CLIPPINGS FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

North Otago Times, Volume 1945, Issue XXVI, 22 July 1878, Page 2

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

KKKPINO HIS NAME OUT. Tho following story, told by tho "Bruce Herald's " Dunedin correspondent, is too good to bo lost :— " A young man who got drunk nnd behaved himsolf in an indecent manner at Port Chalmers a wook or two ago, ' had ' tho aub-oditor of one of the morning journals very nicely. After he had been fined 40» by tho Bench, ho thought it would be as well to keep his name out of tho papers if it could bo managod. Ho therefore sought out tho sub- editor referred to, and unfolded tho following tale : — IIo said that a young now chum — a fellow in whom ho took considerable interest — had mado a fool of himself at tho Port, and had fallen into tho hands of the police. When arrested ho was speechless Orunk, and not being able to givo his name, the police entered on tho charge shoot a name they found on an envelope in tho prisoner's pocket. The name, unfortunately, was not tho prisoner's, but that of tho gentleman who so kindly placed tho facts bofore tho nowspaper man, tho prisoner having n letter of introduction to him. The case seemed rather a hard one, and as the owner of tho namo that had been improperly entered on tho charge sheet did not want to disclose tho real name of tho prisoner for fear of injuring his prospoctft in a new country, no mention of tho case was mado in tho newspaper referred to. When tho sub-editor henvd <u ' t- * plausible gentleman who interviewed him was the actual offendor ho was of course delighted."

NUICOTICS AND STIMULANT)!. Soaio curious statistics ns to tho conHiimpiion of narcotics aiul stimulants by tho world iv goneral are given in n late report of Mr Jcz Killobrow, (ho Commissioner of Agriculture in Tonnessoo. Paraguay tea, it is computed, is mod by 10,000,000 human beings, cocoa by 10,000,000, chicory by 40.000,000, cocoa by 50,000,000, and coffee by 100,000,000. Tho consumers of betel are not down at 100.000 000, thoso of hashish at 300,000,000, and thoso of opium in ono or another form at 400,000,000. Theso figures are, however, oclipsod by tho proportions of tho demand for Chinoso tea, which is said to bo usod by 500,000,000 ; wliilo tho consumers of tobacco we not only still inoro widoly distributed, but present tho astonishing aggregate o£ 800,000,000. According to a careful estimate prepared for this report, tobacco is moro generally usod than any other articlo ofcnmmcrco consumed by man. The Unitod States in 1800 produced more than 430,000,0001b5. of tobacco, but ten years afterwards tho yield of tho plantations had dwindled to about 200,000,000. Tho report does not state tho exact quantity grown in any subsequent year ; but it seems that the export alono in 1873 reached about 220,000,0001b«., valued at moro than 25,000,000d015. According to tho United States Bureau of Statistic, leaf tobacco valued at nearly 20,000,000 dok. was sent out of tho country in tho year ending June 30, 1877. Those figures would make tobacco rank sixth in tho list of exported staples from tho United Stnton— cotton, brcadstufts, petroleum, and the procioiu motals alone exceeding it it in importance. In 1875 tho best customer of tho United States for tobacco was Germany, which, notwithstanding mo Jaigo (jumility grown in Prussia, took 56,000,0001b5., while Groat Britain, which produces nono, took only 64,000,0001b5.

NkwZkvtani) SroNOE.— Good serviceable sponge is, it seems, to bo included amongst tho resources of tho Colony, and, if the statement of tho Poverty Bay " Herald " is correct, the establishment of a thriving local industry is by no meant improbable, a great deal of sponge being imported. Our contemporary says : — "That largo quantities of ■ponge may bo found growing a short distance from heic on the beach. Mr Helps, in Mr Rogan's office, has shown us some very fine samples, which ho has cleaned, and in appearance they seem equal to those purchased in tho shops. Judging by tho »i/.e jind quality of those shown to uh, these sponges should prove a valuable article to export. The largest theatro in tho world, and that in which the greatest scope for exhibiting real sterling worth, is to bo found with the vast multitude of the sick and suffering of the human race. The applause awarded the proprietor of "Gholl au's Great Indian Cores " from all parts of this promising Colony of Now Zealand, for the extraordinary performances of raising tho sick from their beds of languishing, and restoring them to health, is immense. In proof of vhicli get the testimonials from the Chemists, aud don't forget to buy tho medicines. jyi2