NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

RADIUM AND CANCER. More or less sensational reports have recently appeared in the world's press regarding the cure of certain forms of cancer by the influence of radium. On such a subject laymen are apt to jump to conclusions not wan-anted by the facts, and false hopes have been raised. One instance is recorded of a poor sufferer spending his last penny on radium. The Lancet has felt it necessary, on behalf of the medical profession, to sound a word of warning. "The crucial question is," it says, "how many cases of undoulted and inoperable malignant disease have been completely relieved by radium treatment and have remained apparently cured sufficiently long to give reasonable hopes of permanent relief? The number must be small, we think, and the permanent, relief probably only occurs when the circumstances are unusually favourable. Up to the present radium has brought us little, if any. nearer to the discovery of a definite cure for malignant disease. At the same time we are glad to be able to record consideralle advances in practical radium therapy. With larger supplies of radium, and greater experience in applying it where it can do the most good, an increasing number of cases are being relieved and remaining well for a longer time. Far more progress would have been made if all malignant growths of any given variety reacted to radium in a similar mannerBut cases apparently alike may give opposite results in the same treatment, and though this may be overcome by improved technique, the difficulty is a serious one." The Lancet concludes that far more clinical records ace required before anything is said in public. EMIGRATION FROM BRITAIN. The Board of Trade returns show that 388,813 British subjects, emigrated from the United Kingdom duing 1913, of whom 284,663 went to other parts of the Empire, and 104,150 to foreign countries. British North America, received the greatest proportion, 190,903, Australia 56,799, New Zealand 14,244, and British South Africa 10,919. Of the hundred thousand who went to ''oreign countries the United States secured 94,660. Male British ".migrants numbered 178,468 arid there were 140,696 women and 69,649 children under twelve years of age. The total British emigration for December —— a considerable decrease compared with the 14,125 emigrants during 1912. Immigra-g'-ants to the United Kingdom, i.e., persons arriving from places out of Europe to t"k° up a permanent residence, totalled 90,736, of whom 86,758 were British subjects. Other parts of the Empire contributed 61.599—26,401 coming from British North America, 12,290 from Australia, and 10.504 from South Africa.

FROZEN MEAT MARKET.

The devulopmcnt of the English chilled and frozen meat trade was recently th« subject of comment at the Dominions Royal Commission. There was an enormous ar.d increasing demand from the Continent, the United States, and elsewhere, for supply through England said one wit- ! ness, who expressed the view that there J would be a greater demand for home consumption if the commodity could be reduced in price. This view, however, is not shared by one of the largest British | importers of frozen meat, who was inter- ' viewed by a press representative. "My experience during many years past,", he said, " is that the sales of frozen meat in t the United Kingdom are not materially : increased when prices rule low. Low prices, strange to say, do rot tempt the consumer so much as might be generally supposed, and the suggestion, therefore, that reduced prices would increase the I consumption of frozen meat in this country does not hold good." •

MANY STRIKES IN 1913.

The trade disputes recorded in Great Britain during 1913 amounted to more than double the average (628) of the preceding 20 years. The number of workpeople involved was about twice as many as the average (345,482) of the same period. The ■ aggregate duration in working days (11,491,000) of all disputes in progress in ■ 1913 was greater than in any year except 1893 and 1912, both years m which great coal disputes were in pro . gress. Two important disputes materially contributed towards this total : —(1) The strike of metal-workers in the Midlands, which began in April and ended in July, aggregating about 1,400,000 working days ; and (2) the dispute in Dublin, in which up to December 31 the aggregate duration amounted to 1,780,000 working days. The majority of the disputes of the year arose out of demands for increased wages, the proportion of such disputes to the total being considerably higher than in recent years. Although the greater number of disputes were settled by compromises, the number of those settled in favour of the workpeople exceeded those settled in favour of the employers, and the proportion of such completely successful disputes to the total was higher than in any of the previous five years. The proportion of the total number of persons engaged in industrial occupations who were involved in disputes in 1913 was about 5.6 per cent., and the amount of working time lost by disputes at the works immediately effected was equivalent to about one day per head if spread over the whole industrial population.

GROWTH OF OIL TRADE. Over 420,000,000 gallons of oil were imported into the United Kingdom during 1913. The growth in the oil trade is astounding. Whilst illuminating oils appear to hold their ground, enormous advances are being made in the use of motor spirit and fuel oil. The demand for lubricating oil also rises yearly. Seven years ago the Thames Haven oil tanks received but 7000 tons of motor spirit in the twelve months. Last year they received 230,000 tons, the of 71,508,510 gallons. This is an increase in lees than a decade of 3000 per cent. The present annual consumption of oil fuel in the navy is estimated at 200,000 ton?. The contracts for this fuel are divided between the Maxican and Roumanian oilfields. ARMY BREAD. Some remarkable facts are given with regard to the way in which the Army at Aldershot manufactures bread for the troops. The Army bread is produced by a plant of the very latest type. Labour is strictly economised, and the work made exceedingly pleasant. The Aldershot bread factory using the best material with the latest appliances, can be witnessed with pleasure and even with enthusiasm, the process used is so economic, so cleanly, and so clever. But the product is even more remarkable for its' cheapness than for its goodness. According to the Board of Trade Labour Gazette for December, the price of bread throughout England, Wales, and Scotland averaged between 5.39 d and 6.36 d for 41b, the average for the whole of Great Britain being 5.92 d, or as nearly as possible 6d per 41b loaf. The cost price of the Aldershot bread during the first half 'of 1912 came out at 8s 6d for 1001b, or as nearly as possible fourpence for the 41b loaf.