NEWS ITEMS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12883, 17 June 1913, Page 2

NEWS ITEMS.

Miss Anna Martin writes in the "Nineteenth Century" on the position of tho mother in regard to isoeial reform. She deals largely with the proceedings of the International Eugenics Congress held in' London last year, and draws attention to many of the disabilities under which married- women suffer in the United Kingdom. More is demanded of the mother than ever before, sho says, and a certain proportion of the married women are.still in a condition little removed from a domestic slavery. She describes the legal condition?; of English wife labour as a disgrace. A largo firm .in Philadelphia have <*f-hn-ed to give every man in their employn.u.it 15 cents every time he takes a Ivtth. Two-thirds of the 700 workers at thh plant already have accepted the ~Uer. The baths are limited to one a d.;>y tor each employee, to he taken when »<.-?Hg off duty at night. The company ''.isiiishes nickel-plated equipment, toweM, soap, shmver-baths, etc.. When the b;«th is over the employee gets a cheque Tioni the attendant, and at the end of »jio week he cashes them in at 15 cents u-piece. It as calculated that if all of she men .adopt the plan the total cost of jlie concern in bonuses will be about tbsso r. year.

In an article in the "Nineteenth Century." Mr Arthur S. Underwood. Into ■examiner in dental surgery, Royal College of Surcrc-ons, draws attention to the dancer from .untrained dent-'s+s. The law in England at present permits, he says, -fiatal experiments by n skilled persons. Tho number of unauthorised •■-(I upinstructed dentists is stn+sd a< about twenty thousand, and as tho law stands anyone may extract teeth, administer a general anaesthetic inject cocaine; yet in all lihree operations the 'v>+ipn.t's'lifo is placed in jetmnrdv. Th^ writer pleads for a law that will demand :>■ r-erfr'neato of know-Wice and skill, protecting the indiseTiminating -public from the quack and charlatan.

'•'The milking machine is a most valuable invention for the dairy farmer in these days of a scarcity of labour. It m ould I>3 practically impossible to continue the development of the industry without the aid of such an invention."' Thus spoke a southexn farmer who has a u;de and intimate knowledge of milking and machines. Continuing, he said, " Although there m.nv be sins laid at the door of the machine, they should rightly be placed to the account of the careless farmer. The state of his byres, of his stock and of himself are often indescribable, and the supply of milk under such conditions must always bo detrimental .to the general supply. It :s tho dairy farmer who should mend his ways. Thero is no more valnablo r.ddition to the equipment of n dniry than tho milking machine, and there should therefore be no disparagement of it in the first instance."

There are few men whose names, are better known than that of M. Lepine, who recently resigned his position as chief of the "Paris police. In the "Fortnishtlv Review" Mr John F. Macdonald tolls us tho history this remarkable* man. who for 20 years practically lived in the streets, suppressing riots, scattering criminals, dispersing R.oy.alisfc conspirators, eTitrelling fires, dire?----i 'thj all maivner of grim or poignant or floiirious operations—a short, slander. i">.sjenifi.CTnt looking figure in ill-fit-''tiiig clothes. a dusty "bowler" hat and sfinnre. crcaki'vg boots. A shabby lirabrrib or a stout walkinir-stick ->v.n;:> the p-jlv weapon he ever carried-. • With never more than four or fire hour^' sleep. it was all work with him. all energy and .cotiraere'; and therS was general re.iVncin'a ..when he receiverl the supreme disiinction of the Grnud ■Cross '.of the Levion of Honour. He'is now 67 years of age. '.■ ■■ --: . ;;' ; ,

■ A cprresnpn-dent of- the "Auckland Sfcfir," referring to the|; profitable utili- = nt/on of sawdust- left bV-sawmillr,, .says tihr-*; : several processes-, h-ave boon brought out, ziv.d are .comirie."cv:al.successes. On? process consists "i"i treating the. dust in a suitable digc-nt-or with high ' pre«sur« ■■ steam, ard s^lnlnunvs ncid for a certain time. ,Tn ihik v.-^v certain sugars are obtained, but which r.re not recovered as sugars. Tho bash ir. taken oiit of the dierestor. extracted with water, the remaining acid r.eutra-l:t>r-d .and tho wort fermented, .when ordinary alcohol is . obtained. Tim alcohol is then distilled off .and used for any purpose thought necessary. Sponkang (from meimitv,, .1 may say that as much as 20 gallons of absolute alcohol has been obtained from one ton of sawdust. This nrocess, when further developed may bo the means of supplying a. portion of the source of power to bo used by motor vehicles of the future. Another move common method is the dry distillation of sawdust, in almost, exactly the same way as coal is treated at gas works. In this w.ay. many very valuable products arc obtained, tho following" being the most, important: Acetone, acetic acid, light solvents—turpentine substitutes, etc"— far; and other substances. Almost the ftntiro supply of acctono used in the cordite and others explosiyes manufactured comes from tho distillation of wood.

A -ease of co:jsidcr.ablp ]n torc^f; to trade unionists was heard at Gisborne before Mr R-. S. Florance. S.M., .when the Poverty Bay Fvpczors' Union claimed from f'harles White-ly the sum of 12s Gd, unpaid subscription to the union. The amount sued for, it was explained, was small. iand was owing by defendant as a member cf an industrial union. The reason for endeavouring to.i'ecover tho 12s firl AT.a.s so as to hp fair to other members of tho union. The experience was that thero were many unionists who 'vprp fully nrennred to share in the pnvilcgos of unionism, but were not so* ready to bear the burdens imprserl. The rVhrzo u-am for subscriptions due from August 1911. to Novemh:>r 1912. at tho "rale of 3d pp.r^week. W. Rowe.ll, sccretnrv to the union, nrave e%-Jdence a-nd stated thnt f>,<-. the defendant had not rr^ifnicvl. under Rulo 13, he war, still ILililo for subscription. Defendant contended tl:.nt lnwas move ihnn 12 months in arrears in March of this year and should tii.-w----foro have bfo-i struck off tho roll of membership. His Worship said tbp point was of intere-;t to unionists and he would reserve his decision.

Says the "Taran.ifci Xn-:" : FV--.r.v.->l .of *ho ruosts at the Club Hot^l. Wniinm.. round ,v-> unpleasant snrpri.s? in the sltano cf empty pockets, waiting for thorn on rSnf,nrdnv inorm'n<r. iSrvoral lost money from their clothes, and ono v.-.p..s nrinus his watch and chain. On furthor invostigntion it was found that two yonng men who had taken n room tosierhcr on Friday nujht, had -made ,i tf'i'ck cot flway. A ronrpsentativo of ibis nnnrr also passorl Friday night at 4h<-. hote'', hnt w.ts fort-nnnto in b<?i"tr left o'it of the thie--« s ' ilinerm-'-. Flo '.va« informed that the Rusnocted per-'-ons worry tw^ resiipctable-lookinc: young w h.Td tnVon s\ ronr.i forrether, and the rvv.^w-.'s informant hs>.<] occt! mo,] o. third bod in tho s.imo roam nl-♦■houp-h ihe m^n worp Ptvano-orH to him. r To snid t l<nt hfs f^vo ocvnn.iTnm--; nlnvrd ->nMs until a Jafo h~ vr , nnd X"d nnpir--nt.lv n^n niia,rrolli: l£ r over tho p->me. Tn the. r-^Tjinsr t-hpv were fon-e. r.r>r] po """a* a fnir on«i«t.i+v of Trv>^, K i] V er Mrfi-xzclY onwtrh. thn thfrr] oecu".-^ of tlT> rrrvm ]^ f ] i os t nothing. Th<^ tr-f.ro-fe^r of fi-m V,M^ + ,] JO rrere strangers to him. Ho considers

that the losers, were partly to blame in leaving money loose in their clothing, lying on the floor. Doubtless police investigations, will follow. ■. . ,

The uneasiness'• at. Home affects the colonies, and it is\ certain; that if t a crisis occurs, New .Zealand, in-,commori with the rest of tiie.Empirei wilf suffer. Thero does not ~at>peUr;%:'.beVany- J;dis>-: position on -tftayßajij^pfC:^^ io curtail ifeve}cp^di^r^;;^*}i^yT4e?> or on the part:^n^Ke^..t|adjers :to : : keep; importations withiii" bounds./ ; PferhapS; the present tih)idity"onrihe"par.t-of,.,tnS.;,' lenders will hAvfC &'. useful i-e&trainmg effect, but. experaence^"ratherf suggesfe : that as soon as. the-public have Tnoiieyi to "play with .'they williSpend'it.^Ghrist-. church "Star." . -^ V-;V.;v '■

An interesting; r^ferenc^W^ew^Z^a-" landers as ssplSie^a^is/Gontajned;'iti;-a-ietter from I/eutenant~C<>l:f)helDrisf>nll> D.5.0., the Cfemmandef-Gfereral of-the Legion of Frontiersmen, vf>° Fft? the leader of D'-iscolPs 'Scouts ;: during: thfli South African war. .Writing to "the Dominion staff officer for tho Legion/ tho distinguished soldier .Rays: .""I bad plenty of experience of tho. New, ZeaInnde.rs in South Africa. Some of. mysmartest scouts, both officers 'and men, came from New Zealand, and in Africa the New Zealanders had the renutation of ranking with the bravest soldiers in the country, and their discipline and conduct were exemplary."

No fewer t'hnn forty-four horses were j shipped to Melbourne by the s.sl.JMan-•-j nV.a. on Monday, says the "Southiawl. Times." twenty-nine being shipped ,at Dunedin. tvelve at Lvttflton,. and one nt, tho BlnfL .The. Otario 'coTiSTjfnTne^t consisted for the main part-of wellbred mares and colts, rahcring in ases from three to six years. Tho t so-''are bpi"p; shinned by/Mr J. Flnjr, J"y/ho >isi^rt-;v ting them up for auction at the~-f-" lniC:* which commence- in . Melhohr^e "on the* 14th of next month.' Mr..~Blair statpd that althoxtgh the markets iti ; AustrnHn; were not too promising? he exnected* that his consignment would realise "better prices there than here.

" Some of the worst churches... I hn.ro seen are v,n vc?;?!.lthy' clioses©^1' s?.id Bishop Julius in an afldropf? at Christr church. He did not.'believe; ,he con-, tinned, in tho wcialthy,parish. He did not believe m a few rj-eople giving large sums and the reaf doin'ot. nothing. He believed rather in all helping^ and in this resnect poor parishes, .were'often examples to the. richer parishes. In them all set to work with an unconquerable spirit, wmile in others it was apt to bo left to one or two with money. The real spirit of sacrifice was alive in tho poorer churche^ and,, it was tin's spirit, which did anything worth while in the Kingdom of God.-v^.-;i^

Thee anpes\rs to be a grea]t, ( dea|-;<;f.,, truth in the spying that all^CwWjlthronjps from the lard, admits.the.Of.a"go " Daily Times." It is .certainly-: <?lea^r that many countrymen are wealthy enough to obtain luxuries that several very well-to-do city men "•'."-. cannot yet afford. It is stated .that'"-there. w.aV.a great bnom in the sale.-of motor cars in Dunedin last w-eek, one es'tirhate be_irig that nt least over £6000 was spent by agricultural, representatives on thes^ vehicle"*. Alto mother. it.i«; 'estimated that thr> Our.edin. winter' show, and, to a- certain oxfcct^'^^'visif.of tJie- battleship t"> Ot-n.e.o He.r.'ds. were .responsible la'-qelv for the expenditure,of £30/----000 by visitors. ~ ' . . ■

'•'ls iho'relicioiis .diß>e.nlt>'. in :-pr.'irna.ry education insoluble?*' This is the■''iibtect of an article in the "Nineteenth Century" by Blsliop Fr-odfiham, late Bishop of' North Queensland. Af*«?r.referr ring to tho ■ positioa in England.- tho writer points out.'"that, the" ".relip-'ous education problem has .been-.-faced- in other parts of. the ; Emnirev and it ha/* iiflon . satisfa^toif-liV' solved ;in at ipt-J'S-t tliree 'States of the Australian Camxnoii--.vealth by what i.v knoirr! as- the-.'Ney/ South Wales.,system." The-fact '. tliaj?. 'Qne'erisland has ab-indouct] secJiiar.-jOcFu"-. rj^ision' ; after o\'e'r 30 years', trials fit fa--your of the New /SoutV.WaJos ftphemo- is in itself, he sflys, a suggcstiy.e''fact', ;Kfe believes that tliei'e, is ; an opportxiiiit'y. iii England for trying how far the "system is applicable there.". /:

The present method of. giving, injured animals their quietus by mea?s of a bullet; has for some time past" been reeardod ■ as rather"•unsatisfactory by, ; the Society for the Prevention ipf ' Cruelty to Animals. The Wellington Society has lately imported five weapons of the type known as the captive bolt .pistol. The principle of the pistol is remarkablysimple and humane.1 A blank cartridge drives n six-inch. steel..; bolt 'along the pistol barrel, and the missile,'-•■."which" h sharp pointed, penetrates the sk'nll of the animal, causing instant concussion and painless death. The "contrivance is so devised that the bolt does not entirely leav e the barrel of the weapon, and consequently-there .is"no possibility ci danger when using; it. The Socity's inspector, Mr F. .Seed, will utilise one, of the pistols, and the other four will ho disposed-of'to'persons who have use for them. '