HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17032, 4 May 1923, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. ROMAN CRAFTSMEN. The luxurious Roman baths of Claudius at Bath are undoubtedly 5 says the London “Daily Chronicle," th* most wonderful reminder we possess of the Roman occupation of Britain. Steps now forward for further excavations are not likely to disclose anything more remarkable than may already be seen, it is amazing that this magnificent work, covering an area of more than 30,000 square teet, should have lain unususpected until 1/55. The lead for the lining of the great bath, and tlie 3in lead pipes, which, still carry off the waters from the springs, was mined in the Mendips, probably by British slaves. Although th© Romans could only make pipes by folding over lead sheets, they knew howto “ wipe a joint” as well'as the mod. ern plumber. They also used hollow or “box” tiles, which have recently been reintroduced for partition walls in houses. DON’T STAMMER. Most people admit that nothing handicaps a person more than a stammer, and yet, in many cases, the aftiic. tion can be cured if it is handled in the right way. Jn the case of most stammers there is something physically wrong, and until this is cured notning will improve the speech. Enlarged tonsils, adenoids, spinal trouble, and many other diseases cause stammering, or, at least, prevent its cure. Therefore, if you stammer, be thoroughly overhauled by a doctor. If ho finds nothing wrong, you can concentrate upon your speech. In some, oases stammering is due to mental causes. Many people can talk with perfect ease to friends, but stammer badly in the presence of strangers. They must learn to keep calm and beaaine selfpossessed. Once the nervousness has been cured stammering will quickly disappear. If you suffer never allow yourself to brood over your affliction; you will only make yourself worse, li you don't stammer, never make fun of those that do. Fear of ridicule makes stammering worse, especially in the case of children. If th© child is taken in hand at once, the stammer may disappear. Every year it remains unattended makes a cure more difficult, and one child will almost pass on the complaint to the rest of the family. CHANGING NATURE. It is said that our domestic animals are changing. On the one hand Nature is adapting the animals to ti e changing conditions of the world they live in* and on the other the scientific breeder is deliberately trying to produce new strains. Roads and haulage have changed the duties of the horse and Nature has got rid of the features no longer needed; man has helped with his scientific breeding, and the result is that the modern horse is lighter and faster than the horse of. sav, the sixteenth century. So it is with almost every animal in man’s service. With byres and shelters, the ox has lost the shaggy coat he no longer needs ; on the other hand, the sheep has been “ trained ” to grow a heavier coat—for our eventual service. Our own inventions. too. have played their part in animal evolution. For instance, before we found winter fodder, cattle used to starve through the dark months, with a consequent effect on their summer health. With fodder, and cattle foods we keep them fat the year through. INDEPENDENT BOROUGHS. Some time ago the authorities of the Isle of Man protested against being called upon to make certain contributions to the Exchequer on the ground that the island had not been included in the Peace Treaty amongst, those who were no longer at war with Germany and Austria! Technically, therefore, the Isle of Man was still at war. There have been one or two previous omissions of towns and small countries from peace treaties that ended great wars. Berwick-on-Tweed is an independent borough which comes under neither England or Scotland. In Acts of Parliament it is mentioned separately. By some mischanoe its name was omitted from the parties to the treaty which ended the Crimean War. Henoe, technically, Berwick has been at war with Russia f-or three-quarters of a century. There is in Italy a tiny republic called San Marine. It came in with the rest of Italy in the war with Austria in 1848. but by mistake was loft out of the treaty. During the recent conflict the republic merely resumed hostilities; she had no need to declare war. “ HARD-HEARTED GIRLS.” Speaking at a meeting at the Mansion House, London, »n support of an appeal for the endowment of the four women’s colleges at Oxford, Dean Inge, of St Paul’s Cathedral, said he sometimes thought the only good thing that had come out of the war was the discovery of the incalculable asset the country possessed in the other, the forgotten, half of its members. University life to women might produce a philosophic mind and temper, any evidences of political extravagance which might otherwise show themselves. Alluding to the attractive women undergraduates seen in the street* of Oxford with their “fetching” caps, he expressed regret at the “ deplorably low percentage” of women undergraduates who married. “ I see that only 657 out of 12,607 married, and I hope that the others will not be so hard-hearted as to take vows of perpetual maidenhood,” he added The Archbishop of York said ha was convinced that women ought to share with men the traditions, inspiration, teaching, and life of the national universities. LIFE IN ZULULAND. “ Ingwavuma is not a too pleasant place to live in. The next white man to n* was brutally murdered. He lived 20 miles away. " This extract from a letter written by a woman in Zululand gives a slight impression of the horrors still present in the Hves of British settlers. There are other dangers too. “Every night.” she writes, “1 had to search my' hut before retiring to see if any snakes or deadly creatures hai’ crept in and hidden away during the daytime. Twice above inv bed I discovered long, scaly things, with backs like crocodiles- They were 12in long, with many legs. The roofs being thatched—no ceilings—are the haunts of bushy-tailed vats and spiders as big as oranges. Then there are the flying ants and beetles 2in long, puff adder*, black mambas, pythons 15ft to 20ft long. The fruits and flowers are. howover. gorgeous, and make up for a lot. The houses an built of wattle and daub and when drv th*> walls and floors are smeared with '-wdiiP". That will sound very horrid to th© people at home, but it's all that can be Aon*,”