AROUND THE DOMINION

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 226, 22 April 1933, Page 8

AROUND THE DOMINION

"A Very Quiet One" Mr. A. E. Brooks, of Okauin, lost a valuable half-draught horse during the holidays through leaving it in the same yard with a bull. The bull attacked the horse, ripping it fatally with its horns, an occurrence which should bo a warning to other farmers. The bull was regarded as being a >/i ry quiet- one.

Di. crrpancy in Wool Prices "Now thai wool is 2d and 3d a pound we pay as much for woollen

clothes as wlien wool was Is Gd," said Mrs. C. C. Jackson, Dominion president of the Farmers' Union at a Nelson Women's Division meeting. She i'dded that it was utterly ridiculous Hint 8s or 9s had to be paid for prepared wool when it was bought so cheaply from the farmer. Sign of the Times An indication of the times was seen in the increased attendance at the Easter athletic meetings in the King Country, says a Te Kuiti correspondent). These evidently provided a cheaper form of amusement for those who formerly toured during the vacation. At the Otorohanga sports there were 300 cars parked on the ground, while at Piopio, a nearby township, where sports were in progress the same (lay, (dose on 100 cars were assembled." '

Not Leaving Condition A rumour that he contemplated dissociating himself from the Coalition Party was emphatically denied by Mr. H.' G. Dickie, M.P., of Patca, when interviewed in Hamilton. "I have not the slightest intention of severing my connection with the Coalition," he said. "It is true T opposed the Government's high exchange policy. We are already beginning to notice its effects. France has placed restrictions on our fruit, and Canada has placed a 'dumping duty on our butter."

Glorified Hop Beer "A glorified hop beer." That is the way a prominent Christchurch brewer described the beverage that has been legalised in America. "They will have to drink an awful lot of it." But then, of course, America has been officially "on the waggon" for over a decade, and that should be a sufficient space of time to work up an abnormal thirst. In comparison with the American beer the New Zealand beer is very potent. The alcoholic content of New Zealand beer is about 4.5 per cent., and seasoned drinkers have to persevere a: long time before they are able to achieve a state of inebriation on that.

Spectacular Electrical Storm An unusual electrical disturbance was seen shortly after 11 o'clock on Tuesday night to the west of Christchurch, the Press reports. At intermittent intervals bright white and blue flashes of lightning, some much more vivid than others, ran across the sky, making an arresting spectacle. Most of the flashes were in the south-west, low on the horizon, but there were also flashes in the west-north-west. The electrical storm was continuing at midnight, and appeared to have increased in its intensity, some of the flashes lighting the whole of the western sky.

An Empire Stocktaking In England there was absolute apathy as to where a thing was produced, said Mr. Lou McKenzie, when addressing municipal electors at Karori, Wellington, recently. When he was in the City Council, he said, it was understood that when anything was bought it must, if possible, be British. In England the cheapest goods were bought, no matter where they were produced. Rural conditions in England were getting on a sound footing, and England would be able to supply a certain proportion of what she formerly imported from overseas, and this would affect New Zealand as a big producer. Economic conditions had forced England to putting rural land to advantage, and m this connection there was great aeed of an Empire stocktaking.

Cleaning Lighthouse Lenses An investigation carried out on behalf of the Marine Department with the object of finding a cheap substitute for rouge for polishing lighthouse lenses is described in the 65th annual report of Ihe Dominion LaboratoryTwo samples of well-known cleansing powders were examined, but it was decided to recommend the continued use of rouge as being the safest, the report, explaining that the process of polishing glass depended less upon abrasive action than upon some little understood molecular reaction between the polishing medium and the glass, the powders that produced this effect being the oxides of aluminium, iron, magnesia and chromium.

A Notable Swimming Performance A notable swimming performance was registered by Miss Mona Leydon, the 220 yards audi -MO yards lady champion of the Dominion, at 1 lie New Zealand University carnival in the Auckland Tepid Baths on Monday evening says the New Zealand Herald. Miss Leydon took part in an 880 vards handicap and, although she conceded long starts to her two opponents, she won by 120 yards in 13ns 0 3-ss. This time broke by 53 2-5 s the New Zealand record held by Miss Kathleen Miller, of Wellington. Unfortunately, Miss Leydon's time, through having been registered in a handicap race, cannot be granted official recognition.

Recovering Old Records The work of making legible parchment deed documents damaged in the Napier earthquake, which was successfully carried out by the Dominion Laboratory, is described in the latest annual report of the laboratory. As a result of the heat of the fire which occurred, the documents had dried out, shrunk and hardened to such an extent that it was not possible to separate them without cracking. The problem was to restore moisture to the sheep skin of which • parchment is composed without damaging the skin or destroying the ink. Advantage was taken of the fact that alkalies have a very powerful action in introducing moisture into the skin, and the parchments were successfully treated with a solution containing 1.2 per cent of boric acid and 0.4 per cent, of caustic soda being finally stiffened again with' a 10 per cent, solution of formalin.