GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 70, 29 August 1874, Page 10

GENERAL NEWS.

It will be remembered that a statement was made in the English newspapers recently (said to be on the authority of the British Consul at New York) to the effect that 40,000 skilled workmen were prepared to leave the United States and proceed to England. That statement has besn officially denied by the American authorities. It probably arose out of a crimping offer of a Mr Wood, "who for a long time resided in the State of Ohio," and has offered to take over to England 20,000 farm laborers/who would work in gangs at 14s per week from April to November, and 10s per week during the rest of the year. To this, their food would require to. be added, amounting, at the lowest calculation, to Is 6d per day. Even assuming that Mr Wood could induce 20,000 men to leave the United States on these conditions, the average rate of pay would be so far in excess of what the. Laborers' Union demands, that we do not wonder the Cambridgeshire farmers have been deaf to the charmer. It is said that " one of these men will do as much work as three average English hands," to which we remavk, that we don't believe it.

General Trochu hag declared"his intention of leaving Trance, and spending the remainder of his life in religious retirement.

A property in. the King's County has realised L 13,650, the whole of which, less the costs of sale, will be devoted to providing a new Convalescent HosDital for Dublin. Suoh was the benevolent design of tho owner, tho late M. B. Mullins, Esq., of Fitzwilliam-square, Dublin, whose will left this and other sums for the same purpose. A couple of years azo, shortly after his death, appeared the usual riotioe, sotting forth his charitable donations to various hospitals, &c. ; they amounted to neai-ly L6OOO. At a future time nearly LIO.OOO more will be available for tho purposes of the Convalescent Hospital ; so that, in all, the poor and suffering will owe to this gentleman's consideration for them benefits to the amount of about L 30,000. Nor does this cover many kind deeds which hi 3 will directed.

A New Needee. — A lady in San Francisco, the ' Chronicle ' of that city says, has invented a new needle, the improvement consisting in making a needle any size without an eye for the thread, but with, instead, a hole bored longitudinally in the head or larger end thereof to the depth of a quarter of an inch or thereabouts, which hoJe is arranged with a screw thread. The needle, it is claimed, will carry any kind of thread, and can be used for every purpose. It is thought that it will be valuable also as a surgical needle as it will require but one thread, the advantage of which -will be that a smaller hole will be made in passing the needle through any substance that would have to made partially doubled thread of the ordinary eyed needle. Silver medals have been awarded to Dr. Livingstone's faithful I followers. The Government pays £1,000 for arreara of wages;