WORLD'S NEWS.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1901, 22 April 1913, Page 3

WORLD'S NEWS.

FROM LATEST FILES. GAS VERSUS COAL. f London, March 12. In the first of his (Jantor lectures at the Royal Society of Arts last evening on '"Coal Gas as a Fuel for Domestic Purposes," Mr F. W. Goodenough laid emphasis upon the possibility of the substitution of gas for coal in the home doing much to solve tne servant problem and making it possible for a well-edu-cated girl to consider domestic service as a calling worthy of her ability. He pointed out that owing to its capability of instant control gas, in many cases, was cheaper than ccal, even apart from the possible saving of cost of servants' wages and keep. Observations recently carried out by the Coal Smoke Abatement Society showed that no less than 61,000 tons of heated matter was deposited annually on every square mile~in the City of London, and that a very large proportion of this was wasted earbonacious matter which had its origin mainly in the domestic coal fire and kitchen grate. Mr Goodenough said that fogs hart diminished in London greatly in recent years owing to the enormous increase in the use of gas as a domestic fuel. In the twenty years from 1891 to 1911 the number of gasheated cooking and hot water appliances sold, hired, or loaned in London increased from 46,000 to 1,494,000 The lecturer also referred to the possibility of electricity proving a rival to gas as a fuel. Electricity as a heating agent had its field, he said, but it was p limited one, until, at any rate, the current could be supplied at a mere friction of ts present cost. COMEDY OF IDENTITY. A REPUDIATED UNCLE. Loudon, March 12. There was au amusing scene at a meeting of *tlie Alien Immigration Board yesterday. Jonas* Kuszemeikas, 23, a Lithuanian, applied for permission to land, J and gave the name of an alien in ! London as his cousin. This gentleI man duly appeared before the Board | and said t hat, though he had not seen the applicant for eighteen years, he was quite certain he recognised him as his cousin. "But he was only five years old tnen," it was pointed out. "I know; but I can recognise him as my cousin," was the reply. The witness was then asked the man's name, a«d, to the amusement of the coart, gave that of another appellant. A second man appeared. He declared that he was the uncle of the appellant, and recognised him with out any doubt. The appellant, however, amid laughter, denied that the witness was his uncle, and the man, under pressure, eventually admitted that the man was no relation. The Board refused to let the man land. WATER DIVINERS. TEST TO BE MADE. London, March 12. The "water diviners" are about to prove their claims to be taken seriously. The correspondence columns of the Sanitary Record have been open for the discussion of th e subject for some time, and the diviners have expressed their willingness to demonstrate their powers. The offer has been accepted, and it has been arranged to hold a di» monstration on Thursday, April b, I in a locality which has not yet been decided upon. A number of scientists of repute have offered to supervise the demonstration, and the organisers will arrange for a series of reasonable tests. Mr L. E. Pryke, a champion of the diviners, thinks that the phenomenon is undoubtedly natmrl, in that it arises from "some force of nature not yet understood." He believes that many unsuspecting persons have the power if they would but test it. The secretary of the Institution of Water Engineers (Mr Percy Griffith) recalls that, experimenting with a twig he found that the movement to which "such esoteric influences were attached" could readily be imparted by the unconscious action of the wrist muscles, and he has little doubt that it is so produced in cases where a person may have a reasonable, or even a subconscious, expectation of finding water.

HIGHWAY ATTACK. LADY'S FIGHT WITH RUFFIAN. London, May 12. While Mrs Barker, the wife of Captain Barker, of Abergavenny, formerly of the Cheshire Regiment, was walking along the Monmouth road, Abergavenny, she waR attacked by a ruffian, who, after a severe struggle, suceeed d in wresting from her a purse and bangle and disappeared. Mrs Barker shortly afterwards met a man named Davies, who immediately started off and captured the assailant. Davies succeeded in get ting back the money, but the man again got free and ran away. In the meantime Mrs Barker had reached home, and her husband and his chauffeur started off in pursuit. The chauffeur, named William Peek, mounted on a bicycle, overtook the fugitive, seized him and brought him back to Captain Barker by whom he was given into custody. THE RIGHT TO LIVE. EUGENICS AND THE UNFIT. Loudon, March 12. Dr David Heron, speaking at the Galton Laboratory last night on heredity in feeble-mindedness, said that the cardinal principle of national eugenics was the clear cut distinction between the right to live and the right to parenthood. National Eugenics denied to no one the right to live. It declare:!, however, that there v.viv <•• vfain classes to which the right to parenthood mnsf- bo denied. In the case of the feeble-minded it declared with-

out hesitation that their children were better not born. Much yet remained to be discovered regarding the inheritance of mental defect, but on the basis of our present knowledge we were justified in asserting that a substantial reduction in the numbers of mentally defective could be obtained, g He repudiated in strong terms the advice given on the basis of the Mendelian theory that the mentally defective and the insan6 should marry those who were normal, and showed that one quarter of the children of such matings ultimately became insane. Such advice could only bring the whole Eugenic movement into digrepute.