HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17012, 10 April 1923, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. THE SUPER MANGLE. A boon to housewives is the super-mangle, whicn wrings and mangle* without breaking any buttons and without injuring even the most delicate material. This was one of th® novelties shown at the Birmingham section of the British Industries Jbair, which wu held at the Castle Bromwich Aerodrome. Engineering and hardware are the two chief trades allocated to Birmingham. The Duke of York visited the fair, and during hia stay the British Aluminium Holloware Manufacture ers’ Association presented him with a wedding gift of aluminium household utensils. A similar gift was made to Princess Mary last year. DR JOHNSON AND BATH. The inhabitants of Bath have commemorated the association of Dr Jo&ason with the city by unveiling a mural tablet on an old inn where he stayed in vYalcot Street. It was known, in Johnson’s day as the Pelican, but to-day ae the Three Cup 9. The oeremonv waa performed by Mr G. K. Chesterton, who, in an address at the Pump Room, said that Johnson, one of the greatest ol Englishmen, showed his characteristic sagacity and common sense in staying at Bath, and staying at a publichouse. Johnson knew how to be rude — which was a very good thing to know occasionally—but he also knew how vo apologise, which few other people did. II hen Dr Johnson visited Bath in 1776, travelling by a. post coach named tha Flying Machine, he met in the western city many acquaintances, including Garrick and Goldsmith. FLOOD OF BAD MONEY. In Manchester and district it is reported that many base coins—mainlv half-crowns and florins dated 1920 and 1922—have been put into circulation Worthless coins of a face value of several hundreds of pounds have been, foisted on shopkeepers and others, and m the cheap rings at the recent Manchester races many bookmakers have been deceived. Raids on private dwelling* and shops*in the district have been made, but nothing incriminating was discovered. The Manchester police believe that the spurious coins are distributed by a gang which includes at lea*t two women. NEW LONDON STREET. It is anticipated that the negotiation* for the sale of the site of the old General Post Office in St Martin’s-le-Graml, E.C., will probably Ik? completed. It understood that Mr James White, th* millionaire financier, acting on behalf of a syndicate, is the principal figure m the transaction. The site, which is one of the most valuable in the city, will probably be sold in plots for building purposes, as offers for such plota have already been received. It is proposed to divide it by cutting a road from Newgate Street to Gresham Street. 'The latter thoroughfare is to be widened shortly by the city corporation, and this, with the new street, will help to divert traffic- from the congested Cheapside. SPARE THE HYPHEN. It is said that enormous sums lost- every year through our habit cf putting a hyphen in such words “ to-night,” “to-morrow,” and ao on. This startling statement is made by a number of mathematical experts w hn have been inquiring into the cost ot printing hyphens, letters which are not sounded, and other useless symbol*. Every year, they say.” the French and British alone lose C?*.000.000 through these practices. The report states that in al! the papers and magazines published in France. 705.000.000,000 letters are used annually. Of these l ! .2<X#.oo(».oor> letters represent- waste 1 labour. Tin's causes printers’ ink to file value of half a million pounds to be used without need in one country alone ! In English publications the waste costs a million and a half per annum. The space taken up by useless signs covers a million pounds’ worth of paper in France and four million pounds’ worth in England. THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY. It is one of the curiosities of nomenclature that turkeys have nothing do with Turkey. Before the of America there was “no such thing,” as Betsy Prig would have said, although they belong to the family of pheasants, hence heir admirable eating quality. In the sixteenth century these birds were brought from Mexico to Europe. Thev are alien* which have been welcomed, and naturalised. in country after country, until to-day the domesticated turkey can be found m almost everv part of the world. In their original haunts turkeys are still wild birds, wandering about in flocks and roosting in trees, but never doing much flying. More over, the wild birds are every bit a» good as the tame ones The cock turkev is one of the most gorgeous birds hi the world, almost as highlvcoloured as a humming bird, and in the breeding season a splendid fighter. KNOW THE RULES. London railway porters have denied that their nerves have been shaken by the alleged prospect of an unexpected cross-examination by an inspector who is said to put posers to them to test their knowledge cf the rules of the railway and their ability to grapple with awkward questions. “ We hare no new rules under the new grouping system,” said one. “ aud we never get that- flummnxed that we drop luggage, as soroebodv has said- Guards and ticket-col-lectors have to attend examinations at headquarters from time to time to show that they knew their work, but we are let off. We know our rules, just like you know the. A.B.C. Guards and ticket-rollectors get most of the awkward questions put by travellers, "but n get some peculiar jobs. If a train comes into the station with the door of a compartment open are have to turn ourselves into Sherlock Holmeses to solve the problem. Ha. , a passenger fallen out? Or, has a passenger committed suicide by n headon dive on to the mils? Ue have to walk hack along the permanent way to the next station, where our responsibility ends. By some unlucky tate, when' a train dees steam in with a door open, it is usiiallv late on a wet fewer,- night, and the oan«e of too open door is merely that no one closed it after the lost passenger cot out. If we did find a bodv on the line w« should not he allowed to touch it. hut would have to send for the police-. ' _ A BSEN T-MTX D ED. stories about absent-minded men continue to he vernier. One ~mcern, a man who thought ho had left his ivo+rh at borne took it out of his nocket and carefully consulted it to see if he had time to go hack and pet it. Tire other tells of a Northumman. who. when leavir.tr hiss offb-c. put out a or.rd saving he’d hA i»t thiYhe o’clock and then, find--I,<L hed forgotten se-mothing went buck to his office >o»id the notice on the door, and sat down on the rtnirs tu wait until three o’clock!