THE LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6668, 14 December 1899, Page 3

THE LOCAL OPTION POLL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — After reading the account of the proceedings at Lyttelton las.t evening every impartially-minded man must come to the conclusion that Mr T.,E. Taylor'B accusation that the forces behind certain candidates made for . " degradation and unrighteousness," has been more than amply justified. Blackguardism of this sort has been more prevalent during the late election than the papers would lead us to infer, and it is time such outrages . were put- down with a strong hand. — I am, etc., Dec. 14. FAIR- PLAY.

The oldest loaf in existence is in the British Museum. It is supposed that it 'was leavened and baked about the year 560 B. C. , ,fn shape it resembles a- penny bun, and ia in perfect conditions The flying cycle is the Jates^ -American invention. The machine is kept afloat in. the air by means of a balloon, looking Somewhat like a huge, round-backed t'rfftle. , Below the gasbag hangs a bicycle seat, with pedals and hand-cranks geared to- a shaft which drives a "screw sail." This serves j to propel and steer the vessel. Ten times round the world in a second is the fastest rate of transmission in the world, being* the rate of discharge of a Leyden jar through copper wire of onesixteenth of an inch in diameter. The correct figure is 278,100 miles a. second.- In striking contrast comes the pace of the snail — ijin. • Here, in order, is a list of things animate and inanimate that follow the snail : — A man walking, 4ft in a second ; a fast runner, 23ft; a fly, 24ft; a fast skater, 38ft "; ocean waves, 70ft ; a homing pigeon, 87ft ; swallows, 220 f t; the worst cyclone known, 380 ft. The rate of a sotind in the air is 1095 ft per second ; electric current on telegraph wire, 7000 miles ; induction current, 11,040 miles ; electric current in copper-wire armatures, 21,000 miles ; and light, 180,000 miles.