HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19850, 20 January 1920, Page 4

HERE AND THERE.

I here is a very definite movement among the trade unions of Aust-alii generally in favour of cutting out Saturday work. The idea is " forty-four lours and ». five-day week.” . Some of c moie extreme and irresponsible unions demand forty, and even thirty•six hours per week, but they are not Taken seriously .Among the unions !n . 1 ! a T. 0 " V , 110 IIVO - dll - v nro TlulV’i I,IC . I>et^ r classes of artisans, v n f y i,- brn - Ilcll of the Amalgamated Engineers—once a. eonservaive and stately organisation, but viuch Ims now given itself over to the progressives --has voted solidly for • chminatiou of Sat-ansav work’, a m f is now considering how it is going to bring about the reform. At fi r «t .sight the movement is not a little dhUirDing fhis country wants nothing so niiicli ;is increased production: thorn If"," nt,lO V Wil - V °f escaping the war fPn "ml recovering the easv. prosperous days of 1914. The whole ten ciency should he to do move work and increase the working time, rather than to shorten it. Tut as a, matter of fart many owners of factories and work*P:' :,ro mit opposed to the cliauge. ihey say that the majority of operatives simply dawdle around on isat-nr-day morning, with one eye on the clock, and never settle down, and that, iit the circumstances, it does not pay jo keep the machinery running and all power on. Very many employers in Sydney, at any rate, long ago made a deal with their employees—that if they would do a little extra work on live days a week, the factory would bo closed on Saturday, with no decrease m wages. The employees, of course, jumped at it, and the system lias worked satisfactorily to both sides. There arc those who believe that an unbroken week-end—from Friday night to ;Vion day morning—will spon be a feature of a largo section of Australian industry. The sandwich is so called from the Earl of Sandwich, who passed whole days in gambling, and used to hid the waiter bring him l'or refreshment, a piece of meat between two pieces of bread, which he ato without ceasing to play. The Homans wore fond of “ sandwiches/’ which they called offnla.

The aspen leaf is said to quiver bocause the Cross of the Crucifixion was made of this wood- The fact is tha tho loaf is broad, and placed on a. long leaf stock so flexible as scarcely to be able to snp’xnt it in an upright position. The upper part of the stalk is flattened, and being at right angles with the leaf, is peculiarly liable to be moved by the faintest breath of air. The first woman to undergo a course of training for a. flying pilot’s ticket in England, since the end of the war is -Mrs Atkey, of Chelsea, wlto has hecio learnimr to 11 y an Avro at Hounslow, and made her first instructional flight recently. Mr Atknys instructor. Mr Park, says that learns just as roaddv and displays quite as much nervo as a man.

A strange figure, clad in chains, walked up to Xo. 10, IXnvning Street, and handed in a, petition to the British Prime Minister, asking for work for the demobilised soldiers of Birmingham. Th«i he departed as mysteriously as he came. His chains, which were of various thicknesses, were wound round his neck, arms, legs and ankles. At the British Ministry of Health, preliminary measure have been taken m view of the possible return of influenza. An informal committee, including Sir (icorgo Xewman, principal medical officer, and Dr Buchanan, has been considering the question, and many suggestions made to the Ministry h.Tvc been referred to these experts lor examination. Among them was the proposal made by Dr A. S. Xankircll medical officer of Poole, at the meeting of the Royal Sanitary Institute, for a return to the practice of bleeding in cases of influenza. The, official view, it is understood, is that in individual cases, having regard to the condition ol the patient, bleeding might be benericial, though, it should certainly not he resorted to except under direct medical advice and supervision. Thbro was no evidence, however, to show that bleeding could be considered a general remedy for the disease.

There aro disadvantages in becoming known as a claimant to large estatesis shown by the case of Mr John G. It a cits t raw. the Sunderland hrick•per, who is the claimant to the Scottish estates of Lord Lennox. Mr Raekstraw has been inundated with begirdm Jotters, and one ,school teacher atNot” «r’£Tnm^° U lvr i° to a l ßkin * for ''m loan 0 £..000 in order that she might rotno and liy'e at, homo with h<V ac4l The shortage of sugar , r "“"ft "» PMr mmn« V, 1 atcis deis were not in working mood hey declined to unload the sugar and ' ,'•'* J? ai f ßC * oh to Australia. k Wlien Gahour lashes out in industrial matters it lilts up its own grade of society good and hard Many working men’s diildren will have to go short of jaiu year. Of course the Joss of the 4000 ons was not the whole cause of he SS?’ ltS VaS a

A •■character” himself, Samuel ButJer, the author ot “ICrewhou” (who nas once "on the land” in \ e w Zeal<uul), attracted "characters” to him. One was his cleric, volet, and geiierd attendant, who kept him supplied with written reminders as to what ho must lim 08 , oL I 1 } 0 * 0 Kivon in the new hte ot Butler by Mr Posting Jones, include tho following:—" Von are to «ork here to-morrow (Tuesday) until 12 u cl ?v V, y° u « ru Wto Peele’s oi- Wilkinsons, and get your dinner. I. hen reach Drury Lane by o.to 7 (nut later). Pit, early dour, 2s Gil When yon are inside, and cannot get a seat m the middle, go to tho left-hand side and yon will sco bettor.” As Butler was going out the factotum would slip a note into Ills waistcoat pocket after showing it to him, and telling him i« " keep on repeating it to himself.” It would run perhaps: " I am to buy a, new hat, and a new pair of hoots,” or •‘Please do not forget to trim vour beard this afternoon, so as to look nice and prime at, .Miss S \s to-morrow. On Ins dressing-table at night, he would find the injunction: "Please, you are to change your flannels and socks tomorrow morning.” On his piano would be tumid a s.torn command: "'My dear sir, you are retjuo.sted to leave off your music composing at S o’clock sharp,"and to go lor a wallc on the Kmhankment (weather permitting). Please don't forget, lor there will ho no excuse for Van.”

•Nng Sing, New York's big prison, now Mils 2'A criminals who are down Jo pay tlm (loath penalty. Never in ii' lurid history lias it housed at one mid the same time so many murderers. Extra guards have hen put on to provent any dash [or freedom on tho part, of the condemned he fore the time comes for them to pass through the little red ,d«or that, leads to tho death chair. What is particularly dangerous about, the present habitues of “murderers’ row in Sine Sine is that nearly all of them are the hardest, typo of murderers. men who took human life, hot in a fit of passion, Imt hy deliberate plotting or in the. commission of robbery or .seme other felony.