GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 16 (Supplement)

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

DISPLAY OF ELECTIVE DEPOSIT. Mr. J. R. Chambury, who stood as an Independent Conservative candidate for Bath, displayed in his shop window on May 7 his election deposit of £lso—all in gold. So keen was the public interest in tho unusual display that tho police had to inform an assistant that tho exhibit was causing an obstruction. Tho money was then removed. JOURNALISTS AT GENEVA. Statistics prepared bv the League of Nations Secretariat show that tho number of individual journalists counting each "journalist once—howevor many meetings ho may have attended—who havo been to Geneva since tho creation of the League exceeds 1400. Theso journalists belong to more than 1000 newspapers and periodicals from 52 countries. There are 109 newspaper correspondents permanently resident :li .Geneva. RICH MAN SEEKS A WIFE, How a rich American's offer of a luxurious homo and £3OOO a year to tho woman who would becomo his wifo has been declined is told by tho Rev. Joseph Shepherd, M.A., minister of Islington Chapel, in London. Mr. Shepherd was by a rich 'American of early middle-ago. living in .New York, to find him a wife, but, although Mr. Shepherd put this proposal to a women's meeting at his church not, ono woman present snowed tho slightest interest in tho suggestion. HEN'S AIR RECORD, Fluttering down 2000 ft. on her own wing-power, from an aeroplane whenco fhe had been dropped, a bantam hen alighted safely on her feet at a ranch near Alviss, California. Strutting about for a time, giving vent to her righteous indignation with loud cackling, sho then laid an egg. Mr. John Brown, tho r&nch owner, found fastened to tho bird's leg with tiny ceLluloid rings a slip of paper 011 which was written: —" Thi3 chicken dropped 2000 ft. from an aeroplane. Finders aro keepers." BOY KILLED IN A DUEL. Two European boys, one armed with a small-boro rifle and tho other with a catapult, fought a duel at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The boys belonged to a party which had been shooting in tho hush country! and it was decided to settlo tho matter by a duel.

Starting back to back, tho beys paced off a stated number of steps, swung round and fired. The catapult missilo missed, but tho rifio bullet struck tho other boy in tho chest, and ho sank to tho ground in a dying condition.

UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION PARADE

Tho police at Harrogate, Yorkshire, are priding themselves on having arranged an identification parade which is claimed to be unique. A man of 85 was suspected of having stolen jewellery from an hotel. As he denied tho chargo the police wero faced with tho problem of getting men of his own ag9 to attend an identification parade After searching the town the police found nine men, each aged more than 80 years. One of the octogenarians retired from tho police force 29 years ago. GERMANS IN ENGLAND. Five years ago, when Emil Jannings, the great German actor, made a personal appearance at a London cinema, everyone, except the management, thought there would bo a riot simply because of his nationality. Since then German runners, German authors, German Rugby footballers, and German singers have visited the country as well a3 German business men and visitors.

With German opera at Covent Garden and .1 German heavy-weight fighting Phi 1 Scott at the Albert Hall, says a London writer, Germans are penetrating peacefully and deeply into the life of England.

SMALL BUT VALUABLE PICTURES.

There was another auction surprise at Sotheby's rooms in London on May 8, when a tiny picture only 12in. by Sin. in eize wa3 sold for £6500, It i 3 an exquisite piece of work by an unknown Sieneso master of about 1320. It depicts an angel of tho Annunciation, and originally formed one wing of a diptych, of which the other wing is in the collection of Mr. M. A. Stoclet, of Brussels. An opening offer of only £IOO was mado for the picture but it was soon evident that several dealers were eager to obtain it. Messrs. Duveen, however, outbid all their competitors. IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR. Stylo and colour are tho dominating Influence in merchandising in tho United States. Clothing, fountain pens, toilet articles, alarm clocks, wardrobe trunks, roofs, furniture, plumbing fixtures—these and many other items, afl depend on tho style and colour note, "to make the grade." In Chicago, a park committee of management went so far as to buy rose-tinted gravel, just to make the walks harmonise with a particularly beautiful fountain. A shop on Michigan Boulevard in Chicago exhibits an orange-coloured refrigerator with a green parrot painted on tho door, and it looks beautiful. Automobile manufacturers, too, are concerned with lines, shape and colour, and tho greatest of tbeso is colour. PRIZES FOR GOOD FARMING. Tho Bulgarian National Assembly has rl'ecided to make an appropriation of about £1,000,000 for premiums to be given to the peasants who raise the best farm animals and grain and fruit, and who make tho most improvements on their farms this year. Tho Government finds that this is an effectivo way to stimulato interest in better farming methods. It will also spend about £16,000 ori peasant excursions to foreign lands. In tho course of tho year a. few of the moro promising agriculturists in a largo number of villages will bo sent to Denmark and other countries in order to get acquainted at first hand with improved agricultural methods. The Government, will also continue to distribute modern machinery and ceedy at cost prico or for less than cost. VALUE OF GOOD TEETH. The Prince of Wales, when he laid tho foundation-stone of the dental clinic of tiio Royal Free Hospital, London, a few weeks ago, remarked that good tooth had always been valued for three reasons. Firstly, they wore very useful; secondly, good toeth wero essential to good appearance, which had been a matter of moment to all women and most men since tho creation of human beings; thirdly, good teeth were essential to good health and fitness, although it was only comparitively recently that this had been realised.

Mr. Stanley Baldwin, who also spoke, paid t'lat. from tho point of view of i> Statesman, teeth played an important pai't. Ho continued : —"Upon good teeth ro*ts tho digestion; upon digestion rests the temper; and if all people had perfect teeth tncro would bo less rot talked. Tooth may not matter ro much to women, bocause they only hold cigarettes between their lips, but to a man who smokes a pipe teeth ar? very important."

CHARGES OF SUNDAY TRADING. In 1927, tho last year for which there aro figures ready, there were in England and Wales neativ 30.000 charges brought in tho courts regarding Sunday trading. Thero wero in ono county borough alone —Kingston upon-Uull—twico as many of theso charges as in all tho rest of Engand Wales put together. THOUSAND POUNDS FOR A DUCK. Few people would caro to givo £IOOO for a duck. This was, however, tho aluo of one exhibited recently. It was a specimen of tho Labrador duck, which is rarer than tho famous great auk. Only forty-five specimens exist. This duck inhabited tho north oastern coast of America until about fifty years ago, when it disappeared suddenly, and not a single specimen has been seen in tho neighbourhood. A WONDERFUL COPPER MINE. At Falun, in tho central Swedish provinco of Dalecarlia, is a great copper mine that for centuries was tho country's greatest source of material wealth. Tho mino has been worked continuously for moro than 700 years. Moro than 500,000 tons of copper havo been removed from tho mine, besides 15 tons of silvpr and a ton of gold. To-day tho great bulk of its wealth has been exhausted, and it is now tho by-products that aro of chief importance. CANDLE AUOTION SYSTEM. An ancient English custom was recently observed in tho letting of a parish meadow at Broadway, Dorset, by candlo auctionthat is, by lighting an inch of candlo and awarding the desired loaso to tho last bidder beforo it flickers out—marks a survival of a once common method of conducting sales. It, is not altogether extinct elsewhere for at, Butterwich, near Boston, Lines., custom decrees that a meadow, tho rent of which goes to. local charities, shall bo let in a very similar manner. The Butterwick method is to stick a pin in tho sido of a candle, which i 3 lit as tho bidding commences. The land goes to tho last highest bidder before tho pin falls. MOTORCARS IN AMERICA, Dr. A. Mackenzie, tho architect of golf courses, remarked recently how, enormously bo was impressed by tho individualist spirit of tho American worker, and tho prosperity which 110 believes is duo to it. In California, where tho number of cars averages a little over one for each family, ho found most of the caddies driving to the course in their own cars. On ono occasion, when Dr. Mackenzie was in a hurry to get back to bis hotel, his difficulty was solved by his _ caddy offering him a lift. But the limit was reached when ho found twenty or thirty cars outside an elementary freo school. Boys of 12, ho learned, %vero in tho habit of driving their sisters to school. And accidents wero surprisingly few. ELECTIONS AND INSURANCE. Ono of tho minor humours of tho British general election concerns insurance. An enterprising insurance company circularised some of tho* members of the Labour party beforo the recent election, offering them insurance against the loss of their £l5O deposit, and insurance against theii expenses, not exceeding a sum of £IOOO in tho event of their nonreturn.

Considerable indignation wa3 aroused in the Labour party by the receipt of this offer, but it was understood that a number of candidates, nevertheless, intended to take out the policy. Tho premium was a matter of arrangement—depending on the candidate's chances of success.

ANCIENT BOAR'S HEAD CUSTOM.

The annual banquet of the ancient Cutlers' Company is always attended by the Lord Mayor of London. Thi3 custom has been maintained practically continuously for 500 years. Before tho dinner an oration known as the " Boar's Head oration " i 3 delivered ; then a boar's head is carried in on a monster salver, preceded by the beadlo of the company carrying his wand of office. Behind walks an official bearing a great ivory-handled knife and fork of the finest British steel. The members stand while tho choir from Christ Church, Greyfriars, sing 3 the old carol: The " Boar's Head " as I understand, Ts tho finest disb in all the land. The origins of tho customs aro said to dato from Viking days. LARGEST RAILWAY STATION. Probably everyono could name off-hand the four great railway systems in Great Britain, on which 1,068,984,221 passengers, exclusive of season-ticket holders, travel every year, but how many could state the total mileagp of railways, the number of locomotives id use, the fastest run ever achieved, or name tho largest station ? Tho total mileage of British railways, steam and electric, is 52,332 miles. There aro 23,995 steam and 42 electric locomotives and 4497 electric carriages in uso. Tho fastest run ever achieved was on Alav 9, 1904, when the Great Western Railway engine " City of Truro " attained 102.3 mile 3 per hour on a portion of the journey between Plymouth and London. Tho largest railway station is Waterloo, with 14,628 ft. of platforms. INVISIBLE GUARDIAN OF WEALTH. Tho finest collection of privately owned silver plate ever got together under ono roof was recontly shown in London in tho great ballroom of tho rosidence of Lord and Lady Howard do Walden. Iho total valuo ot tho exhibits, which number 700, was estimated to bo £500,000. Extraordinary precautions wero takon to ensure their safety. Tho principal protection was afforded by tho uso of a wireless ray installation. The ray passed immediately in front of tho exhibits. Should an admiring visitor in his enthusiasm, even eo much as point with his finger at ono of tho pieces of plato, the bells would fill tho mansion with their warning. Tho rav was also used as !i protection against burglars It passed over all windows, shutters, and doors in and around tho ballroom and drawing room, and tho merest movement of any of them would break the unseen cordon. Hiere was installed, furthermore, a remarkably sensitive system of alarms, which even tho smallest puff of smoke or burst of flamo would set in action. SUCCESS OF BLIND LAWYERS. There aro now nearly 30 blind men practising with success in tho legal pro- J fession of Great Britain. Most "f them are solicitors, but recently threo blind men wero called to tho Bar. Aided by tho teaching at tho National Instituto foi tho Blind, tho sightless have oeen able to become successful as clergymen, schoolmasters, organisers, masseurs, instrumentalists, lecturers, secretaries, upholsterers, and printers In addition, there aro blind men and women working sido by sido with tho sighted in scores of factories, and their numbers aro steadily increasing. Never before has the position of tho 50,000 blind peoplo in Great Britain been so neb in promise of equality in opportunity. We have 6000 text-books in several languages available for students," Mr. J. Do La Mare Rowley said recently. "If an applicant asks for a book wo havo not got, one of our 130 volunteer Braille writers will make one, even if tho book is needed in one of the ' dead ' languages."