NEWS & NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1230, 22 April 1902, Page 4

NEWS & NOTES.

About 600,000 trees are Annually plunted by Swedish school children Kinder the guidance of their teachers.

A policy lately paid by the Lquitable (British) Life Insurance Company had been in force 7G years. It ■was originally for £SOOO, hut,, with tho bonuses, the amount paid was £23,575. Xb is said that one of the large South Island companies lost £45,000 last year in the purchasing and shipping of lambs to tho Loudon market, while another lost £30,000. Altogether, over £IOO,OOO was lost in freezing speculations Inst year.

In recently addressing the cadets at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Lord Roberta said: ‘lt is now fifby-five years ago since first 1 itood on tho Sandhurst parade ground, and of nil the cadets of 1874, I am the only ono now on tho active list.’

Farmers in Southern Otago have great difficulty in getting harvest hands. One settler offered a man 35s a week and found, and when he thought all things were arranged,tho man wrote stating that he did Hot think the wages were , high enough. Another man who wan engaged said he would only work till he got a Government billet. By means of a letter chain, or ‘snowball,’ started early in 1900 Miss Robertson, of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, has collected £3737 for Dr. Barnardo’s Homes. Tiie operations of the letter chain in•luded most countries of the world, and brought 100,000 letters to Kenilworth.

Ring-bono, said the Wellington Stipendiary Magistrate on Friday, caused a horse far more pain than broken kneea do. There is no external wound, but no person can work a horse affected with ring-bone without knowing that there is something radically wrong, and that the horse is in groat pain.— Post. The Dublin Fusiliers (2nd bat tnlion) which had been in South Africa from an early stage of the war, left Durban recently for home and had a most gratifying send-off. Of the thousand men who landed in Natal two and a-half years ago, less khan 200 returned—the rest had been killed, wounded, died, or been invalided. It is said, remarked Mr Sedclon to the workers at Wellington, that the attitude of New Zealand in regard to the war was only approved by a few. Where, he asked (and his voice rose to a patriotic pitch), where do the young men come from who have fought for the colony in South Africa? ‘From Ireland/ said a quiet voice at the back of the hall, and the assemblage roared with laughter.

An enthusiast at Eltham (Taranaki) is taking round petitions to the various local bodies asking that docks shall be declared noxious weeds. Docks are not weeds that injure anyone but the owner of the laud on which they grow, as the seeds do not blow about like a thistle. The matter does not call for the meddlesome interference of outside people who have got nothing else to do.

It has been decided by (he Wei* lington Single Tax League to interview Ministers with the object of having a return furnished showing how the land of the colony is held. The last return of the kind was produced in 1893. The League desires a return made up to date, so as to euablo the public to judge how the Government’s policy is working out.

‘lt looks us whole trend of our legislation of the last few years has been to get rid of juries as quickly as possible. It is not following the historical lines of English jurisprudence; but it is not for me to say whether it is right or wrong,’ observed the Chief Justice this morning. It was suggested by counsel that the object was the substitution of assessors to settle cases. His Honour further remarked that he would be very sorry to have juries dispensed with.—Post. The Anglo - Japanese Alliance, while much may bo said for and against it, at least will release Britain’s eye from a long, w-cary vigil in the East. Japan will now do the watching, and, feeling herself safe under so powerful a protecting wing, will from this on devote her energy and resources to becoming a power worthy of the alliance. But, svith his customary luck, Uncle Sam profits moat of all, reaping equal benefits and assuming none of the responsibilities and possible burdens.—American paper. The London Lancet says ;—Death from chloroform need never occur, according to the doctrine of Syme, Lister, and Hughes (all celebrated surgeons) if this simple rule is observed. Never mind the pulse, nevermind the heart, leave the pupil (of the eye) to itself. But.keep your eye on the breathing, and if it becomes embarassed to a grave extent, take an artery foreceps, and pull the tongue right out [a piece of cloth in the fingers will hold the tongue with little difficulty]. Syme never lost a case from chloroform although he gave it 5000 times. Instances of school-boy humour are often cited. Here is one which illustrates that pater familias sometimes enjoys his little joke—a verbatim copy of a note sent to Wellington school-teacher :—‘ Kindly excuse absence from school yesterday afternoon, as by some unaccountable means his nasal organ became deprived of its natural covering (skin), and he was compelled to return home for repairs thereto. For proof of this gaze on the organ in question as he enters school this morning,—And oblige yours, etc.’ The teacher gazed as directed, and the boy was duly excused.