paderewski, 1 in tin interview witn the Few York Herald (Paris), said: “I shall never touch a piano again. Not- only the situation of my country makes me unwilling to continue my career as a public entertainer, even as presenting the highest form of art, but the shock of the repeated misfortunes of my country has so affected my nervous' system that 1 am unable to touch the piano even

for private satisfaction.’’ '“The reason why we as employers have not attempted to ‘go slow is very simple,’ said Mr 11. Faldcr, of Hamilton, speaking on the relations of Labour and Capital at the conference of the Industrial Corporation of New Zealand now being held in Auckland. “We have no ‘goslow’ policy because we arc paid by restills; that is the reason. And it you extend that principle to the average man, to the working man, you will get the same outcome too. Give him some interest in the results of his work apart from wages, and vou will tind a diiieronce.”

“I will make this prediction," said Mr H. V. Toogood, I lie well known Wellington engineer, discussing hydro-electric matters, at the Yvairarapa flower ' Board meCting. “Mangahao will not turn its wheels within four.years. It. cannot do so. You will not get the power here within live years, or possibly six. He staled that the tunnelling, work presented difficult features, and would take considerable time. II had only been commenced, and it would lie impossible to get through in a short time. This statement somewhat surprised the board, but engineers, like other professional men, differ.

A line fisherman, giving evidence in the Magistrate's Court, Auckland, -.aid he earned about .L 1 ,()('•<>

a year out of the operations of his fishing boat. It was seldom, he .-aid, that he failed to earn Clo a week clear of expenses. In a favourable season his weekly earnings were mure like £2O. Cross-examin-ed by an incredulous counsel, he said that on a recent occasion at. the Great Barrier Island lie and Ids mate had-caught '-‘l2 worth o! iisli on the line in the space of three hours. So far from being unreasonable profits in consideration ot the work of a fisherman, he considered that it was the middleman who made the greatest profit.-.

An American show, running m New York, now contains a lady w!m sings “Come io My Anns and km-. Me." Recently an amorous youth of 1!> accepted. I lie invitation. IRnnmc is Charles Soicher, % and lie climbed over the foot lights and hugged the lady, with the result that the magi-1 rale.- “remanded hint on SOOdol, hail." William .1. O’Reilly, giving evidence, said that not only did the youth engage the lady in “it pcnther-liko embrace," bn! that it took tlie whole tin I .tire -tali t>pi i ; him ;• way from her. The amor'-ms Cl aries appealed to the me,gist rale in ill esc touching words; “As a man to man. 1 ask you, what would you have done with two white arms stretched out to you, and two eyes working overtime Asked by a. Times reporter to explain the disparity between (id per ■ill, for pork and 3 s per lb. tor cooked ham, a l’almerstoii pork butcher produced a ham which weighed li'iili. before cooking, but was reduced to 121-lb. by that process. After trimming and bourne the weight was fur;lter reduced to HA Hi. lie cured his own ham-, am estimated that the cost «*l !;>lb. to him was His 3d. The 8 Mb. which remained sold at 2s fid per lb., realising .Cl os !.'.••!, showing a profit of 7s i Ad, but- out ot that there had to be taken the cost of labour, cooking, fuel, paper (grease-proof paper costs 11 Id per Hi.), etc. Moreover,' the ham.is, perhaps, handled twenty times before being disposed of, and finite a quantity of it was further wasted in the cut ting machines and general handling.* \ll unusual display of mimlinu was .witnessed at the Auckland Suoreme Couri, when, ai the conchi',on of a ca-c, li.ii!' me inkers oi. o;m fniiiily were overcome by their f, (, lings. A hid of iifieeit years had been acquitted of a charge of indecent assault, and immediately upon leaving the dock lie fell .to the floor in a faint. 11 is mol her promptly swooned into the arms of a mounted constable, who carried her outside. The pair lav, faintly moaning, in the shade while restoratives were applied. Tim lad's aunt and sislei; arrived upon the scigie. and., observing the condition of their relatives, •exhibited ominous signs of faintness and distress. Finally, all were restored to comparative calmness, and the quartette left in a motor car.

“It is heller to cause the postponement of a wedding than to condone an offence againsl childhood." .-aid Mr G. j'. Pearce at Dcvonport Borough Council, when consideration was given jo a requesl

■from ;t father of four children to be allowed to live with his wife and family in a tent at Narrow Neck. The applicant stated that the rooms : he now occupied were required by a ! couple' whose marriage had already i been postponed through his ocelli' pation of the premises. No landlord would give him a house on account of the children. .He had promised to leave his lodgings, and his proposal was to camp on a site lie had purchased until lie could get | two rooms erected. Permission was given, conditional on sanitary arrangements being ’satisfactory. Mr Perry Taylor* said he knew of a ease where a man with nine children was told by a landlord that be had no right to such a large family

when his wages were only £4 a week. A member: AncYyet they sav the cradles must be kept full! The shepherd .leading his Hock had to bo carefully explained by the Sunday school teacher jo New Zen-, land scholars -its the custom in Palestine, where flocks were*small and each sheep was known bv name. But the custom is not so foreign in New Zealand (states an exchange), as might have been observed <pt Mayfield last week. The drover in this ease was leading a large herd of sheep, and they apparently -appreciated the revival of the custom of their ancestors, for they were crowding in behind the, shepherd and following ' him “like a lamb.” He carried a long staff to complete the illusion. In Ibis ease, however, there was a very large Hock of two-tooth ewes starting on I he long trek for Christchurch, . and two drovers had been engaged to shepherd them. The leading drover explained that the sheep travelled easier and gave less work lor the dogs if a man,could be spared to <>■() steadily in front. Any strag-

-iers were, of coarse, rounded up by the rear drover. The sight was interesting, however, as an illustration of reversal to ancient cus-

()!' Hie -crop of freakish moloins annually brought before the Australiaji Workers’ Union conference, surely none will cause more surprise and amusement limn that which proposes the preparation of a history of the war from the Labour ,-ide “for use in the State schools’ (says the Melbourne Argus). Mill the commission to the historian require him to tell all that be knows, or only that which be thinks ought |o be known ! AYill be, for instance, tell how the unions fought- against (MlllSC ription so that slackers could remain behind and keep the “red Hag (lying? Will lie tell how munition steamers were held up when the Western front was most sorely pressed in order that it few union officials might justify their exist(■nee? Or will lie lelb how thousands of unionists heard the call ot duty and went to the war to give their lives, and how other thousandgave of their best by keeping the wheels of industry going, in spite of I lie seductions to opposite courses held out to them by certain of their leader-. There are two sides

the lii.-topv of Labour in the war —one creditable, and the other discreditable. Who is going to attempt to reconcile them? And which-of the two -ides does the Australian Workers' Union desire lo see presented !