INTELLECT SHARPENERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

INTELLECT SHARPENERS

ANAGRAM In the lines given below tho three spaces are to bo filled with words composed of the same nine letters. Ho had been not to lose his head, But his advisors always had suspected, He gave but little thought to what they said, His had been much neglected. _ Thus, when some pretty things, which ho admired, —, well, ho went his own wild And bought at any cost what he desired, And now he wonders how he 11 ever pay. SPORTING INFORMATION Several men at a club were talking. One of them said: "Did you hear about Macpherson? Ha is seventy years old, and ho went to the races last week for the first time in his life." One of tho audience, less inattentive than the others, remarked that the old fellow deserved to win something, and the reply was: "That is just what he did. He came home with something over £l2O all in £1 notes. Ho is going to give these to his grandchildren, £ll to every girl, and £8 to every boy." Another member wanted to know how many there were, but on this point tho news-bririger was less certain. "Somebody told me there were eight of ono sex, but I forget whether ho said they wero boys or girls." How many grandsons and granddaughters has Mr. M., and how much did he win at tho races ? NOT A QUESTION OF FINANCE The Ministers of Finance and of Education in sonio obscure country wero discussing a small sum of money voted for some mysterious purpose. The voucher showed the samo numeral in all three columns, and only once had another numeral been used. Tho authority on education remarked that it could be seen that the whole sum of money reduced to pence ought to bo a multiple of the number in the pence column, but the man with a brain for figures denied this. "It need not necessarily happen," ho said, "and hero is tho unexpected exception. But let mo call your attention to another littlo detail. The two factors into which tho entire sum expressed in pence is resolvable are the numbers of years in your ago and mine." lhe Minister of finance is older than his colleague, but by now how many years do their ages differ? A CAR FOR THE FAMILY Tho members of a certain family living in tho country, pooled all tho money they could show for the purpose of buying a car. Their parents wero not

By C. J. WHEREFORE

members of this syndicate, and did not take any part in the proceedings, except that their father paid their fares by train into town, when they went to fetch their property. All of them wanted to have equal, or at least, nearly equal shares of the driving on tho way home, and it \vas agreed that each daughter should be allowed to drive for one mile more than the distance driven by each son. This is their father's account _£>f the business. "I suggested that I had better pay the railway fares, as perhaps they might feel penniless, rnoro or less, after parting with so much money. Mabel closed with my offer at once, and took charge of the. thirteen shillings, which I handed over. In tho same jesting spirit sho returned to me ono penny not spent in the afternoon. They thought the distance by the direct road on the return journey would be too short _ for their enjoyment. It is really 28 miles, but they chose a considerable detour, which made it approximately half as long again." How many miles did each son and daughter drive the car? LAST WEEK'S SOLUTIONS Question ol Salaries. —Both boys are receiving ten shilling per week. It can be shewn that tho cousin has £220 a year, but the problem can bo solved without working this out. Summer and Winter Prices.—lt can bo said with certainty that there are only two solutions. (1) 8 dozen at 9d, followed by 2 dozen at 33d. (2) 4 dozen at lOd, followed by 1 dozen at 34d. Second-hand Cars.—lf they paid the same price, that price was £l2O. If F paid more than T, there are four solutions, of which tho minimum prices are £4O and £24. If T paid the higher price, a very largo number of solutions becomo possible. Non-mathematical Problem.—Twelve years ago the testator could not predict tho age at which he would die. All he could do is to make numbers below CO on dial A, hold the lock, and lot higher numbers release it. I'or similar reasons any numbers above 18 on 13 may bo expected to x-elease the lock. The nephew had only to set A and li to high numbers and put pressure under the lid while setting C, and the lid would lift when ho came to the right number. Armchair Problems.—(l) The number of acres is evidently a multiple of 12, and 36 is tho smallest that can bo used. The numbers of sheep and cattle were 27 and 24, but, of course, it is impossible to say which wero the more numerous. (2) It is not difficult to see that Tom's book has 203 pages, and this is the product of 29 and 7. Therefore, ho had read during 4 times 29, that is 116 minutes; and was asleep during the othei 4 minutes, which make up the two hours.