LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mt Benger Mail, 3 September 1941, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Military Leaders One striking difference between wars ancient anj modern is the age of the military leaders. In contrast to the middle-aged or even elderly 'leaders |of» to-day, the generals of the past wore remarkably youthful. The great Hannibal was only 119 when he first defeated the Romans; Napolon had command of four armies when he was 27; Alexander the Great was 32 when he started the campaign against the Persian Empire; while King Karl XII of Sweden was a youth of 18 when he beat Peter the Great at Narva. Many others were in the thirties. We find that Francois de Guise was 33 when he defeated Metz against Charles Quint, while Marshal Ney was 3b at the Battle of Elchingcn. Of 77 French generals killed betecn 1792 and 1804, 41 were less than 40 years old.

Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. Family remedy for Coughs, Colds

What is a Pant? ~ “What is a pant?” is the question raised by a recent order issued by the Price Tribunal. While one list is headed “pants and shirts,” the individual items are given as various types of “pant.” Whether the Price Tribunal perplexed over the correct form of the word, decided to use both, and so have a chance of being correct, or wether it acted on the reasoning that the garments in question are singular at the top and plural at the bottom, is probably a question to be decided by some higher tribunal in the departmental system.

Gorse Parasite „ The discovery of a parasite that had killed all the tforse in Waimakanri River bed near Vvest Melton on the Waimakariri River Trust’s property was men tioned by Mr H. Holland at the last meteing of the Canterbury Progress League. “This is the oest information the farming community has had for years,’’ said Mr L. M. Coop. “If the Progress could produce this parasite and kill all the gorse in New Zealand it would be the best local body in New Zealand.” Mr \V. J. Walter said the parasite would be worth millions of pounds to New Zealand if it was as successful as Mr Holland claimed.

Jaffa Oranges "Soft's, world - famous orange centre, provided a welcome surprise for Sapper E. Roberts, of Christchurch. Travelling witu other New Zealanders in Palestine, they passed through the nuge orange greves, and a few miles from the town itself stopped at a wayside shop and bought three hundred oranges for two piastres, or roughly sd. "They were oranges, too” writes tapper Roberts. "I had one about nine inches across and as sweet as honey. We made hogs of ourselves for the rest of our stay.”

Business as Usual The ‘ ‘ carry-on-ati-any-cost' ’ spirit of British businss people is exemplified by the attitude of a large London company which deals in typewriters. After a recent raid the company sent the following letter-card to its clients; —* ‘ Dashed if they havenT got again! Burnt out of 97 Queen Victoria street, busted windows at 91, and now blasted out of Balmoral Buildings, with everything gone but our bodies and souls. With these and a couple of typewriters i n we go at 15 Ney Bridge street, London. E.C’,4, with a firm determination to stick to the old city to the end and Victory ! Telephone number will be advised when we get one!” .

On Short Rations Some idea of the restrictions war lias placed on diet is given in a letter received from friends in Scotland by a Christchurch family. ‘At the present time, you pay 8d for a few green loaves which are supposed to be eabtnige,” states the writer. “The price of tomatoes was 5s 6d a pound, but 1 see they are now down to 4s (id. There is a slight ramp in vegetables here, and some shops have the cheek to ask iOd for one leek. Of course, onions have not been seen fo» more than a year. Eggs will bo rationed on August 30, one for eaeli person a week, when, and we can get them. In spite of all this, workers are carrying on At full pressure. .No such thing as annual holidays are spoken about, for we know that we are lighting for our very existence.”

Interesting Comparisiona ✓ In the hey-day of the Roman Empire it cost os to kill a man in battle, but now to perform tho same feat with all the modern machines of war, the estimated cost has jumped t 0 tho astounding sum of £18,750. This wao but one of a number of interesting comparisons given by Mr George Jackson, president of tho Wellington Manufacturers’ Association, at a large gathering of manufacturers in Christchurch. In the war of 1870, said Mr Jackson, one man was required behind the lines for every man in the line. In the war 0f1914-18 the number of men required behind the line had increased tol five for every one in the line. In the present war it was estimated bat 18 men were required foS ev.iy man in the front line,