NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18019, 18 February 1922, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Switzerland has an army 200,000 strong. As a rule, single women live lunger than single men. Germany has 150 film-play producing companies f,t work. Ambassadors represent Great Britain in 27 foreign countries. The French Army is to-day the most powerful in Europe. Last year 128 mountain climbers their lives in the Alps. There are more muscles in the tail of a rat than in a human hand. The United States has 1964 miles n\ artificial waterways abandoned. Duration of life in America has expanded by five years since 1909. The British Post Office Savings Bank has been established for 60 years. The death rato in England has declined by nearly 50 per cent, since 1870. The swords of Damascus were famous 500 years before the Christian era. Twenty ladies are {.eeresses of the United Kingdom in their own right. Government services ahsnrh 23 per ceni. of the national income of Ureal. Britain. Friendlv societies in the V lited Kingdom numbered 36,900 at the ei J oi 1920 There are to-day 62,000,000 tons gross of shipping afloat or under construction There is no better soil or climate far growing flax in the world than in lieland. Three millionaire estates pf.id death duties in England during the last financial year. Accidents in coalmines in 1920 cause! 1103 deaths and injuries to 117,302 persons. British women are now as smartly shod as those of any other country in tho world. The hieh" tide of prosperity in the buildin? trade of England was reached in 1906.

The Esquimaux of Alaska make waterproof boots and shirts of the skin of the salmon.

Wireless waves all travel at the sam« speed, regardless of their separate lengths.

The record diitancn walked in one hour was eight miles 438 yds., by G. C. Lamer, in 1905

When the peel of s. Japanese orange is removed the sections fail apart without further aid.

Working days " lost" in the United Kingdom since the armistice total 61,000.000.

During the last 60 years the speed of ocean steamers has increased from 8J to 22J knots an hour.

There were 450 mctor-coaehes running regularly from London to seaside resort* and other places last summer.

Income tax in the U.S.A.. which is very low on small incomes, rises as high as 73 per cent, on the largest incomes.

London doubles its population every 30 years and New York every 18. One >u every 19 Americans lives in New York.

One of the results of the partition of Silesia bv the League of Nations' decision will be "to transfer 10,000 German Jews to Poland.

Probably the simplest Court livery in the is that worn in the Ruyai palace of Korea. The Emperor's servants are all dressed in garments and headgear of red calico.

' The sugar factories of the Ukraine aie now formed into one State trust, which will employ 195,000 workers. The estimated production for the two years, 1922 and 1923. will be about 235.000 tons

I Mineral oil has been discovered by a French company operating at Medjiela, Algeria, on a new concession. The quantity of the flow is at the rate of six metric tons every 24 hours.

One hundred yews ago the population of tlie United States was two-thirds farming and one-third city population. 'Joday the city population is greatly in excess 01 the country population.

The French Academy has betsowed a prize of 1000 francs on Mademoiselle Vayssier, a maid who for 37 years served and nursed her mistress without any salary, the mistress being unable to pay wages.

Lithuania is one of the few countries which can claim a favourable trade balance. This is due chiefly to the export of wood, flax, and agricultural produce, including 60,000.000 eggs., the bulk of which go to England.

On January 1, 1922, the metric system was introduced by all Russian Sovipt institutions. From January 1, 1924, the meter and kilogramme will be the only recognised standard units of measure and weight throughout Soviet Russia There are people in Italy who derive -i dismal satisfaction from being admitted to watch the process of cremation at the charge of 4s per head, and that it is the revenue from this source that defrays the cost of cremating the poor folk.

According to official figures, the Argentine Government's oil field's at Commodore Rivadavia, produced 1,462,000 barrels during the first nine months of 1921. This is only 3000 barrels less than th» production of the whole year 1920. As illustrating the excellence of th« paper (which is made from unused linen scraps) upon which Bank of-England notes are printed, it is stated that when one of these notes is twisted into a rope it will sustain a weight of 3791b. Germany is regaining her hold on the Italian film market. Whereas in 1920 of a total of 130 foreign films that entered Italy, 44 were German, fur the first ten months of 1921 Germany supplied 270 out of a total of 481 imported.

In 1920 Ireland had the lowest death rate ever recorded. Also, the birth rale exceeded that ol previous years, and 8.) persons more than 100 years old jrai-sed away. The records show 1175 caws of twin's born and 12 sets of triplets.

Canada has opened negotiations with Australia to obtain the i-anic preferential treatment as is granted to Britain nn ner paper exports to Australia. The Commonwealth Customs Department has no information for publication on the subject.

The " lynching tree" at Fort North, Texas, upon which two persons were hanged by mobs last year, was cut down recently by rountv officials. It was conveniently located'on the roadside, only <t short distance from the county gaol.

The feedin" of necessitous children at the London schools has had to be greatly extended because of the prevalent unemployment. The daily free meals art) 115 000 dinners, 7700 breakfasts, and 74 000 milk meals. 'The additional cost is £64,000.

The Royal crown of Rumania is m;ida of bronze, the metal once having done service in the shape of cannon. Specimens of metal from 62 different guns, each captured from sorao enemy, are included in the make-up of this oddly-con-structed Imperial insignia.

A recent notice from Porto Alegrc, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, states that a new coal bed has been found about eleven kilometers from Rio Pardo. While no deep soundings have been made, it is believed that the mine is a rich ono as pure coal is found all along the level of the ground. The deposit is conveniently located for transportation both bywater and rail.

Great improvements aro being effected in the French railway system, and tho rolling stock now includes about 10(W locomotives and 50,000 cars more than before the war. Traffic has ineKMgj and an average of 40,000 car!! are loaded daily. To b7 added to the 26£»i «g now in actual operation m CbatmenW. France there mitt ■*■-/g.SB ronstruction and 638 milea projeUM,