LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 11, 11 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One of the Red Cross surgeons at the war hail an opportunity of observing 670 cases of severe wounds in Servian soldiers, and expresses his surprise at the rapidity of healing and the aseptic condition of even the most dangerous injuries. Men shot through the bodv by 'bullets which penetrated the liver, the lung, the spleen and the intestines, recovered after a fortnight or so without much evidence of ultimate arm. The modern bullet is rendered aseptic by the enormous heat of the burning powder.

A gentleman from Greymouth, who is in Christchurch at present, told a Press reporter that the farming districts of New Zealand, and particularly those devoted to dairying must awake to a new rival. Westland has dairy factories now, turning out butter equal to the best, which must soon turn to other markets. Dairy country is cheap there at present, and as it gives feed equal to land much more highly priced, its comparative remoteness must ho discounted. This, he says, applies not only to South Westland, ■ but to land lying right alongside the route of the Midland railway.

Dr Reginald Morton describes in the Lancet how to deal with persons suffering from electrical shock. If the victim remains in contact with tho circuit liis body must not he touched by the rescuer, but the latter may pull him out of contact by hauling on the clothing, or he may take off his own coat, insert his hands in the sleeves, and then handle the victim with little or no risk. Almost any rticle of clothing or material may he used, provided it is dry and of moderate thickness. Dr Morton points out that death from electrical shock is 1 only an apparent death at first, and that there is practically always a Utile time during which it is possible to resuscitate tho victim by artificial respiration.

The Act affecting the work of dairymen has now a provision that fills them all with terror, remarks the Christchurch Press. It is that when the case is considered to be a fitting one, tiie Magistrate may order that the name of the offender and his fault be published in newspapers circulating through New Zealand or in any particular district. When certain cases regarding the quality of milk were before the local Court the other day, the inspector asked that, as it was desired to assure the greatest help to the public, thus provision should be brought into play with all second offenders. As the cases were all adjourned. it is not to be known yet whether the extreme course will lie followed. Afterwards the solicitor for one of the parties said that he would rather have the maximum penalty than publicity, as complete ruin would he almost sure to follow. Regent Cigarettes are famed for their purity and quality, and are not. injurious to inhalers. Your tobacconist stocks them. s

Melbourne is to have an up-to-date motor ’bus service. The first of the new vehicles, a double decker to carry 38 passengers, was lately imported from London.

There was a busy time at the Eltham Railway Station last month. The grand total of the revenue amounted to £2431 11s Id, which was £55 7 6s 5d over the returns for the corresponding period of last year. The seats in King Edward Park were discussed by the Domain flfcard yesterday afternoon', Mr T. H. Penn remarking that the seats were mostly placed in the shade, and wore always damp. Talking of, the price, he said, the Board should not spend too much on them ; if they made the seats too comfortable, people would take up their residence there. Mr Ralfe was not afraid of this, and held that hacks should be placed on the four new seats it was decided to place on either side of the Suspension Bridge. The question of price, however, made it necessary for the Board to erect a less expensive seat. The Domain Board met yesterday afternoon in the Borough Council Chambers, .where there were present: The chairman (Mr G. N. Curtis) and Mesrs W. P. Kirkwood, P. F. Itajfe, and T. H. Penn. A motion was passed that the Minister of Lauds be notified that tiie Board’s term of office expires shortly, and that he be asked what steps are to be taken as regards its successors. On the motion of Mr T. H. Penn, it was decided to erect four wooden seats in King Edward Park, two on either side of Die suspension bridge. A notice board is to be placed at the junction of Teuton Street and Broadway, the sign to be affixed to one of the Electrical Supply Company’s poles, subject to the necessary permission being obtained. ,

Writing to liis parents, who reside at Te tiapara, Mr M. S. Edwards, formerly on the Gisborne Times, and now on the Transvaal Leader, does not give a very bright picture of conditions in South Africa from the point of view of the man who has to work for his daily bread. 1 Referring in particular to journalism, he says that although he is earning a very handsome salary, the gilt, is taken off the gingerbread by the excessive cost of living. As examples of how prices go in Johannesburg to-day, Mr Edwards avers that anything like good board costs 5Us per week. For a bath Is (id is the usual figure. In the matter of laundry work, twopence is asked for washing and ironing a handkerchief, and in respect of other garments the price is correspondingly nigh.

At Sunbury, in Peunslyvania, William Wilcox, a wealthy retired manufacturer, of Utica, has just been jilted at the altar by his prospective bride, who refused to marry him when she found he was sixty-two years old (relates a London paper). For the last six months Wilcox has been corresponding with Miss Bella Miller, who is a native of Sunbury. He made tier acquaintance through an advertisement which he had placed in the papers in search of a wife. ' Wilcox sent the girl, who is twenty years old, £2O to purchase her trousseau, and she had made all preparations for the marriage. Wilcox arrived at Sunbury according, to arrangement, and after they met for the .first time they went to the office of the marriage license clerk, and then to the minister.

When they reached the clergyman’s home the girl asked Wilcox his age. He confessed to three score, and she refused to marry him. She tearfully made her way back home alone. She thought she had better stop before it was too late, she said. The Utica man also took the next train home.

Rut for the fortunate contiguity and bravery of Mr H. G. Broadbent, a railway shunter, Sylvia Coleman, the three-year-old daughter of William Coleman, a labourer, of West Adelaide, would have been burnt to death on Christmas Eve. It appeared that Coleman and his wife went into Adelaide and left their four children, the oldest of whom was ten years, in their home, which comprised a tworoomed galvanised iron house. The eldest boy states that they all went 10 bed at 9 o’clock. An hour later lie awoke and found the bedding on lire and the kerosene lamp overturned. He roused his sifters, and succeeding in getting two of them out of the door. By that time the room was in flames, and he could not rescue the other child. Broadbent, seeing tho flames, rushed across, and on being told one little girl was still in the house he jumped through the window and grasped her. She was severely burnt about the body and legs, and along with the others, who were also suffering from burns ou the bauds and legs, she was taken to the hospital. It is not only in matters of the first importance that Governments are called upon to help one another, a fact that was exemplified a few days, ago while tho West Australian Government’s steamer Kwinana was lying at Wellington (says the Dominion). Pay-day came round, and for some unexplained reason found the captain of the Kwinana unprepared. There was no funds in hand, and the Minister, who had come over, in the steamer (the Hon. W. D. Johnson) had gone up country, and could not he communicated with in time to meet the emergency of the moment. A crew of 45 men had to be satisfied, so that the captain had a problem of some magnitude on hand. In his perplexity he decided to invoke the aid of a friendly power, and making a call upon the Hon. W. F. Massey, explained the position and his difficulties. The Prime Minister, upon being informed how matters stood, agreed to give the assistance required, and supplied the captain of the Kwinana with a Treasury order for the necessary amount, something over £SOO. The captain thereupon went away satisfied, and the members of his crew were soon made perfectly happy.

In a poem some years ago Rudyard, Kipling, the poet, referred to cricketers as “flannelled fools” and footballers as “muddied oafs.” His lines have often been quoted by those who do not fully value athletics, and the poet has been credited with opposition to physical development and culture. Air P. A. McAlisterpMjin a speech at the Victorian Junior Lmicket Association last week (says the Argus) referred to the lines, and gave it as his opinion that Rudyard Kipling had changed Ids opinion. “When 1 was at Canterbury with the Australian eleven in 1909,” said Mr McAlister, “a well known cricket writer came to me with a bat, and asked me if 1 would obtain the signatures of the team on the face of the hat. Printed on the other side of the hat were the words, ‘John Kipling, his hat.’ The pressman said, ‘Mr Rudyard Kipling would be very much obliged if you could do this for his son.’ I was glad to be able to do it, for it showed me that one poet, who had written against cricket, hd been converted.” Mr McAlister’s remarks were greeted with laughter and applause. Your best companion on your weekmid trip is a packet of Regent Cigarettes. Smoke them and share iu the Great Free Gift Scheme. x

Proceedings at the Durban (S.A.) Circuit Court were recently suspended for half an hour while the Advo-cate-General went home to change his waistcoast, the colour of which had been objected to by the presiding judge! To hand from the Government; Printer: A copy of the statutes pass-! ed in the first and second sessions of the eighteenth Parliament of New Zealand. The Acts were all passed luring the second session. the volume embraces 388 pages. For a Shorthorn bull, which Mr George Campbell, of Bieldide, neai Aberdeen, bought in the spring for $l3B 10's, he secured £3144 at a sale in Buenos Ayres. Mr Campbell, who exports Shorthorns to the Argentine, obtained an average of £978 for eight bulls. I

A very ready response has met the effort on behalf of Mrs Ernest Smith and family, Mr W. Holmes having already collected £2O 11s and handed in that amount at the office of the “Stratford Evening Post” towards the fund. Full particulars will m published later. Subscriptions may be sent direct to this office.

A prominent Gisborne civil servant was placed in an embarrassing situation when on a visit to Napier dining the recent Christmas holidays. Accompanied by a fellow, member of the service he sought admission at one of the picture shows, and was barred access to the dress circle on the grounds of the Maori blood in Ins veins. The Gisbornito was natural-! ly very indignant at the introduction: of the ‘colour line” in this way, the Herald. South Africa has been suffering even more acutely than Australia from dear potatoes. The Australian Commercial Agent at Capetown, in a letter to the External Affairs Department, stated recently that, owing to the drought and the late arrival of the new season’s crop, potatoes in the transvaal during October and JNov- i ember stood at almost famine prices.; As much as £3 per bag of 1501 b was; paid on the Johannesburg market recently, and people' in Pretoria had been paying as much as Id each for medium-sized tubers.

From America comes an extraordinary story of the legal consequences of a woman’s excessive flow of tears. Fourteen months ago a Brooklyn lady Witnessed a performance of Fast Lynne ” The drama so affected her that-she was still tearful when she left the theatre, with the unfortunate result that she tripped in a rent in the stair-carpet and fell. In an action recently against the actor-mana-ger 'she recovered £2BO damages, and it was stated that she had been weeping .ever since, the injury having caused a permanent affection of the tear-ducts.

For some time past it has been observed that workmen employed underground at Ross Flat have been sub-, iect to septic poisoning m the case of any slight scratch or wound on the hands when handling timber in the wet ground (says the Greymouth Evening Star). In order to tain if there is anything deleterious in the water, a sample was sent to the Dominion Analyst for exanunation. Captain Richards (Inspectorj of Mines) has now received a reply, to the effect that the water is neutral; in reaction, and contains only a percentage of solids, organic matter, and inorganic salts. No poisonous metals could be detected. It is suggested,! however, that the sceptic poisoning referred to might be due to bacteria, j and a special sample of the water is; being sent to the Government Banter-, idogist to settle the point if possible. , Bearing in mind the " excitement caused a year or two ago by the al-* leged appearance of a mysterious air craft at Kelso, the rumour that an aerial visitor passed over Dunedin on Wednesday evening must, of necessity (says the Otago Daily Times) be received with a considerable - amount ot caution. A group of men gathered outside the Terminus Hotel at b.dU, however, with the purpose ot viewing something that was sailing overhead. The man who first saw the visitor, a boarder, whom a representative of the paper interviewed, stated that he was in the commercial room of the hotel, and he saw coming frpm the direction of the harbour something of the shape of a boat. He immediately advised others, and they went out into the street to make a further inspection. An employee of the office who happened to pass at the time states that he saw something moving southward and disappear, but at that time it was very small and the shape was not j well-defined. In all probability, how-, ever the public will not have another; opportunity of viewing this mysterious stranger. I The favourite “Windsor” (to hand through Mr H. J. Hopkins) is to the front again with an exceptionally hue number, a worthy successor to the ranks of so many splendid Xmas 01 umbers gone before. Lavishly illustrated with fifteen really beautiful and humorous coloured pictures, and nearly. 120 full page and other pictures in the text, it is printed on the finest paper and produced in the best possible style. All the leading black and white artists are represented, while there are stories by W. J • Locke, Maurice Hewlett, H. G. Wells, Max Pfemberton, E. F. Benson, Eden Philpotts, Justus M. Forman, Robert Barr, Keble Howard and other prominent novelists of the day. Among the articles there is a long and important survey of “The Boy fecout Movement,” bv General Sir Robert S. S. Baden-Powell, K.C.8., another, on the Royal Academy of Music, another on Horse Fairs, and a beautifully illustrated sketch of the Walker Art Gallery. Liverpool. With 200 pages of such matter and illustrations as are indicated above, it is no wonder that “The Windsor” still continues to hold its own against all comers. Women as a rule are the most con-; sistent tea drinkers, and the multipli-j ca,tion of tea rooms and tea kiosks throughout the Dominion affords striking evidence of the increasing popularity of tea. The women of New Zealand may be classed as connoisseurs, as they show a decided preference for Crescent Tea, which,is rich and strong and of delicious flavour. Sold by all grocers at 2s, Is lOd, and Is 8d per Every farmer will find that a few Bee Hives will prove a most beneficial investment. While only raising enough honey to keep bis own home supplied, he can at the same time gain that practical knowledge and ex-j perience which will enable him to launch out on more extensive opera tions, with a good prospect of success. I The occupation possesses a peculiar fascination, and is almost a form ot relaxation to many farmers and their families. Beginners should commence on a small scale, learn the ways of bees, how to handle them, and what kind of equipment to use. Make the bees pay for themselves and for additional'appliances, as well as providing some profit, and allow the business to grow gradually, until it becomes a huge money-making concern,—McAlillan and Fredric, Specialists in Beekeepers’ Supplies. Cole Agents for Alliance Dove-tailed Hives and Acoos •oriM. 4

One of the most curious of, nature—an ice-mine in Sweden Valley, Potter County, Pennsylvania,; winch disobeys all natural laws—lias, recently been thoroughly investigated, with results that merely leave| scientists puzzled. The ice, says the London Express, forms naturally in| summer time, and the warmer the weather the larger the quantities of ice. One theory which has been advanced by geologists is that there is platinum beneath the hollow-sounding rock, and in hot weather the fumes form the proper proportion of hydrogen and oxygen to make liquid air, which extracts moisture from the surrounding atmosphere and freezes it. A correspondent of the London Chronicle writes: “A strange occurrence happened to the Elder, Dempster Liner Tarqtiah on October 9th. At 7.15 a.m., 9f hours’ run from Seccondee, on the Gold Coast, a big lish, which the sailors described as a ‘sea leopard,’ got caught on the bows of the ship right in the middle, the head being on one side and the tail on the other. The hows of the vessel cut through the flesh to the bone, holding the creature there so firnuy that it could not get free. The speed of the Turquah was checked, and it had to go astern before the fish was released. The fish then came to the surface and sank. My brother, who was a passenger on the boat, and is my informant, says that it was 40ft in length and 20ft in width.”

The new Commonwealth postage stamp was; launched on the public in Sydney on the 2nd instant. The new design is characteristic of Australia. It is printed in a pink colour on a white background, and consists of the map of Australia outlined in white, with a pink kangaroo in the centre. Above this are tuo words “Australia postage,” also printed in white. On the bottom portion of the design are the words, “One penny,” and a small circle in white, with Id printed in pink in the centre. Tasmania’s share in the design is indicated by a little white spot. There had not been any special demand for the Commonwealth design, but about £75 worth was sold the same afternoon and about £2OO worth up to 4 o’clock next day.

Some strange yarns come frorii the prohibition areas. An Eltham resident drove his motor into a stable at Te Kuiti and asked for accommodation for bis car. This was quickly arranged and then the man in charge said, “Is there any benzine in your car?” “Of course there is,” was the reply. “Then you had better take it out.” , “Take it out! What for?” “Well, you see, this is a prohibition district, and it is quite a common thing for some fellows about here to shake benzine when they are hard up for a drink.” The tourist thought that his leg was being pulled, but subsequent enquiries (says the Argue) proved the truth of the strange statement that had been made.

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