NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3830, 11 August 1928, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

The blind population of Britain in 1927 was 40,822. The United States now hold half the world’s supply of gold. iCamels and pigs are said to be the only animals that cannot swim. The hide : o£ a bullock yields about thirty-five pounds of leather. A single pound of the finest spider webs would reach round the world. There are now about two and &- half million broadcasting licenses in Britain, Denmark is now able to receive electricity from Sweden by submarine cable. A cat sent from Rutland to a friend in Suffolk walked 100 miles home again. The number of girl guides all over the world is now three-quar-ters of a million. Mrs. Abraham Wtalker, of Holbrook Moor, in Derbyshire, has 100 descendants living. A hen which figured in a case at Grimsby Police Court laid an egg on the solicitor’s table. (Since the scout movement began over three million boys have been members in fifty countries. Part of an old Danish church, familiar in legend, has fallen down a cliff into the sea at Hojrup. It is estimated that the cost of motor accidents to hospitals in Britain, is half a million a year. Many American cities are now spending one-third of their total expenditure on public schools. Seventy people are killed every day, and 2000 a day injured, on the roads of the United States. There are 5G2 millionaires in Great Britain, and 4500 people with 'an income of £IO,OOO a year. It is said that cracks have appeared in many Oxford buildings due to the traffic in the streets. Nearly a quarter of a million new buildings came under the Income Tax in Britain last year. One shilling each is being paid for moleskins in Lincolnshire, and rabbit skins are sixpence each. Property owners at Paisley have offered two streets of houses for demolition for improvement purposes. Hundreds of .. dead guillemots were recently washed ashore on the Devon coast saturated with oil. It is forbidden by law in Britain 'to leave children under five in a room with a lighted fire without a fireguard. An ice-cream pitch on the beach at Southport has been let for £127, and a photograph machine pitch for £135, A goldfish in its bowl was rescued by a fireman amid the cheers of a large crowd in Lambeth a few weeks ago. A squirrel’s nest with three baby squirrels was found in an elephant’s saddle stored away at the London Zoo. Now that the shooting season has closed the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society has liberated 150 pheasants throughout the district. Tom Heeney’s rapid rise to fame in the pugilistic world has given a decided stimulus to the boxing game in New Zealand. During July 8.42 inches of rain were recorded in Stratford, rain falling on 13 days. At Riverdale, Inglewood, the total was 9.7(1 inches. “This man got drunk and walked over the wharf,’’ remarked Sergeant Lopdell at the Court in Wanganui concerning; a first offender for drunkenness. “He was located by the ripples and rescued, and is very fortunate to be alive.” He was lined 7/(1 with costs 10/-. Captain Bert Hinkler, at his home town, Bundaberg, spent several days overhauling bis ’iplane and after a trial flight announced that it was as good as ever although it had done 25,000 miles of flying. Hinkler’s future movements are uncertain. It is not suggested he is flying to New Zealand. “Advertising is just as necessary to industry as the telephone or the motor. It tells of what we are doing and what we have to sell —the telephone carries the orders and the motor delivers the goods,” said Mr. George Finn, president of the Manufacturers’ Association, in the the course of an address to the Auckland Advertising Club this week, says ;the Herald. During the past four years the Christchurch City Council has spent £l*lo,ooo in various housing schemes.. The council last applied to the Government for permission to raise a loan of £75,000. Of this, two portions of £25,000 each were granted, and both have now been used. The present position is that 'the council has 45 applications un,'der the scheme and no money available.

“It is an appalling fact that in England, Scotland and Ireland more money is spent annually on golf balls than all the churches together contribute! to foreign missions,” said the (Rev. A. M. Aspland at a mission meeting in the Pai’nell Presbyterian Church the other evening, says the Herald. He hoped the position was better in New Zealand, but he did not know. He expressed the conviction that permanent good would be achieved if half the ministers in a land like this were sent out to needy mission fields and were supported there by their people.” A peculiar position has arisen in the South Invercargill (Borough Council. It has been, impossible (says the ‘Southland Times) to prevail on any members to accept the office of Mayor since Mr. G.- R. Brown resigned the position on the grounds that not being a ratepayer since the amalgamation with Invercargill he could not hold offices. The

financial position of the borough is apparently bad and the unwillingness of all to accept the office is attributed to fear of being bold responsible for the increase of rates which has been necessary to relieve the present financial position. One of the best golfing stories for many a day was told recently by George Duncan. It concerned a certain peppery, old colonel who, as usual, was letting off steam on the way round. “Wljat is the pre-sent-day girl coming to?” lie snorted to his partner. “Imagine her parents letting her appear in public in plus fours and an Eton crop! Attempting to copy our dress. Bali! Look at that one over there!” “That, sir, is my daughter,” replied the partner. “Oh, sorry,” said the colonel; “I didn’t know you were her father.” “I’m not,” replied the other; “I’m her mother!” The novelty of a jury panel comprised entirely of Maoris may be a feature of the next session of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. In accordance with the provision of the Juries Act, it is understood that an application for the privilege of trial by her own countrymen is to be made on behalf of a Maori woman who has been committed for trial on a charge of the manslaughter of an adopted girl (states an exchange). Should the application be granted the lengthy proceedings of translating English info Maori and vice versa will be necessary throughout the case. This will apply even to the addresses of counsel and the Judge’s summing up. Over one hundred years old, and “he thoroughly enjoyed his pipe.” That was recorded a while ago of Mr. William Reeves, who passed away recently at Knox Home, Tamaki, Auckland, aged 101. , The au-ti-tobaecoites are never tired of telling us that smoking shortens life, but if anyone eared to take a census of inmates of these charitable institutions, they would discover that great numbers of very old men —yes, and very old woman too, derive comfort and consolation from their pipes. Smoking so far from being injurious is really beneficial so long as the tobacco is good and docs not contain a heavy percentage of nicotine? The imported brands are practically all of them loaded with nicotine. Our New Zealand tobaccos, on the other hand, contain so little that they may be smoked all day without any illeffects. They are full of flavour and fragrance too, sweet and mellow and delicious. Ask for “Riverhead Gold” if you want a fine aromatic, “Navy Cut” (Bulldog) if you like a good medium, or “Cut Plug No. 10” (Bullshead), if you prefer a grand full-flavoured sort.