COMMERCIAL.

Waipawa Mail, Volume L, Issue 104, 27 May 1929, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON MEAT MARKET. The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has received the following- cable from its London office, dated 24th May, 1929,. adivsing- Smithfield delivered prices averaged for the week ending that date as follows: Mutton. —N.Z. wethers and maidens: Canterbury quality, selected brands, 56/under 7d, 57/64 6 l-Bd, 65/72 5 3-8 d; other brands, 56/under 6 7-Bd, 57/64 6d, 65/72 5Jd. N.Z. ewes: 64/under sd. N.Z. Lambs.—Canterbury quality, 36/nunder 9 5-Bd, 37/42 9d, 43/50 8 d, seconds 8 7-8 d; selected brands, 36/under (ltd, 37/42 8 7-8 d; other brands, Ist quality, 36/under 91d, 37/42 B|’d; 2nd quality, 30/32 average 9d. Australian Lambs.—Victorian, Ist quality, 36/under 8? t d, 37/42 8 l-Bd. Argentine Lambs. —Ist quality) 36/under Bd, 37/42 7id. Argentine Chilled Beef. —Ox fores 4Ad, ox hinds 6id. N.Z. Frozen Pork.—Porkers, 60/80lbs. 9Jd, 81/991bs. 9d, 100/1201bs. 9d; baconers, 121/1801bs. B|d. Lamb—Market is steady. AA r arm weather is increasing consumption. Mutton Market.—'Wethers, trade slow. Ewes, market weaker. N.Z. Porker Pigs.—Demand is small owing to warm weather, nominal prices. N.Z. Baeoner Pig's.—Market weaker owing to lower prices of Continental bacon.

Strange Native Games. One of the strangest games is that called “ram” —popular with the Mapuche tribes of Chili. A wager is made between two competitors as to which will be the first to break silence. They sometimes remain silent for whole days, until finally the man with the weaker will speaks and loses his bet! This is but one of the many interesting sidelights on the Chilean people in Augustin Edwards’ “Peoples of Old,” just published. In another game of the “ dice ” sort with colored beans, the players propitiate their luck by talking to the beans and magically invoking disaster for their opponents. To “gamble your shirt,” is no mere metaphor with these people; they gamble their knives, clothes, weapons, blankets —anything; and frequently the game ends in a . general fight!

Fatal Modesty. “I would suggest to those who supply artificial silk or mixed cotton and silk clothing that they should either warn people against its inflammable nature or reduce the inflammable propensities of the stuff as much as possible,” said the Birkenhead Coroner, returning a verdict of accidental death on Miss Mary McDonnell (19), a tailoress, Cardigan street, Birkenhead, who was fatally burned when her clothes, which were made of silk, caught fire as she was cleaning fireirons at her home. It was stated that the girl in a dash to put out the flames tripped over her young brother, scorching his hair and clothes, and then ran out into the street, where neighbors put out the flames. Mr John McDonnell, father, said he thought his daughter delayed running for help because of her modesty in not waiting to be seen with her clohes burnt away. The Coroner said he had received an anonymous letter signed “Safety First,” asking him to inquire into the nature of the girl’s clothing. He would have done so in any event.

Songs Before Work. Mr Adrian Boult, the musical conductor, has suggested that business folk might try to dispel that Monday morning- feeling by assembling for community singing, but this is not quite original. There is at least one big religious organisation where the staff appear regularly to meet for community hymn-singing. But Cecil de Mille, the Hollywood film producer, hit on the most astonishing form of morning “uplift.” While engaged on the film of the life of Christ he commissioned a pastor to conduct a religious service for the whole staff at the opening of each day’s work, so that they should approach it in the proper reverent spirit.

Where Sam Weller Was Boots. The George Hotel, in the Borough High street, London, is one of the very few old coaching inns, with galleries overlooking the courtyard, still left standing in the metropolis. The present house dates from 1676, when it was rebuilt after the old Tudor inn, which stood on this site at least as early as 1554, was destroyed in a great fire. Stow says that in Henry VIII.’s time it was known as the St. George, and bore a sign depicting the saint slaying the dragon. Many students of Dickens claim that the novelist, when writing of the White Hart, where Pickwick first met Sam Weller, was actually describing the George, it being a common practice of his to transpose names.

Asleep For a Week. Doctors in Semlin (Serbia) are much puzzled at the state of a peasant and his wife living in the village of Surcin, who have been sleeping for over a week, and cannot by any means be aroused. They seem to all intents and purposes to be enjoying a perfectly natural but deep sleep. The doctors declare that there is no drag known to medical science which could have this effect. The, symptoms bear no resemblance to those of sleeping illness. It is thought that one of the famous “witches” of Serbia may have been at work and used the extraordinary knowledge of herbs which some of them possess to administer some peculiar herbal compound at the request of a hostile neighbor. Tzigane Music to Oust Jazz. The characteristic musical accompaniment to “Hungarian Rhapsody” at Marble Arch Pavilion (London) has caused quite a number of people to suggest that Tzigane dance music would be a pleasant and welcome change from jazz in our ballrooms. The czardas has a more exhilaratingrhythm than the one-step, and the Hungarian society and peasant dances are respectively as fascinating as the slow waltz and the Viennese

waltz to which they are closely allied. Tzigane dance music is popular on the Riviera and in Paris. SacreH Names in Common Use. General Jesus Aguirre, who has just been executed for rebellion by the Mexican Government, had a Christian name rather startling to Englishmen. But it is very common in Mexico and Spanish-speaking countries generally. It is no rare thing to come across Incarnation So-and-So or Conception What’s-his-Name, and for a child to be christened Crucifixion is not unknown. The present Government has set up, apparently, a new fashion in names for Mexico, for ex-President Calles (now the Minister of War) is known as Plutarco Elias Calles. “Tears Injure the Eyesight.” That there is more serious eye disease among women than men is shown by the records of the Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital. Glaucoma, a condition sometimes brought about by excessive weeping, is noticeably more common among women. Its removal necessitates an operation resembling, in miniature, the trepanning of -the skull. An eye surgeon at the hospital said: Eye trouble is sometimes brought on by excessive weeping or anxiety. I do not think women weep so much as they used to—except, perhaps, Jewish women, who are very emotional.” Siamese Twins. The “Siamese” girl twins bom to Mrs Miller, of Standard road, Enfield Lock, Middlesex, were parted in an operatiou performed at the North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton. Although the operation was believed to have been successful, one of the twins died a few hours later. It was stated at the hospital that the other twin is progressing satisfactorily.

Royal Parks Film Ban Lifted. Londoners will shortly be able to see familiar scenes in their principal parks reproduced on the films. The Commissioner of Works has granted permission to the Ludwig Blattner Picture Corporation to enter the Royal Parks for the purpose of taking cinematograph pictures in moviecolor of landscape scenes for public exhibition. This breaks a ban on filming the Royal parks which has for long been a grievance among film exhibitors. Any bona-fide cinematograph firm will be able to avail itself of the new privilege. Smash-and-Grab. A jewellery shop at the eomer of Deansgate and Bank street, Bolton, was the scene of a smash-and-grab raid at a time when the streets were crowded. After breaking the window with a brick wrapped in a handkerchief a young man snatched a tray containing diamond and sapphire rings to the value of £550. He made off down Bank street, followed by Detective Butterworth, who had been standing opposite the shop. The man w T as captured by the detective near the bottom of Bank Street. As he had cut his wrist badly in making the grab he was taken to the infirmary. The Man in Blue. Viscount Byng of Vimy, presiding at the annual meeting of the Police Seaside Home, at Hove, related the following story:—“While a police constable was standing on point duty at the Marble Arch,” he said, “an aeroplane passed overhead. Three people asked him what it was. Four people wanted to know where it came from. Four people wished to be told where it was going. Seven people asked why it was there at all. And,” added Lord Byng, “every one of these 18 inquirers Were sent away satisfied. What the policeman said I don’t know, but he did what I could never have done myself—answered 18 people concerning what he did not know himself.” (Laughter). Wrong Body Found in Coffin. The discovery that the wrong body had been brought home in a . coffin from the infirmary occurred dramatically at a house in Liverpool. A coffin bearing the name of Mrs Pemberton, the mother of Mrs Chow Sing, wife of a Chinese, was delivered at the house, and Mrs Sing, desiring to see her mother for the last time, had the coffin opened. When the lid was opened she fell hack with a scream, and almost collapsed. Instead of seeing the body of her mother it was that of a man with moustache and beard. The men who accompanied the coffin hurried back to the infirmary, and discovered their mistake. The confusion appears to have been due to a similarity of the surnames on the coffins.

Eve’ Fights for Modem Clothes. “Women are not ashamed to show that they possess human bodies,” was the striking statement made by Lady Emily Lutyens at a luncheon in London over which she presided. “Too often beauty has been associated with sin and temptation, and the Church has rather regarded beauty as an aspect of the devil instead of an aspect of God,” she added. “Beauty depends upon health, and everybody wants to be beautiful. Up to the present there has been too much thought that beauty depends upon artificial aid. Doctors are preaching a better gospel. The foundations of health are air and sunshine and hygienic clothing. Doctors welcome that change in feminine costume, but the Church is inclined to denounce it. With the help of the women and of the medical profession, however, health will win the day. Garments of convention and tradition are always hindering those who want to go forward to a greater and a better world.” Sir Arbuthnot Lane said that the New Health Society was going to do a great deal in educating the people in the matter of health. The note had been struck at the right time; people were dissatisfied with the medical profession, and the world wanted something real and genuine. The society recognised that the people were tired of drugs and treatment, and that the business of the medical man was much the same as that of the chauffeur who looked after his car. The Earl of Mayo remarked that the ignorance of the majority of people in regard to their own bodies was amazing.

London’s All Black Building. To the many picturesque novelties of London has been added a great building which is entirely black. It is the only completely black building in the country. The building is in Great Marlborough street, opposite Liberty’s Tudor building, and seen from Regent street has a striking appearance. From pavement to roof the facade is polished black granite, severe in treatment and only relieved by floral decorations in gilt and enamels -which have been specially executed by a Japanese artist working for a Brimingham firm. The polished walls, however, make the building far less dull than many begrimed blocks of offices. The build9ig appears all colors in turn as it reflects the changing lights of the day. In sunshine it is dazzling, in summer sunset it will glow. At nighttime the building is to be flood-lighted in different colors, and it should become one of the features of London’s evening spectacles. The building has been erected as the London showrooms and offices of the National Radiator Company, Ltd., of Hull. The showroom, on the ground floor, is lined with a cream marble called travertine. In one comer is a Moorishlike staircase. The architects are Mr Raymond Hood in collaboration with Mr Gordon Jeeves, F.R.1.8.A.