General News Items

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 5 (Supplement)

General News Items

f LONG-LIVED PIT PONIES. | Sixty ponies from South Wales ' übbed shoulders with some of the world's $ Le3t thoroughbreds at tho International #' Horse Show at Olympia last month, i Those ponies are really horses, stand--1 • _ on an average from 14 to 15 hands, f and it is claimed for them that they are longer-lived than animals working above v'ground. \ I- piGrEON ARMY ON THE WING. I . Twemty-four thousand pigeons in EngV land spent a day in May in the air. 'XVo special trams—4o pigeon vans— I? locally known as the " Blue Train " from f; j^ e wcastle-upon-Tyne and tho " Red - Train" from South Shields, carried them to Peterborough and -Hitchin respectively. 'phe pigeons were released early in tho kerning to mako tho journey home of 236 t miles by their own wing power. t' ISLE WITHOUT DIVORCE LAW. The ninth application for divorce in fifty years was recently before the Legis•lative Council of the Isle of Man. There is no divorce law in tho island, and a special Bill has to bo passed for each . the Council has passed the Bill, " it h;i!i to be passed by the House of Keys, jent to London for Royal Assent, and f finally promulgated from the open-air Tynwald Court. GJJEAT RECORD OF SERVICE. Tw brothers at Haverhill, Suffolk/ Chafles Backler and Imri Backler, have completed a combined period of service a t Chauntry Mills, of 113 years. ']\lr. Imri Backler, the elder, who is - ' 69 years of age, entered the factory at 1 $0 age of 10, and for upward of 48 years he and his brother, who is also a tailor's | t cutter, have been working side by side at the same bench. The brothers were ' born.,at Haverhill, and their parents and : also their four grandparents were all natives of the town. \

AN EMBARRASSING WINDFALL. ', What to .do with £II,OOO is a problem - which the Derbyshire village of Little ■Eaton finds itself unable to solve. And it has been considering it for some years. Thß £II,OOO was a legacy, but the testator, r Mr.- Thomas Bates, apportioned it among a series of schemes which he desired should be carried out, but for most of which the sums allocated are inadequate. For instance, he directed that ;£IOOO should be spent- to provide a swim-' ming bath, £3OOO devoted to secure a dis- • trict nurse, and £IOOO for apprenticeship and scholarship, while the residua of the estate should be devoted either toward almshouses or a library. "TANK" NAMED BY WORKMEN. The men who invented the terse name of "Tank" for the land ironclads, introduced ■ in the British Army in the „coarse of the Great War, were British How the name came to be applied was explained at' Southampton lately by Sir William Tritton, who took a prominent part in the development of tanks. " I Wit tho first at my own expense," he said, " and as I wanted to keep the machine a secret I sent the drawings to r-; rtiie engineering shops marked water /> carrier for Mesopotamia.' That was too . long a name for the-workmen, and the -'Best day the thing was known as "the "''tank 1 ' !!| LONDON'S UNSAFE STREETS. ■ Figures published show that last year _*as : the worst on record for street acciv dents in London, 3303 persons having §§feri killed and 55,961 injured. The deathSi roll was 36 higher than the previous re- ; ; cord, set up in 1929. The number of fatalities rose in each successive quarter—in the first they were : 320, 339 in the second, 362 in the third, and 377 in the last. There has been a similar steady rise in , the yearly figures since 1921, when the number killed was 571, except in 1925, when the increase was checked, only to leap forward in 1926. the causes of fatal accidents pedestrians " crossing without due care " list. But the number of lives : lost because of people hesitating or faltering is on the increase. Private cars and commercial 'vehicles are responsible for the majority of accidents. EMPIRE'S YOUNGEST CAPITAL. Building a palace is naturally a costly business, and when the palace is designed to house the ruler of India, that land of famous - and sumptuous buildings, one might expect enormous figures to be involved. But it has-been revealed that the Viceroy's House at New Delhi, the EmFa's youngest capital city, which was • inaugurated recently, cost only £877,136. I <ol ' that relatively small sum one of the wost beautiful palaces in the whole world has been obtained. -[he two Secretariats, which flank the processional way to the Viceroy's House, cost £1,302,000. Adding that to the cost of the Viceroy's. House itself and its subsidiary building 3, a total of £2,555,000 is arrivedat—about half the estimated cost of the incompleted offices of the L.C.C. _ Altogether, the Government of India has had to pay just under £10,250,000 for the new capital, which Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, who has just visited it, describes' as " the cheapest creation of a ; young and beautiful capital that the world has yet seen." H MANY PEOPLE WITH ONE NAME. , Northafnptorishire can boast of a village 111 which one-third of the inhabitants possess the same surname. This is Bozeat, *hich has a population of jnst over a jwusapd. Nearly three hundred, of them oave the surname of Drage. Mauy villages and small towns can shew surprising numbers of a few surnames : ? ni °ng their inhabitants, but nowhere else J* such a large percentage of people with same name to be found. It is difficult to discover how it all happened. Surnames are a 'comparatively modern iristi"Hion, for in tho old days there were Done, ro distinguish between two Williams, • might be referred to as " William, Robert's son," and,the other, " William ; roij] Handley." In course of time this shortened to " William Robertson and William Handley." Or, again, a man ?ht be known by his trade, " John the - becoming John Smith. Where v "{ages came from is a mystery, for •ere is no mention of them in' the old . - cords, ' 1 " HANDEL'S SMITHY." ' c Middlesex County Council recently an application from a firm of • - n , Inerc hants for permission to erect 'i p 1 ) Public footpath along High Street, luA W i^ ve ' wo posts from which to " flood--7i their offices. 1 "e firm stated that the premises were - as "Handel's Smithy," where the : harmonious Blacksmith" worked, and i'f Slte carried with it traditional local endeavoured to pre§g ,j v '® "lose associations in the treatment 'f"o °® ce > a fact which had resulted, a commercial, point of view, in its It in ■ t ?° Tho posts, Bft. Iha v® ' he used to light up , la ®*ito at night. 'ti i ?' te was at one time, according • Edition, occupied by William u arrn Q n ' OUS Blacksmith," fae f ?hythmical. beating on his forge—.M./W 0 "? the tradition says in accord ffi jik tune he was singing or whistling, ■ ■ iprrKl ' the church bells then pf&teMV P ealin g—suggested to Handel his cksrnlth" °* " armor " ous

SLIDING DOWN A MOUNTAIN. Visitors to Madeira go to the top of the mountain which dominates Funchal, ho principal town. Once at the top, they have no worry about descending the necessary 3000 ft., as they slide down ln ( huge basket-work sledges. These sledges are controlled by two natives who grease tho runners as the strange conveyance proceeds down tho smooth path laid for.it. - ■ — — a BRITISH RAILWAY RECORD. Ihe world's longest daily non-stop railway run is that made bv the Flying Scotsman between Edinburgh and' King's Cross, a distance o£ 393 miles. The British railways also hold the highest railway speed record. This was just over 102 miles an hour, between Paddincton and Plv mouth in 1904. The .fastest start-to-stop daily railway run in the world is between Paddington and Swindon, which is 77 miles in 70 minutes, over 66 miles an hour. VETERAN MUSICAL GENIUS. Many famous musicians have visited Mr. John Stephenson, a 70-year-old genius, living near Leyburn, Yorkshire, who can play 25 different instruments. In fact, he can " tune up almost anything tunable." In his hillside cottage home Mr. Stephenson, formerly a silver refiner, has one each of the different instruments he plays. These range from a concertina and musical glasses to a cornet, which he likes best. He has conducted three famous Swaledale bands in his time. NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM. Some English cities are taking 'their traffic lights from posts beside street intersections and sinking them in a line across tho roadway, flush with the surface. When traffic is to- be stopped these lights make a vivid red line across the highway. This system of sunken, lights are more easily seen by motorist's, who naturally have their eyes on the road ahead. It also is claimed the red lights exerts a psychological effect on drivers, who are less likely to drive across a red line than across a red light beside the road. QUIETER ; CHARABANCS. The British Ministry of Transport has made stern regulations with regard to the misuse of motor-coaches. Charabanc passengers„ are no longer to bo allowed to throw bottles or any other articles into the roadway, or to throw out money for children to sci amble for The use of noisy instruments is prohibited and regulations set out that 1 if singing is indulged in it must not be so excessively loud as to annoy the public. The trailing of balloons and streamers is also banned, and riotous and disorderly conduct is discouraged. If necessary the driver or conductor, or a policeman, my remove any passenger who is a nuisance. NEW NAME FOR AEROPLANE. Proof that the American Indians are both imaginative and humorous on occasion was illustrated recently when an air express passenger linep stopped at an Arizona airport, Buffalo Head, a Navajo who had spent several years at the Government Indian school, was visiting the airport with his wife and several children. , , After the passengers had deplaned and gas was taken on, mechanics started to crank the aeroplane's powerful 425 h.p. motor. As the starter began its shrill wail, Buffalo Head looked astonished. " Heap big flying cream separator," he grunted. MACHINE FOR COUNTING COINS. Coins can be wrapped and counted by a machine that is being used by banks and other business concerns in Europe. The money is shaken out on a table and pushed into tho counter, which shows the total of coins handled on a control dial, so that at any moment the operatou knows the number counted. As soon as fifty coins have been tabulated, the , wrapping device begins its work automatically, the counter continuing operations. The coins are wrapped in such manner that the first and last remain visible. To set the machine for handling coins of different size, it is only necessary to move a small lever. The apparatus handles from 600 to 800 coins a minute. NOVEL WAR MEMORIAL. A war ..memorial of an unusual character was unveiled at Freshwater, Isle of Wight, recently, in honour of £he men of the Fifth Hants Howitzer Battery, Royal Field Artillery,. Territorials, who played a heroic part in the defence of Kut. The memorial consists of the shattered trail of one of the battery's guns which was blown up by them before the surrender of the town. The trail, still bearing the name of the battery, was discovered among some rubbish in the streets of Kut about a year ago by a former member of the battery, FlightLieutenant Ernest Drudge, who shipped it home. About twenty survivors of the Kut defence were present at the ceremony. ROMAN COSMETICS FIND. The cosmetic industry of the Romans was world-famous, and their trade marks were high in demand. A great number of oil jars was found in the recently-dis-covered Roman baths near the Upper Austrian city of Wels. The oil was used for ointments after the bath, and was imported from Italy about 2000 years ago in large amphorae. The neck of each amphora bears the following inscription in red: " OL NIG EXD EXG." The Viennese archaeologist Dr. Rudolf Egger was able to decipher the words. They read on reconstruction: " OLiva NlGra EXDulci EXCellena"; in English: " Oil, Black, Sweet, Prime quality." The inscription is supposed to be the trade mark of the Roman merchant who sent the goods to his customers in Upper Austria, " i, STRANGE HOODOO STORY. One of the strangest hoodoo stories comes, from Japan. Among the buildings destroyed in the Japanese earthquake of September 1, 1923, were those of the Ministry of Finance. Temporary buildings were put up, and in the course of tho work & shrino which. had stood in the compound of the Ministry was removed and a, lotus pond near it was filled up. Both were associated with a famous Japanese warrior, Masakado, who was killed by treachery about 1000 years ago. From that moment misfortune seemed to be tho constant lot of all those who were connected, with the Finance Ministry. Illnesses and other troubles came thick and fast to various high officials. The Minister himself died; then his successor became i'l. A new Minister took over, and soon l.e, too, was in bad health. Finally it was decided that these untoward happenings were the vengeance of Masakado for the slight that had been done to his memory. A temporary altar was erected in a dining hall ot the Ministry, which stood on the spot where the shrine and pond had been. At this altar a solemn service was held to propitiate Masakado. So the hoodoo was broken.

ANCIENT GREEK WALL. In the course of road repair work in tho Piazza Cavour in Naples, remains of tho ancient Greek city wall were brought to light. The wall consists of large blocks of stono in a very good state of preservation. In view of the importance of this discovery and of its bearing upon the study of tho ancient Greek colony, dating back to the fifth century, 8.C., arrangemehts have been made for a complete excavation at this point. ' ' S ' " '' 1 NIGHTINGALES AS NUISANCES. The inhabitants of the Surrey village of Merrovv have an unusual grievance—the song of the nightingale. One man said; recently that as many as five and six birds start trilling simultaneously between 10 and 11 o'clock each night, and those whoso work on the land necessitates early rising are much annoyed' because their sleep is disturbed. A "pest of nightingales," tiio farmers are saying, and there have even been threats to shoot—if the songsters could be sighted. " COCK OF THE NORTH." ; A remarkable collection of . bagpipes covering 200 years of their history and development- is possessed by Mr. W. A. Cocks, a watchmaker, of Ryton, near Blaydon-on-Tyne. Northumbrians claim that they can beat the Scots in pipe-playing Mr. Cocks is one of the few remaining makers of Northumbrian pipes. " Our small closed chanter pipes," he says, " produce better music than the Scots pipes, because we can regulate the intervals between the notes." WOMEN AS SURVEYORS. Four women in England have just come through the ..examinations of the Chartered Surveyors'. Institution with flying colours. An official stated recently that they had now about a dozen women members.

" Women surveyors take , a particular interest in the social aspects of their work," the official said. " Women are quite, suitable, for most branches of survey kvork, except, perhaps, for largescale work in the Colonies, which is often rather strenuous."

BABY PRINOESS' PALACE. A miniature house, in which* Princess Elizabeth will be able to entertain her little friends, is to be presented to her by South Wales business firms. No detail of a modern house is being omitted. Even a telephone will be installed. All the fittings and furniture will be supplied by South Wales firms, and the house will be built to the design of a local architect, by a South Wales firm. Before the formal presentation to the Princess, the house will be exhibited all over the country. SURGERY ON DO^LS. Leeds has a- dolls' hospital, in charge of Miss Nora Greaves, who combines her surgery with the duties of a shop assistant. Some of her " cases " had limbs missing and others their ears and noses, as the result of nursery wars, and their youthful owners had brought them to Miss Greaves for 24-hour treatment. " I have never had one incurable case," Miss Greaves smiled, as she deftly added a missing ear to one doll and a new wig to another. " Some of them are over 50 years old, and have been handed down as sentimental keepsakes ■ from one generation to another. Often I repair 100 dolls a week." THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD FESTIVAL. In accordance with an ancient custom the people of Lichfield, Staffordshire, have chosen Miss Clara Talbot as " Queen of the Bower." She is 18 years of age and has long auburn hair . Tho custom is said to date back to the time of King Alfred, and this is only the third occasion on which a queen has been chosen. The full title of the festival is " Courte of Arraye and View of Men at Armes," and it is- said that it was inaugurated by the warlike King of Northumberland to commemorate his victory over the heathen ruler of Mercia, in a battle neat Lichfield. PRINOE AS DRESS EXPERT. Prince Sigvard, the second son of the Crown Prince of Sweden and a grandson of the Duke of Connaught, has decided to adopt stage decoration and costumo designing professionally, and to that end is now studying in Munich. The Prince has already completed costume designs for " Lohengrin " and " Macbeth," and it is probable that these will bo seen at performances to be given in the new Students' Theatre. The Prince is said to have undoubted talent, promise of which he gave a year or two ago, when he wrote and produced a play at Upsala University and designed scenery for a production at the Academy Club at Stockholm. 1 Prince Wiihelm of Sweden, uncle of the Prince, is a distinguished author and playwright. Prince Sigvard's mother was Princess Margaret of Connaught, who died in Stockholm in May, 1920. He is 24 years of age. i ROYAL JUDGE OP OLOTH. Prince George chose four lengths of cloth for suits for himself and arranged for another length to be sent to the Prince of Wales, when ho visited woollen textile mills at Bradford a few weeks ago, in' continuation of his study of industrial conditions in Yorkshire, " The Prince is one of the finest judges of cloth I have over come across," said one of the official party which accompanied him. Arriving at Bradford through cheering crowds, the Prince spent six hours studying, under expert guidance, the various processes of the industry. In every department he asked how old the machinery was, and to what extent it had been modernised. At one mill it was pointed out that salesmen employed by tho firm could ' speak tho languages of tho countries to which they were sent. " That is, unfortunately, not true in every industry," tho Prince remarked. . YEOMEN OP THE GUARD. The Yeomen of tho Guard are the oldest bodyguard and'oldest military corps existing in any country. Henry VII. instituted them as a Royal Bodyguard in 1485, and they fought with him on Bosworth Field. They were originally responsible for tho safety of the Sovereign within doors, and guarded tho interior of the Palace. They brought up tho King's food and "tasted" it for fear of,poison, and performed the daily ceremonial of •" making tho King's bed." From this ! custom derive the* initials Y.B.H. (Yeoman Bed-hanger) and„Y.B.G. (Yeomen Bed-goers) still affixed to certain Yeomen Roll. The Yeomen still dress as they did in Tudor days, with Tudor cap," coat of Royal scarlet with trimmings of Imperial purple, and gold lace and ribbons of red, white, and blue, together with the ruff which was added in Elizabeth's reign. " Their function," says Mr. H. Clifford Smith in Buckingham Palace, is still to* " uphold the dignity and grandeur of the English Crown." When the King opens Parliament a Yeoman armed with his' partisan marches in lino with each wheel of tho Royal coach, and eight others with a sergeant-major immediately behind.