HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12757, 29 September 1919, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

In his farewell speech at tho Palacd Theatre. Sydney, on September 2, Sin Harry Lauder said:—There is a call from your Government to-day in thd best cause the world has ever known—l the Peace Loan. I want you all to ddi your best. You were far away from! the war zone, but it was awful. The wake of the Hun is the abomination ofi desolation, for he knows no mercy.i Now they talk of German goods coming here, and of German markets opening. Stand together, and keep them out. Develop your own resources, supply your* selves, work hard, down with the “ go- ! slow ” policy. I fail to see why the slacker and shirker should earn the same as the honest hard trior. If wa open the German markets, our sons havo died in vain. (Cheers.) 1 heard a woman tho other day all applauding for German silk stockings. She wouldn’t feed like that if she had buried ?i.- 5011 J. n France. .And let them say? Jus: Tho British Empire nailed close °P 13 the League of Nations. (Loudl cheers.) Yes; we were getting a little cold before tho war, but when the Mother’s call came we tallied together with a thrill, all the sous of Britain, and even that first-born son so long separated, America, rushed into the field when things grew hot. Let the union thus cemented never be broken again in this world. By far the biggest artificial lake in the world is near a place called Manchar, in India- When full to the brim, its surface area is 115.000 acres, or approximately ISO square miles. j _ Replying to a question by Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston North) as to whether legislation would be brought down this session to provide all school books free for children attending State schools, Mr Massey said: “ Tho,question of tho supply of class books to pupils in public schools is being considered by the Government. Some years ago free class books were provided for all pupils, but the scheme had to be abandoned as the majority of parents preferred to purchase books for the exclusive uso of their children. Provision already exists by which free school books are supplied to children who move from one district to another, and also in cases where the parents of the children ar© in necessitous circumsmtances.” The widow had three large windows overlooking the route of Paris’s Triumph Day, and as she was rather out of date it did not occur to her to let them for a large sum to strangers. The “ Morning Post ” tells the story. Instead she invited a number of armless and legless poilus to sit in tho right and left windows and watch the procession pass, explaining that the centre one was engaged. But no one cam© to occupy it, and while the troops with hands and banners marched proudly by, the widow, to her guests’ amazement, sat at the hack of the room with, her head in her hands. "When it was all over one of the grateful guests said: “So your friends never came, after all?” “Oh, yes; they were there,” she replied quietly. “My son, my grandson, and my son-in-law. They all gave their lives for France!” “ I have just heard Sir Martin Conway, tho Director-General of the Imperial War Museum, give some very interesting information about the scheme to members of Parliament,” says “Clubman” in the “Pall Mall Gazette ” It was proposed, he explained, to include every weapon used' during tho War, and a new State Paper Office wouM be erected to house tho mass of original documents- The war photographs collected numbered more than two millions. It is intended that tb© museum shall include models of tho 350 types of aeroplanes used. A lease of the Crystal Palace has been taken for four years from next April, and it is hoped that the collections will ha on view in the early summer. The intention is to make the future museum a living museum, not dead like the imperial Institute, and he thought it should house a living studying body, the United Service Institution. It would be the University, of modern war, with collections dating back from the time of Marlborough, an illustrated encyclopedia of war. It should ha placed on the banks of the Thames Just below the County Hall. In front of it could be moored some vessel like thn Vindictive. On. the river edge would be a great facade, with a great memorial sculpture behinclt. for nil men to see, and behind that the museum, with its library and research departmentA plague of foxes recently infested the Toddington district of Bedfordshire. In a single night one farmer lost ninety-five head of ponltry and othci farmers also 'suffered considerably. Hiding in the saddle is a most exhilarating and healthy pastime, but when overdone is said to cause fatigue and drowsiness. The fact is that two horsemen, who had had a “big day’” in the Te Kinga-Moana district, dosed in the saddle while their steeds continued the homeward journey. The old horse led the way, hut instead of taking the road bridge, took a short cut and safely crossed another structure over the same stream which was planked with two eight-inch planks only. The younger animal, recently broke into the saddle, got halfway across the stream, when he began to snort, whether in protest against the narrowness of the way or in admiration of the intrepidity of tho “ old mare” is not stated. The snorting, however, woke his rider who, in turn, awoke tho rider on the other side. The young horse, after a good deal of coaxing, successfully 1 accomplished the feat of the first steed. Th© point is that the two riders now claim distinction having performed equestrian feats with their eves shut that uo other resident, with his eyes open, dare attempt. The total extent of ploughed land (including fruit-growing land) in Ireland exceeds 3,240,000 acres—an increase of 202,841 acres within twelve monthsTo every child horn i nthe borough of Preston ((Lancashire) on July 10 Preston Conservative Working Men’s Club will present a £5 war bond in commemoration of peace. The habits of some applicants for positions on the staffs of public institutions of sending letters and testimonials to members of the controlling bodies was unfavourably commented on by the Mayor (Mr J. A* Nash, M.P.). at, the meeting of the Palmerston North 1 High School Board recently (says the Manawatu “Daily Times.” H© did not think it right that this should be allowed, and he pointed out that the practice might result in doing an injustice to the one most deserving of the position who did not write to members in that way. He mentioned that he had received letters in this way touching recent applications, and he had tom them up without reading them. He moved that in future, whenr calling applications for any position connected with the school, tho words “personal correspondence directly or indirectly will lead, to the dis-i qualification of applicants” should ,ho included in the advertisement. Ho mentioned that every time application a were called members were inundated with letters, and while h© did not say, they would he influenced, he contended that the procedure was wrong- Otheri members supported Sir Nash ami m©n-| tioned similar experience. The motjois was carried. Excluding kingdoms which are ia course of transformation, there are nows twenty-five republics and twenty-six monarchies among the principal countries of the world. A spider’s web makes a good barometer. When wind or rad n is ahead the insect tightens up the web, elongating; the filaments only when fina weather is coming, j . .■ . ‘