GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20112, 24 November 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

WOMEN WORKERS IN JAPAN. Out of the population of more than 29,000,000 women in Japan, moro than 0,900,000 are in occupations of one kind or another. This number includes 1620 women employers, 108,826 women teachers, and 116,079 women in tho fnodical profession.

There are tt, 167,000 women labourers, representing, as a matter of fact, moro than 50 per cent, of tho wholo numbor of labourers in Japan to-day NOT SO NEW AFTER ALL. Many things peoplo look upon as essentially modern wero actually known many years ago. Tho pneumatic tyre, for example, was invented as early as 1845, but was unwanted; whilo the fountain pen wa3 patented in 1809, but found little acceptance. Roller skates were known in 1823, but bad roads provented their use. The roll-top resk was decribed id 1772; safety razors in 1762; a loud-speaker in 1671; a diving bell in 1664; and a periscope in 1702. | ' * FILM STAR'S £30,000 EYES. Stage and screen stars havo dovelopcd the habit of insuring whatover parts of themselves that they deem tho most perishable Caruso insured his throat, Paderewski his hands, and Pavlova her feet. Now Mabel Poulton, tho film star, has insured her eyes for £30,000. The policy provides for tho affliction called " Kleig " eyes, which ate due to tho fierce lighting used. iler premiums are £350 per minimi. RELIC OF FAMOUS TREE. At St. I'ancras church, London, there to n reli< ol that Famous Fair lop Oak in Hainault Forest, the mighty tree that was 45ft. in gir'h and threw its shade over 300 aqua re feet. The tree was famous In the davs of Queen Anne, who paid a special visit to thy forest to seo it. Tho tree was destroyed in a storm in 1820, after being badly d amaged by fire in 1805. A part ol the trunk was made into u pulpit and reading desk, and these ore now in Si. L'ancras church. ILL LUCK FOR, A CHURCH. Within a day of tho lust brick being laid in position, a new £15,000 London church, St. Judo's, Thornton Heath, was badly damaged by a mysterious firo. J'wo poignant features of tho outbreak were that the raising of money to build the church had been a labour of love and Sacrifice by the congregation for over 20 years. The vicar, the Rev. George Frarey Whittleton. who is blind, wept as the progress of tho liro was described to liiin by friends AN HISTORIC FARMHOUSE. An historic farmhouse situated amid picturesque surroundings has boon pro nerved by the action of the Hendon Rural District Council in purchasing as a recrea tion ground and open space Headstone Manor Farm, near Harrow. The farmhouse, which is of monastic origin, and which, from 1344 onward, was the country house of the Arch bishops of Canterbury, is surrounded by a moat and ponds, and the buildings adjoining include a huge titiio barn erected in the fifteenth century.

TRESTLE-TABLE WITH HISTORY. For fifty years a trestle-table, covered with red baize, which was brought in for tho use of tho revisers of tho Bible, has stood in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey. The woris oi the revisers ended in 1881, but tho table remained until the authorities just recently ordered its removal. AFTER FIFTY YEARS. 13oth aged 74, two sweethearts who parted filty years ago have been married and arc living happily together in tho villago of Long Itchington, near Rugby. They went to school together and wcro sweethearts when they were about twenty, but in the years that followed both were married to others, and their partners died. After tho parting tho couple did not meet until a fow weeks ago, when tho husband, Mr. William Shepherd, made inquiries about his old sweetheart, and found her in tho village mentioned. AFTER THREE HUNDRED YEARS. Three hundred years before tho Christian era, a man's body was laid in an Etruscan tomb by sorrowing relatives. Tho other liaiy Ugo Ferraguiti, an archaeologist, dug it up, with joy in his heart. Tho tomb is near tho site of Vulci, ono of the richest cities of Eturia. Eperts say they believe that tho remains are thoso of a famous warrior, king, 'or poet of thoso times, for around his head is a laurel wreath, tho leaves of which are almost green and thero are still truces ol gold ornamentation upon it. CAT AS RAILWAY SERVANT. Tom, an ordinary brin<jled cat, is perhaps tho only feline in the world in tho employ of a railway company. lie is regularly entered on tho books oi the Kansas City Southern railway to draw a compensation of 6s a month, which is used to buy his food. Damngt. to caigo,' caused by rats was heavy hist autumn, and 'loin was ' hired " when his ability as an exter minaior of rodents was proved in competition with a number of his kind. Tom observes regular hours und novor worries about overtimo. LANDMARK TO BE PRESERVED. fhe Wimbledon Council has decided that " (Jicsar's Camp," just by Wimbledon Common, which was recently threat ended by a. building project, shall bo scheduled under tho council's townplanning Bcheino as an open space for ever. The camp, at tho south-west corner of tho common, is a circular entrenchment of about 7 acres, formerly known us the " Hounds" and " Bansbury." It is only within the last 100 vears that it has been called " Cseesar's Camp"—probably erroneously, for its Uornan origin is doubtful. OLD MAN'S 260-MILE WALK. Although he is 88 years old, William Davy an inmate of a Lincolnshire work houso, recently walked to London and back, a distance of 260 miles, because he wished to see Mr Neville Chamberlain to find out whether tho Guardians were de ducting too much from his old ago pen sion. Whon ho reached lxmdon Mr Davy found that the man he soiight was away. During the tramp he slept by the roadside. In 1910, whon 70, ho walked to London and interviewed Mr. John Hums, then president of the Board of Irade, relativo to pension matters.

NEW TYPE OF LIFEBOAT. No longer will shipwrecked passengers have to depend on tho stato of the tide and wind or upon tho hardiness of their ship's crew for their safety. The old typo of lifeboat, worked with oars, which has been carried aboard ships for many years past, is now being replaced by the motor lifeboat. Tho motor-boat is a good deal easier to handle in a rough sea, and in it land can bo reached in a far shorter time than hitherto. It will also reduce the risk of food supplies being exhausted before help is available. German liners will be the first to carry these new lifeboats. Each ship will bo equipped with 20 CIGARETTES FOR PRISONERS. When a young Aberdeen grocer named Alexander Duncan was fined lialf a guinea recently for having supplied an inmate of Craiginches Prison with tobacco by throwing a cigarette over the prison wall, the prison governor said that Duncan was not the typo of man they wero trying to get hold of. There were apparently some old gaolbirds, who tried to supply the prisoners with cigarettes more or less systematically, causing not a litLlo trouble. Duncan said.that he was strolling past tho prison wall when a man engaged on building work near tho wall asked for a " fag." Out of kindness, arid believing ho was doing no harm, he threw a cigaretto over WEARING A MAP OF A CITY. Some startling toilettes have recently appeared in Paris. One woman was seen in a pale silk frock covered with a lightly etched design which was a map of the Gay City Amid tho tracery of the boulevards and avenues with their outstanding features —the Louvre, Notre Dame Arc do Triomphe, and so on—tho pale green Seine looped tho loop across her back, winding from the city island to tho Bois do Boulogno. A hansome woman, who owns a racing stable, was in whito silk, upon which were embroidered, in colours, horses and jockeys racing towards a winning-post. A professional dancer had her own figure in airy pose painted on the border of her flounced skirt and sleeves. . HONOUR TO NOTED WOMEN. For a scccond time a woman mayor of Great Britain has cone abroad and been accorded civic honours by other nations. The visit to Europe early in the year of Miss Margaret Beavan. the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and her reception in Italy by Mussolini was an event of considerable interest. Now comes tho visit to tho United States of Alderman Mrs Welch, tho mayor of Southampton, who also holds the title of Admiral of the E'ort of Southampton When Mrs. Welch reached New York on the Leviathan, at the foremast of which her flag was flown, she landed in full robes of ollice, and was greeted with naval and civic honours by the City of New York, her naval rank entitling he> to full admiral's saluto. HOW TO DEFINE A BCOTSMAN. The British War Office has presented all who like an orgument with a new puzzle They have issued instructions that until further notico only bona fido Scotsmen are to be allowed to join the Scots Guards But what is a " bona fido Scotsman ? " a newspaper asked. Ono answer that has been givon is " a man born of Scot tisb parents, no matter where he was born." Another interpretation is that any mau whose father is Scottish is cli gible. The London Scottish have fairly severe rules to govern recruiting, but they are said to have relaxed them during tho war and allowed anyone who possessed property in Scotland to enlist. They wero then confronted with a would-be lacruit who stated that he had a pair of trousers being cleaned and pressed in Forth!

WOMAN'S NOBLE DEED. A touching story of the noblo pndo of a poor woman living at Eaton Bray, near Dunstable, recently camo to light, Sho is a widow and lives in a cottage with her two children. Although she has been entitled to a widow's pension since her husband died some time ago, sho has refused to draw the money, and when a considerable sum had accumulated at tho local post-oflicc tho pcnsiou was stopped. The woman has all along held strong views about having relief from the guardians, and refused assistance many times, but her circumstances wero such that the guardians felt justified in urging her to take the relief. But now sho lias insisted on repaying no less than £39. Sho has becomo possessed of small means, which sho hopes will enable her to continue her independent attitude. ANIMAL'S SIXTH SENSE. Jn addition to tho five senses human beings enjoy, it seems that animals and birds have one that enables them to divine a littlo of tho future and what it holds for them. Tho saying, " Rats will leave a sinking ship," indicates a strange foreknowledgo on the part of these creatures. Fish, birds, and animals aro invariably true weather prophets. Sea-birds know in some curious way when a storm is approaching. Though the weather is fine and the sky gives 110 warning of a coming storm, they are moved by some common impulse to mako their way inland. Wild geese will also fly from the approach of a thunderstorm. Ants will desert their nests, taking their babies and eggs with them, 24 hours before tho outbreak of a forest lire. Rabbits will leave burrows made in lowlying ground long beforo a flood occurs. They have somo weird premonition which forces thcin to soek higher ground beforo tho danger is upon them. UNDERGROUND BRITISH RIVERS. The Peak District is Britain's land of mystery. Not 011 tho surface, but boneuth it—the whole of the country hero is honeycombed with underground passages and caverns, through which flow subterranean rivers that occasionally widen out into great lakes. 1 A certain amount of exploration and experiment has already been carried out, as a result of which peoplo are beginning to know something about this strange underworld. Ultimately, indeed, it is hoped to prepare a map of it. But tho latest attempted to solvo the mystery of one ot I'eakland's disappearing rivers, tho Hamps, has been unsuccessful. 111? rive.' is supposed to flow underground for about five and a-lialf miles, reappearing in the grounds of Ham Hall. By means of colour tests it was proved last year that this happened in tho ease 01 the Manifold, a sistei stream, but all tho tests havo been unavailing in the case of tho Ilainps. CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE. It is now just 50 years since Cleopatra's Needlo went to London and was reelected on the Thames Embankment At tho time somo superstitious people wero worried iu case some Egyptian curso might bo attached to it—tho vicissitudes of its voyage from Alexandria almost suggested that—and it would bring misfortune to Britain. But tho change of air seems to have been unlucky only for tho monument itself. After withstanding the desert winds for centuries, it is said to be disintegrating slowly owing to tho effects of London snioko and mist. Still, it stand long enough yet for tho articles buried undor its pedestal to be of real antiquarian valuo. Tho articles includo a set of the coinage, 3 pound weight, a foot measure, a Bradshaw railway guide, a shilling razor, a feeding-bottle, and a box of hairpins. Tho last-named, at any rate, is practically an " antiquo " already.