GENERAL NEWS

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14263, 14 January 1920, Page 7

GENERAL NEWS

Some quaint stories tire told of life in Port Darwin. A Press correspondent writes that football is played vigorously i while the temperature is ut 00 degrees, 1 and the “barracking” is done in a variety of longues, including Greek,' Maltese, and Chinese. Cricket is played in winter, and football in summer. The place is the glad home of the siy-grog shops. The people strike against pay- I ing Is 0d per bottle for beer at the j hotels (which are conducted by the Bla.te); but they go like lambs to the sly-grog shops in the evenings and pay Os and 4s per bottle.

The London Times’ Dublin correspondent says that strange proceedings occurred in the Bunfoot Court (Ireland) on Friday, December 10. Four of the leading residents were charged with having collected funds lor the Bail Kirann (the Sinn Fein organ). A clamorous crowd disturbed the court, laughing and shouting, “That’s the medicine for them," when it was stated that tlie Crown’s witnesses were unable to, give evidence because they had been shot and badly wounded. Two of the justices of the peace excitedly resigned their commissions wncn the accused were sent to gaol. One justice was removed by the police.

“You young ladies are well dressed, in fact, too well dressed." commented -Mr S. D. McCarthy, S.M>,,at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court,, when three sisters were charged with various thefts from the Christchurch Hospital, where they had been employed, “There arc many women in the town in much better positions than you. are who cannot afford to dress as y >u do with the present prices of drapery and soft goods. You deserve to be- taught a /severe lesson.” The three accused were not imprisoned, but restrictions, were placed on their liberty for the next 12 months. ■

About four years ago (states theOtago Daily Times) the big. elephant with Wirth Bros.’ cirrus, when engaged in drawing the cages containing the other denizens of the jungle out of the local railway goods yard, espied a water-tap which had not been properly turned off, and he promptly turned on the tap to its fullest extent and drank his flit A few days ago the animal arrived again in the goods yard, and guided by the same wonderful and. un*erring instinct that leads the toper to his favourite house of refreshment, made straight for the tap, which he had held in grateful remembrance since, his. last visit here.

Questioned at Dunedin regarding, the timber shortage, a member of a large importing firm was inclined to. show some optimism. He stated that as soon as peace was finally signed and settled more shipping would be set free to convey timber to Australia and. New Zealand. This would bring about a reduction in the present high rates of freight, and the cost of the timber would fail to some extent. What the exact amount of tile* reduction, would be he was not prepared to say.

The average colonial child has the business instinct strongly developed. This little incident has a Christchurch setting. The butcher was so late in calling that it would be impossible to have the joint ready for dinner; so Mary, aged seven, was called upon to go “down to the penny section’.’ for so many pounds of sausages. Her mother handed her a florin. “Can I, have a penny.?!’ instantly inquired the practical daughter. “Yes! You may have a penny out of the change." The penny section was some three suburban blocks distant. At the end of a solid hour Miss Mary returned. “They didnlt have any sausages,” she reported. “Here’s the money”—and she passed over one and elevenpence!.

Attention was drawn in. tile Divorce Court in ‘Melbourne to the alleged heartless tactics of Rupert Desmond,, aged 03 years, woolclasser, now of parts unknown, who, according to an affidavit hied by a witness, has been through the form of marriage with, six women, and has deserted each of them in turn, usually taking with him their savings and some of their belongings. His latest victim, Margaret Desmond, who sued for a divorce on the ground of desertion, said that on the morning after the ceremony she drew. £2O from a hank and gave it to him. tioon afterwards he asked her to wait outside Flinders street station while he went to get a bag. She had not seen him since. A.decree nisi was granted..

Since the armistice there has been, a steady increase in. the number of English babies. “The present figures,’’ says the Registrar-General, “seem to confirm the theory that after a great war or disaster Nature adjusts the balance between, the sexes by increasing the number of male babies, in proportion to the female. Male births in England and Wales were persistent throughout the war period,, starling in May, 1915., For forty years before the war the average male excess was in the proportion of 103.8 boys to 1000 girls. Since May,. 1915,. the lowest proportion lias been 1043 boys to 1000 girls, and at one period at was as high as 1059 boys and. 1000. girls. In Berlin during the war the same tiling was observed.”

The New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union has receiver} advice that this month the representative of a large .American company will arrive in New Zealand to establish plants for drying buttermilk. The company proposes at its own expense to equip and erect plants at each factory where arrangements can be made and whose output ‘is to equal -130 tons or more per annum,.or with one factory of a 230 tons capacity where there are other factories in the neighbourhood from which the buttermilk could he purchased and carted or railed to the drying plant. Later the company proposes to equip smaller factories with their machines. Sir- Donald Maclean, leader of the Liberal Opposition in Britain, whose position as chairman of the London Appeal Tribunal brought him constantly before the public during the war, has represented Peebles and Selkirk in the House of Commons since 1910. He is a solicitor by profession, but has taken an important part in politics for some years, and in 1910 lie was made a Privy Councillor, and was created a K.B.H. in the following year. The general public,, however, will know him best by his successful and indefatigable work ns chairman of the London Appeal Tribunal, a post which called for a vast amount of tact and good judgment, both of which qualities Sir Donald brought to bear upon the eases he was called upon to decide. Ho has been taking an increasing part in debate, for instance, on the Welsh Church Temporalities Bill, when he pointed out that “when the Act was passed it was contemplated that somewhere in 1915 the process of disendowment would begin, the tithe rent-charge standing at Sbout 77. Tlfb war came, and the price of lithe soared up so much that last year, Hi order to stop what was getting a real scandal, the Act was passed which stabilised the tithe at 109. The market price of the tithe has run up to about 136.”