HERE AND THEE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12687, 8 July 1919, Page 4

HERE AND THEE

Mr Joseph Conrad, one of the most brilliant writers in English, to-day, was born in Poland. He wanted to be a sailor, and, despite the opposition 'of lib family, went to sea, took English certificates, and became commander of an English fillip. Later, he determined to become a novelist, and, after sokw d'onbt whether he should write in English or French, decided on the former His first book, “ Almayer’s Folly,”.- was written aboard shin in various parts of the .world between 1889 and 1894.

The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantrv were at ’one time called “The Lacedemonians.” They owed the nickname to the fact that a former colonel halted the regiment whilst it was under a heavy fire, delivering a long address on the courage and valour of the Lacedemonian legions in battle. ■A story is told by Lord Everslev in his reminiscences concerning an Irish M-P. named Scully. Just before a certain critical division the then Liberal Whip, Lord Moncke, found him hesitating as to which lobby he should “K “My. dear Scull,” said his lordjinking his arm familiarly in Scully s, “I hope you are going to'give us your vote?” Scully testily with, drew his arm, and retorted: “My dear Lord Moncke. I hope next time -you abstract a ‘ y 3 from my name you will add it to your own!” ■ .

. “Big Ben” is named after Sir Benjamin Hall who was. Chief Commissioner of Works when the bell was cast-

Lprd Birkenhead, -the Lord Chancellor, better known as "F E ” was wearing the silk gown of a K.C.’ within nine years of putting on his barrisfinnnlf’ and was ™.? kin ? an income of iMU.UUO a year wlule winning laurels as a speaker and debater at Westminster Soon after he had passed into the forties he had climbed to the highest rungs on the Bar-ladder-he was hist i-ohcitor and then Attorney-Gene-w i - , for ty-seven he had reached the almost tlie Sliest age on

P ™ d - yOUr v ?’ s ” and “ QV’ is an expression originating from the barroom custom of scoring up against nonpavmg customers a P for a pint and a 0 lor a q,uart.

Mr Winston Churchill is one of therr^ aW ° rapllS ¥ d s P eak «-s in the British Ministry It would take an earthquake to disturb his self-possession when he is on the platform. He was once addressing an audience, and some staging at the hack of the hall came down with a crash. The audieme alarmed, made for the door, but Mr Renamed that they fc> hear the rest of his speech. He brought them hack bv shouting at the top of his roice: “ Men wLftr donG - even though th G nhole blessed place falls in!” The geophone a listening instm ment developed ij the French durW the war. to detect enemy underground is ttf He Sov he United States Bureau of Mines is a possible aid m locating miners who * disaster! A P °“ a 12021 seam can bo heard with this instrument 1200 feet pened to he near while the seophone was being tested in a mine, put the intStWW kis ears. He heard so distone y ‘‘Ar at i?® called out ip a Startled tone. Mack is tamping in a charge! We had better move away.” \ coal fro™+b°°/ ?i ck »Pa»ted ‘Mack trom the startled boss at the time. .. A curious case of loss of hair from PgPtmng is described by Dr H T Ashby m the “ British Medical. Jomnal. Three Manchester children were in bed when the house was struck, all lyng on their right side. A fortnight later the hair on the left side of, the children’s heads began to come out-j and in a -few 'days this side was quite bald. The right side, which was pro-) tected by the pillow, escaped. Now, three_ months after the lightning, the hair is slowly growing agian.

The first lady to receive full membership of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association, entered on the books last week, is Mrs Gladys Henning, who_ possesses an ordinary certicate of discharge showing that she qualified for membership ; by two years’ service abroad with .the .New Zealand motor transport, with the rank of driver. She can wear tho R.S.A. badge.

The demand in Great Britain for women’s labour on the land is increasing, and immediate steps are being taken to recruit and train a further supply. _ This recruiting will, the Food Production Department states, he facilitated by the fact that it has been decided to raise the minimum wage of women of the Land Army by 6d a week. They now receive 22s 6u for the first _ three months’ agricultural work, which includes the period of t-rmg, ass aMwaiife 25s a ml as the minimum wage, or as much more as can earned under, the Wages Board award.

In a drapery shop at Napier quite recently a woman customer was observed stealing a piece of ribbon (says the “Daily Telegraph”)- The assistant was so surprised at the customer’s deliberate action that she was unable to promptly take steps'to detain the wtunan. On the next day the woman reappeared and desired to match the stolen finery, which she oalmly produced- The assistant gave the signal and the manager appeared and took up a position in order to watch the proceedings. He was assisted by many of the staff. The woman made her purchase, handled many other small, articles 'on the counter, looked up. saw she was being watched, paid for her ribbon and departed. The staff, even including the hard-headed manager, was so astounded at the cool cheek of the visitor that she was again oermitted to _ depart. The manager says the experience, which caused a great deal of amusement, was well worth the price of tho ribbon. Is 9d.

Fire-lighters throughout New Zealand responded nobly to the call to arms during the war period, and these men of “the ladder and the hose’' proved themselves to be equally as <mod fighters against the Germans as they had done against the comm’on enemyfire (says the “Southland The record of members of the United hire Brigades’ Association of New Zealand is indeed a creditable one. The complete return, just issued in pamphlet. form in conjunction with a full report of the proceedings of the united conference held at Invercargill in March last, shows that the total enlistments amongst members of the 112 odd brigades affiliated with the association was 1553. Out of this number IPo made the supreme sacrifice, 238 were wounded, and 205 were invalided homOj while five were made prisoners of war* The record of decorations received by fire-hghters while-on active service is also highly creditable. Tho list shows that one received the Victom Cross, two the Distinguished Service Order, eight the; Distinguished Conduct Medal, four the Military Cross, tli ree the Military , Medal, one the King of -Serbia’s Gold Medal, and one the Belgian Croix do Guerre.

~ following paragraph appeared in - the Birmingham “Weekly Post,” Out of the total of 431 samples of butter coming from India, Denmark. Holland, hiew -Zealand. Australia, B l ailC |’ .i. Al £ eatme > Canada. South Africa, and Norway only those coming from Denmark and Norway were found to be free from a boron preservative. .The largest number containing this preservative—-and the highest percentage of winter—were from if ranee and New Zealand. Such a prehealth 1 ” 3 & rus injurious ■■ 'to

People will not spend all their brains and money m building houses while those horrible land taxes are in existence:—Lord Desborough. :•■■■. , Children’s Hacking. Gough., Woods’ Groat Peppermint Cure.