NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20958, 22 August 1931, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Britain's export of ships last year were worth just, under £20,000,000. There are something like 1000 rooms in the British House of Commons. In Persia to-day there are 76 more schools for girls than there were three years ago. Ponies used in playing polo usually cost from 100. to 600 guineas eachj the record price being £4.200. Birds are being driven away from Frensham Ponds, near Farnham, by the noise of motor-boats. A tit lias built a nest inside, a pump in a garden at Hassocks, Sussex. It reaches its home by going up the spout. Vegetable flavourings, including beet- ■ root, celery, carrot and spinach, are being used in ice cream in one American city. There are approximately 4534- plainclothes policemen in Great Britain, of whom 2892 are employed onf detective work. =* Out of the British national income of, about £4,000,000,000, it is calculated that ; £1,800,000,000 goes in the consumption j of food. More than 1000 men are required to work the huge electric totalisator recently erected at Ascot racecourse at a cost of £250,000.. In the last 10 years repairs to battleships in British Government dockyards at home have cost, in round figures £45,000.000. The New York Customs recently seized a number of cases labelled "cotton goods," and containing morphine to the value of £400,000. The skull has just been found near the Great Pyramid of the daughter of a king of Egypt who is said to have reigned 4500 years ago. ~ .. During the year ended February 28, 1931, 207 persons were' killed and 881 were seriously injured by accidents at coal mines in South Wales. British cooks are said to beat all foreign rivals at preparing roast -beef and chicken, boiled turbot and -salmon, Irish stew and fried potatoes. The British Army is technically the best, and the French the best trained, in the world, according to General von'Seeckt, the German ex-Commander-in-Chief. The Amish Mennonites of Ontario have banned radio receivers from their homes. They are classed with musical instruments as " tools of the devil/' Pictures and sculptures by modern artists are to be loaned out on hire at rates varying with the value of the work, by a newly formed society in London. Railways are still the safest form of travel, according to French official figures, which gave the order of safety as railways, shipping, motor cars, and areoplanes. British regiments are to be supplied with a new type of bayonet which is only 9in. in length, or less than half the length of the present weapon, which is 20in. long. In 1913-14, the expenditure in Britain on defence was £77,098,723.... Last year, 12 years after the " war to , end war," the expenditure .on defence was £110,764,200. Diners in certain New York restaurants can now ask for more and get it, without extra charge. Only five per cent, of the customers ever ask for a second helping of any dish. . „ The Financial Secretary to the British. Treasury estimates that" if members of Parliament travelled third class on the railways instead of first the country would save £16,000 a year. Complaints about telephone- calls received by the British Post Oflico number one for every 25,000 calls on the automatic system, and one for every 28,000 calls on the manual system. Statistics of personal accidents compiled by an American insurance company go to prove that sports and recreations cause five times as many accidents as trains, tramcars and steamships put together. In 1880 the United Kingdom exported £197,000,000 worth of goods wholly or partially manufactured there. In 1913 tho value of these exports was £417,000,00 G. Last year they were worth £448,000,000. Allotment holders in Britain i;an sell their produce to the value of 3s 4d a day without affecting their unemployment pay, according to a recent statement made by Dr. Addison, Minister, of Agriculture. The British Post Office has installed 2600 stamp-selling machines. There are also 34,350 public telephone call offices, 10,040 of which are in public thoroughfares and available at all hours'of the day and night. Britain imported 663 foreign motorcars worth £145.396 in the first four months of this year. Last year the figures for the same period were 3.449 cars, worth £623,112, and in 1929, 5359 cars worth £972,164. Advocating the development- of the tourist traffic in Britain, the Lord Privy Seal stated in tho House of Commons that foreign visitors to France spent between £100,000,000 and £120,000,000 in that country annually. i The number of people killed in Britain in 1928, 1929 and 1930 while riding motorcycles was 1084, 1292, and 1464 respectively. The number killed while driving cars during the same years was 263, 320 and 316 respectively. Infants employed in New York film studios are under very strict regulations. 1 hey may not remain in the studio more than two hours, and must not be exposed to the powerful lights for more than ■thirty seconds at a time. Six engines, each of 1000 horsepower, are embodied in the new giant plane now being built in England. This huge airvessel will have accommodation for forty passengers and a crew of seven, and is being constructed almost entirely of stainless steel. Eating at the House of Commons is growing in favour,, the meals served during 1930 numbering more than 198,000, an increase of 62,000 over the previous year. Teas were most popular with 110,000 customers, while nearly 50,000 dinners were served. Artificial respiration, in cases of gaspoisoning, drowning etc.. can now be done by machinery. The patient. lies in an airtight tank, with only his head protruding ; the air. is withdrawn and returned to the tank at regular intervals, thus inducing breathing. '. " The total number of persons—men, women and children—in receipts of poor relief in England and Wales at the end of December, 1930, was 976,875, equivalent to 247 per 10,000 of the population. This was 88,712 less than a year ago, and compares with 632,242 in 1913.« During last year the total impoits of wheat, barley, "and oats into the United Kingdom from Bussia amounted to 18,803,300cwt., 5,969,000cwt., and 2,757,000 cwt. respectively, these figures representing 18 per cent., 39.1 per cent., and 28.5 per cent, of the total imports from all sources. In 1925, under the Agricultural Wages Act, 389 farms in Britain were inspected and 17 prosecutions were instituted for infringement. The amount of' wages recovered was £BSO. In 1930, 4523 farms were inspected, 175 prosecutions were instituted, and the amount of wages recovered was £18,542. Women are more apt/ to leave things behind them than are men, according to the experience of one American railway company. More than 60 per cent, of the items reclaimed from the lost property office belonged to women. They ranged from umbrellas, handbags, and gloves to perambulators and bicycles.