NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 43

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming issue to be received not later than SATURDAY night. Questions will NOT be replied to through the post. Questions must be accompanied by the name and address oi the writer, but a nome de plume may be adopted for publication. “Hard Up,” Nevis, asks whether the Government still pays the maternity bonus, and, if so, where to apply; also what length of time must pass before you forfeit your claim to same? The Government never \ paid a maternity bonus, but contributors J, to the National Provident Fund and members of friendly societies, by arrangement ■ with this fund, are entitled to a maternity allowance. “Curious,” Waipiata, asks if fresh water fish go to the sea once a year? The fresh water fish that go to sea once a year are salmon and trout, though it does not follow that every one of them makes the change annually. It is held by many people that the fnesh water eel also makes an annual visit to the salt water. “Old Identity,” Miller’s Flat, asks: Can you give me any information of one Captain Thompson, who in the early days held an important position in the Harbour Board? I think he was Harbour Master. I am in possession of some antiquated furniture hand-made by himself of timber that grew in Maclaggan street. It was bought at a sale in Rattray street, where he probably lived before he died. All the information I possess is rather vague, as I got it from an old lady whose husband bought furniture at the sale. I want to trace the original owner of these relics of the past. Captain Thomson was appointed riarbour Master of Otago in 1859, which included all harbours fnom Oamaru to Bluff, and was in the service for 25 years, when he retired. He resided at Ravensbourne. He was an elder of Port Chalmers Presbyterian Church, a J.P., etc. Suggest that you furnish us with the name of the old lady, and it might then be possible to definitely ascertain whether. Captain Thomson ever lived in Rattray street. “YV. T. K.” asks: (1) If there are any places in or about Dunedin which board out cfiildren (othewn than the Industrial School) ? (2) If so, where are they ? (3) What do they allow for each child per week? (I) Yes. (2) P.S.S.A., George street, Dunedin, on Anglican Orphanage, Dunedin. The secretary of the former is Mr P. L. Clark, and of the later Mr S. Dunkley. (3) The amount varies on the circumstances in each case; about 10s to 15s per week. “New Plymouthite” asks regarding the ordinary glassware which can be bought anywhere in New Zealand, how would you tell whether the pattern had been cut or moulded? The ordinary table glass has a regularity and excessive lightness and thinness in contrast to cut glass, and is made by blowing into moulds a process requiring comparatively little skill compared with the valuable training necessitated in the skilled craft of glass-blowing and subsequent modifications of the workmen by hand. “A. A. 5.,” Popotunoa, writes a 3 follows: In the Otago Daily Times of July 16 there is a paragraph describing a meteor and its flkight, witnessed by people living in or near to tb£ town of Blenheim. I may state that at exactly the same time, about five minutes to eight on the evening of July 14, I saw (low on the N.N.Eastern horizon) what I believed was a meteor falling a very considerable distance away. What is described in the paragraph is exactly what 1 observed myself. I am curious to know if the above two observances coincide; could they be one and the same? The meteor was undoubtedly the same. The distance between the observers was, after all, not very great—a mere trifle in comparison with the distance away of the meteor. “British Girl.”—There is no definite remedy, especially if the tea contained milk. However, you should try sponging the shoe with very warm water, and later applying benzine again. Start away from the stain and work towards it so that there will not be a ring of grease left when operations are finished. To clean suede shoes, use first a fine wire brush or a hard tooth brush to raise the pile. You may then apply one of the various cleaners to be bought in any shop, either in liquid or solid forim The latter is perhaps more satisfactory, though a liquid cleaner will not rub c2.

’Parrot," Mataura, writes: —Could you give m« any information about parrots ? 1 have one, and He does not talk so far, but he sometimes gives a sort of whistle, not very loud. It is a pretty light green bird, yellowish tinge under tail and wings, long tail, ring round neck, black underneath part, red round the top part of neck, bright red beak. Could you give me any information whether he will talk or whistle? Your bird is apparently an Indian ring-neck parrot. These birds are never talkers, but are as a rule good whistlers. It is not an easy matter to-day to obtain parrots, owing to the countries where they are obtained not now permitting their free export abroad. With patience and training the bird should whistle. “Strychnine,” Berwick, asks for (1) An antidote against strychnine poisoning. There is such an amount of the poison in use at present for the rabbits, and an accident may occur at any moment. (2) Please also state if strychnine is poisonous if it should get into a cut or a sore on the hands. (1) The use of tannin, from 20 to 40grs in 2oz of water, followed by emetic such as salt and water. If in a hurry’, and no tannin on hand, you could use very strong tea. Practice artificial respiration, and continue this treatment for some time. (2) Yes. “ Drain,” Mount Somers f Ashburton. —Mr H. M. Davey, consulting engineer, replies:—lt is utterly impossible to give any sort of a reply that would be of any use to you from the way you put your questions. The plug if properly put in where you show it would probably not be moved by a 20lb blow, and then what do you exactly mean by that blow ? It would seem to be a blow that would cause a slight lift of a 20lb weight. Then, there is no distance given 'between the said obstruction and the plug, and if the plug were moved and had no friction, how ftr did you expect it to be moved? If everything were mechanically correct (which drain pipes are not) the pressure on the large surface might be 33 times that exerted on the plug, but it would only be moved 1 for each 38 times or distances the plug was moved. The other, depending much on the above, cannot be much replied to as it is, but it is safe to say that both obstructions would not be likely to move together, even in a highly finished piece of mechanism, let alone a drain pipe. In any case, the whole seems to be a case of theory, but of little practical use; but it might be asked why not get a drain pipe, ping and obstruction, and water, and try the thing out; if you are interested it would be worth doing.