HERE AND THERE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 77

HERE AND THERE.

—The Artistic Imports of U.S.A.— The importation of works of art into the United States yearly assumes more astounding proportions. The French “Moniteuv 0 Hie id du Commerce” gives the total value of such imports into the U.S.A. for 1912 as 60,739,776 dollars, well over 12 million pounds. The corresponding figures for 1911 were only 27.443,374d0i, and for 1910 only 19,500,000 dollars. Thus, in less than three years the importations have trebled in amount. Examination of the figures shows that they have remained practically stationary for modern works of art. Americans have a decided preference for old masters and ancient ohjets d’art in general, and the amount of these imported has risen in one year from 17 to 58 million dollars. As to the countries from which the works of art were imported to America, France, which in 1911 headed the list with nine million dollars, is now second with 20 millions, England having increased her export in the same time from eight and a-half to nearly 36 million dollars. Germany takes third place, at a long interval, with 1,838,000 dollars. Next comes Italy, whose stringent laws concerning the exportation of work of art doubtless account for the figure of 801,000 dollars; and last comes Belgium and Holland with a total of 173.000 dollars. In the ca.se of France and England, whose exports form nineteen-twentieths of the total, the increase is chiefly of antique furniture and books.

—Skin in Cold Storage

Dr Alexis Carrel, the pioneer of human grafting (says flic Paris correspondent of the Daily Mai!) gave a glimpse into the future of surgery in a lecture. He announced that, from the surgical standpoint, it was perfectly feasible to transplant a member, such as an arm or a thigh, at will. It was “only a. question of sangfroid” and technical skill. But his experiments had revealed the existence of individuality in the animals he had used for his researches. While it was possible to regraft successfully on to an animal a member such as a kidney previously removed from it. it was not the same thing fo graft the kidney of one dog on to another The grafted organ in

the second case withered, and produced symptoms of premature senile decay in the onimal used for the experiment, which inevitably died. Therefore, to replace a diseased kidney in a human being by a kidney taken from a sound subject would be impossible until this enigma of individuality had been solved. The transplantation of arteries and skin-grafting were at present possible. He had arranged with a New York hospital to keep him supplied with the necessary reserve stock of skin, which he preserved in cold storage by a special process he has invented. Parisians are looking forward to the day when a man who has been severely burnt in Siberia may owe hia life to a supply of skin providentially despatched to him from Dr Carrel’s cold storage in New York. —Monks Strike for Trousers.—

Unrest has at length found its way into the monastery, and the monks of St. Michael, near Maikop, in the Caucasus, are out on strike. They demand more food, more leisure, and a supply of trousers. The trouble has arisen, says the St. Petersburg correspondent of the Daily Citizen, owing to the possession of “fixed ideas” by Father Ambrosio, who is the head of the convent. His ideas do not stop at the customary fulfilment of tlie monk’s obligation to be devout, chaste, and temperate; he has an impression that devotions are the best substitute for daily bread. And so the worthy father lengthened the prayers and shortened the rations. Hut a denial even worse than those already indicated was inflicted upon the long-suffering monks of St. Michael 'I lie supreme shock came, says the correspondent, when Father Ambrosio refused to supply trousers to the dwellers within the convent walls, the dictator ruling that those articles of apparel wore a luxury. T!**s latest curtailment caused much discomfort, and the cold-weather parades were a source of considerable unpleasantness. 'The limitations were endured for a month or so, but a particularly cold day arrived, and the strike weapon was resorted to. While working, in undignified circumstances, in a field, the brethren of St. Michael struck. The monastery authorities are still holding out in the matter of trousers. —Their Fathers’ Trade.—

Professor 8. J. Chapman and Mr W. Abbott contribute an article to the Journal of the Renal Statistical Society on “The Tendency of Children to Enter their Fathers' Trades.” The authors collected figures from evening continuation schools in Lancashire in which the scholars had already begun to earn their livings. From some 2415 correct returns obtained, dealing with 4196 males*, percentages of the callings adopted by the children of men in every one of the important trades were worked out. In every case it was found that the largest section of recruits to any trade was drawn from families already connected with it. Of the sons of textile workers, for instance, 61.7 per cent, follow the trade of their fathers; of metal workers, 55.3 per cent. ; of miners, 36 per cent. ; of clerical workers, 49.1 per cent. “ The relative pull of the father's trade on his children, in comparison with the pull of any other given trade of about the same grade,” say the authors, “would tend to be roughly three to one, on the assumption that all trades were of equal magnitude, and growing at the same rate.” —Scottish Highland (lames.—

While there has been a decline during the pact Jew years in Caledonian sports in the colonies, the Glasgow Herald, in reply ""to a query from Milwaukee for information. states that Highland games are as popular ns ever all over Scotland, games being held annually in almost every town and in many villages. For putting the ball, throwing the hammer, wrestling, and tossing the caber the prizes at meetings such as Bridge of Allan, Inverness’ Crieff, and Alva are usually (1) £2, (2) £l, and (5) 10s. The prizes for vaulting, leaping, and jumping are generally the same, but the 100 yards sprint often commands as much as £2O in prizes. Dancing fling, jig, etc. —and bagpipe-plaving —marches, pibrochs, strathspey*, ‘and reels usually have the same amount, as hammer and ball, am! the same number of prizes. As to the heights in jmle-vault-ing. the average i s certninlv not below 10lt 6in. Donald Corbett, Bryce Scott. .John Speedie, Findlay Cramb. ‘ and John M'Benzie can always clear that height when in fair form, and on occasions they can put the stick up several inches. In high leaping John Speedie has cleared 6ft more than once; but he cannot he sure of doing that unless under very favourable circumstances, such as a 'dry field and failly good ground. The* other jumpers are almost as good—in fact. Speedie does not always win. —Taxing Bachelors and Spinster*. Moved by the angry clamour of married people and bv the exhortations of Mr John Sharp \v illiams. a senator who is the father of inane - children. The finance Committee of the ?sew York State Senate, after a prolonged debate on the cost of leaiing families in America, has recommended amendments to the new income tax imposing special tax penalties on spinsters and bachelors. Instead of allowing universal exemption from income tax on incomes not exceeding £BOO. the committee piojiOSes to fix the exemption limit m the case of unmarried persons at £6OO. It recommends that married couples, if childless, shall enjoy exemption on £800; if they have one child, extra exemption on if two children, exemption on £2OO Fathers or mothers of two children are not to pay income tax if their income does not exceed £IOOO. The committee’s amendments have provoked a universal cry of, "Why penalise families with more than two children?” The Race Problem.—

Mr E. £>. Cox, an American sociologist, at present on a visit to Dunedin, in tlio course of an interview, said; whatever may bo the opinions of some as to our attitude towards the negro race there can bo no difference of opinion on the most important phase of

the race question. It is th ): That the blending of the white and black races has invariably ended in a decline, and usually in an extinction of the civilisation possessed by the white party to the blending. Race amalgamation is the one mistake for which there is no remedy. If the white man possesses a wrong attitude towards the negro ho may change his attitude; if he passes political restrictions upon the negro he may remove the restriction; but in the matter of race blending, of blood admixture there is no hope of change, no alternative to remaining a hybrid. The necessity of the blood integrity of the white man is worthy of being elevated into a race religion.”