NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11952, 29 April 1902, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

SHOOTING TTIK CLOUDS. Ix Austria some interesting experiments have been made with what is known as the "weather cannon," which is used for the purpose (primarily) of preventing hailstorms, which prove so destructive in the fruitgrowing districts. Weather stations, as they are called, are now being set up in all the provinces of the Empire, and the effect of shooting at the hail clouds is being observed scientifically. Every month great shooting trials are made at St. Kutlnuin, on the Laming, undei the supervision of Herr G. Souschnig, an engineer who has done so much for cloudshooting. On these occasions Dr. Pernter, director of the Meteorological Institute at Vienna, is present to make scientific observations. ■ The result's of these observations are very valuable, in a striking maimer confirming the practical ones made in other places. As long ago as Corpus Christi Day, 1896, Herr Stiger, Burgomaster of Windisch-Feistritz in Styria (one of the most notorious hail districts in Austria), tried to disturb that dangerous calm which always precedes a hailstorm, stalling with the theory that just that calm is essential for the formation of hail. At the same time Professor Dr. Kreuscher, of Darmstadt, made scientific experiments which confirmed the belief of the Styrian Burgomasternamely, that it is possible to pievent hail at the moment of the formation of the ice. In the year 1897 36 shooting stations were set up at Windisch-Feistrilz, and since thtu it has not hailed in the neighbourhood. The mortars, for such

they are rather than cannons, are furnished with enormous sound-funnels to intensify their effect. :'. Then it has been proved by Captain Hinterstoisser, who at the time of such shooting ascended there in a balloon, that the shooting creates rings in the air which turn in rising several hundred feet and. prevent the formation of hail. The provincial inspector of fruit culture in Lower Austria has organised this hail-protection in his province. -At the end of 1901 mere'were 220 stations in 10 groups comprising 100 parishes. There, was one mortar to every 57.74 hectares. Last year there was shooting 2500 times. Within the shooting district it hailed only once, and on that occasion it was proved that the tiring began too late. In 32 cases Irpiri. the clouds which were of that peculiar colour which is a sign of coming hail heavy rain fell. In Upper Italy no fewer than 2000 shooting stations have been set up. There the apparatus is simply named after the Windisch-Feistritz Burgomaster, "'Stiger cannon." It has been found most effective to have cannons 44 metres long, and to load with 180 grammes of powder. In experiments with loose gunpowder the rushing produced was heard for 21b. This spring a Hail Prevention Congress is to be held in Vienna, and doubtless it will throw much light on this interesting and important subject. Till! LATEST LONDON' NOVELTY. . Hostesses in Auckland and in the country may be glad to know the latest novelty in London in the way of an afternoon amusement is a personality tea, which creates a great amount of fun for both young and old. The hostess prepares beforehand a bagful of labels cut in writing papers, and on each she writes the name of some well-known person, from Julius Caesar to Queen Alexandra; the greater the variety, as to nationality, period, and occupation, the better. Li Hung Chang, Columbus, and Cleopatra are all equally appropriate. The hostess also furnishes programmes with pencils, and where artistic talent prevails these provide scope for decoration either with pen or brush. One of the labels is pinned on the back of each guest, and then they set to work to discover what name they bear. This knowledge is arrived at by asking questions of one another, such as, "Am I a man?" "Am I a woman'/" "Am I living?" "Am I popular?" etc. And the reply should be merely "Yes" or "No." As each questioner discovers what name she bears, she inserts it on her programme, and at once .applies another label. . The effect is excellent;; everyone speaks to everyone else, abundant topics of conversation are provided, all stiffness and formality vanishes like smoke, and all the guests are moving about, so that no one is isolated, no one is afraid to speak, and no one feels shy. The hostess has no difficulty in keeping the ball of conversation rolling; her only problem is how to change the labels quickly enough. Indeed, in this matter she needs the help of at least two intimate friends. Three prizes are bestowed upon the most successful competitors, and an hour is none too long for the questioning to continue. THE GROWTH OF LUXURY. One of the most obvious and ominous signs of the times in all civilised communities, more particularly in those of British origin, is the growth of luxury, the love of ostentatious display, the haste to grow rich and the almost universal disposition to set up false and pernicious ideals of human life. These are especially to be deprecated and deplored in young countries like our own, remarks a Melbourne contemporary, for they are not the characteristics of a nation "in the gristle," but of a State in its decay. Indeed history, which, as Bolingbroke said, is " philosophy teaching by example," offers us no more-impressive lesson than thisthat a people addicted to profusion and self-indul-gence cannot calculate upon the permanence either of its prosperity or of its political institutions and social organisation. Adversity will often develop and fortify the moral and physical powers and capacities of such a people; but prosperity, misused, will deteriorate and ultimately destroy it. And what is the aim and cud of the more energetic members of society in all the more "advanced" countries of the world? Is it not to make money, not as a means to noble ends, but in order to purchase a luxurious indolence, to gratify habits of self-indulgence, and to obtain the command of so-called pleasures, which are. as prejudicial to health of i mind and body as they are inimical to real i happiness '! For mental and physical diseases multiply in the same proportion as wealth. Nature says to every one of — live simply, soberly, and rationally. Feed the body, but don't pamper it. Make a very moderate .use, if a re. of stimulants. Take plenty of exercise, if your vocation is not to labour, in the open air. Avoid late hours, and shun the poisoned atmosphere of crowded rooms. Cultivate activity of mind, but do not overtax the brain. Eschew all causes of worry and excitement, and conform the conduct of your daily life to those noble ideals which have received the sanction of the greatest and wisest of ancient and modern philosophers. But the typical man of our epoch reverses every one of these maxims; and the result is universal dissatisfaction and disease. The dreary cry is raised, "Is life worth living," and people belonging to the most opulent classes of society in London, Paris, and New York, fly to morphia and other anaesthetics in order to allay that fever of the brain and that hypersensitive condition of the whole nervous system which are the natural consequences and the stern penalty of continuous outrages of the laws of health.

THE INDBPEKDENCB OF BELGIUM. The Hou. J. M. Creed presents to the readers of the Contemporary Review what he believes to be the Australian view of the treaty obligations of Great Britain to maintain the independence of Belgium. This undertaking was entered into 70 years ago, for reasons and in circumstances which have long ceased to exist, and it was renewed by Great Britain, Prance, and Prussiaßussia anil Austria withdrawing — in the year 1870. But at the present time Mr. 'Creed argues Belgium is not worth fighting for, should such a necessity arise, especially considering the ingratitude with which Great Britain is being treated by her pretis and people. " Individually or collectively," he observes, "our Government and race have been the subjects of an unprecedented tirade of abuse during, and as a consequence of, the South African war. No doubt this has arisen from the judiciously lavish expenditure of Rand gold by Dr. Leyds and his subsidised myrmidons, unscrupulous adventurers of every nationality. The Boer agents have not only been allowed to make this neutralised kingdom the base of calumnious attack on one of the protecting Powers, but hav« been able so to terrorise its Government as to , carry on their lying propaganda with ■ impunity. " It will be a disagreeable surprise to the King of the Belgians and his Ministry to find in an influential publication like the Contemporary Review, this expression of opinion from an Australian with respect to the treaty obligations of Great Britain in regard to a country which hits allowed its

capital to be made a focus of intrigue and « centre of hostility to a nation without whose guarantee the independence of Belgium would never ... have been • maintained j and which Napoleon 111., in the autumn of 1866, actually proposed to annex to Franco if Prossia would only consent to .sign the treaty which M. Behedetti had .drafted and submitted to Bismarck for that purpose. • r '