Miscellaneous.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1900, 10 November 1886, Page 3

Miscellaneous.

While the Socialists say there is a bitter winter of poverty in store for London’s myriads of workers, the big feeds still go on. Only last winter one worshipful company with about 70 members or freemen, spent not less than £590 on a banquet. For this spread the nice little sum of 25s a quart was paid for 130 quarts of green peas fin winter) and about £7O for turtles. The same month saw 17 eases of death from actual starvation in London’s foul alleys and conrts. Comment is needless. The Socialists may be wrong in . the means they use, but surely there must be a terrible reckoning day at band for the City Companies. The Drenui correspondent of the Taranaki Herald tells of a novel form of sheep stealing which has just been introduced in that district. The thief having killed and skinned the sheep, staffed the skins with the entrails and so disposed of the carcases on the ground as to give them the appearance of sheep sleeping, the result being that it was only after close examination that the fraud was discovered. The Police are now in search—not of the lost meat, but the prepetrator of the theft. One of the English “ Society ” journals recently offered a prize for the best definition of an Englishman, a Scotchman, and an Irishman. There were many clever answers, but the referee decided that victory lay between two —a gentleman who pronounced an Englishman solid, a Scotchmen stolid, and an Irishman squalid ; and a lady who thought Englishmen strong headed, Scotchmen long headed, and Irishmen wrong headed. An interesting test of visual power may be found in the Pleiades, commonly called “ the seven stars.” Ordinarily only six stars are visible to the naked eye, although the teles* cope shows a large number of small ones in the group. But nearly thirty years before the discovery of the telescope Uoestiin mapped ont eleven stars and may have observed fourteen, while Professor W. F. Denning, the well-known English astronomer, claims that he can usually discern thirteen of the stars with the naked eye, and on one occasion was able to see the fourteenth. The potato is cooked ! Wellington and Hanawatn Kailway an accomplished fact I And a mighty big faot too, as people will find ont before long 1 So everybody saya, but where's the traffic to come from? The line seems to pass through an uninhabited country ! Oh, a railway soon makes traffic for itself? Travellers come fast enough when the means of travelling is provided ! There’s plenty of population, too, at different points along the line ! Still, there'll hve to be more before the liu< can possibly pjy ■» Quite eo, aod there will be moie! One enterprise leads to another ? The Company have made the railway and now they (I have to think abont settling people on lha land ? Going in for an immigration policy, eh ; Something of that sort ? But I hey’ll manage it very differently from the Government! Ah. if they can sell their laud in London and get bona rid. settlers to come ont and farm it and live upon it, the railway will be a grand success from every point in view ? That’s how the railway companies in Ani.ri a have worked it, and they’ve done wonders ! Press Cigarette. According to the correspondent of the New Zealand Herald there is a freliog among a portion at least of the inhabitants of Norfolk Island that it should be annexed by New Zealand instead of New South Wales. The Herald says;—"lt is only 600 miles from New Zealand, aod it is 900 miles from tie nearest coast of Australis, and 1000 miles from Sydney ; and as it is beyond the jnrn. diction of New South Wales, and as it comes eo naturally into the jurisdiction of New Zeeland, it ie reelly incumbent on tns part of the Government, if there is eay chance o obtainiog it, to take steps to have this charming little island, and its interesting inhabitants made one with us. If ws still indulge lbs aspiration of easing Mew Zealand the centre of an oceanic confederation, Norfolk Island should certainly be included ea a aouuavpaiae on the West to Fiji, Navigatois, nod the net, and would be much more naturally administered from the islaud folopy with whieh it has so close a commercial and nUgieoa (station. Over 60,000 people attended the fete recently held in Crystal Palace, Loudon by the jiand of Hope children of England