All Sorts

New Zealand Tablet, 15 November 1906, Page 38

All Sorts

The consumption of tobacco in Great Britain has increased a little more than a third in fifteen years. In 1900 there wore 109 concerns in the United* States manufacturing automobiles, with an investment of £1,000,000. In 1905 about £8,000,000 .was the investments in plants. : • The baby of the family was showing a group of admiring relatives how high he • could kick. As he always used «his right foot, one of the aunties asked him : 'Can't you kick • with 'your other foot?' ''Course not,' was the answer ; ' I've got to stand on that one.' After Willie had put on his shoes in the morning he complained of their hurting his feet. ' His mother looked at his shoes and said, ' Why, Willie, you have them on the wrong feet.' Willie began- to cry. 1 Well, mamma, they're the only feet I've got,' he said. Russia has just taken the delivery of the first of several hundred war automobiles ordered from a French concern. A Hotchkiss rapid-'fiie gun is mounted on a rear turret, and the gunners are screened and look through loopholes. Two steel rails are carried, which can be quickly unshipped and placed over a -ditch. A parvenu,, noted for his violent temper, said to a painter : ' I want you to come to my house for I have just bought a picture by Rubens. It is a rare one. That fool Dauber says it's a copy. A copy ! If any man living dares to say it's a copy, I'll break every bone in his body. Mow I want you to see it and give me your candid opinion.' The United States has become the greatest coalproducing country of the world. The production of American coal in 1905 was 392,919,341 tons. In 1904 the production amounted to 351,816,398 tons. The year's tonnage increased 11.7 per cent, and the value 7 3 per cent. The total number of men and boys employed was 626,124, against 593,693 in 1904. A statistical paper on India shows that in 1904 there were killed in that country by snakes and wild beasts 24,034 persons-21,880 by snake bites, 796 by tigers, 399 by leopaids, and the rest by other animals Ihe number of cattle killed was 98,582. The other ft ,oi o£ -^ c a . ccount shows 65,146 snakes and 16,121 wild animals were killed. Some years ago a battery of artillery was at bic gun practice at Beunmla. One of the guns (a 38-ton? was found to have a serious flaw. The officer in charge not caring to risk half a dozen valuable lives inquired : • Sergeant, have we any time-expired men here? \es, sir,' answered the sergeant 'John Jackson has just completed his time.' ' We'll then ' replied the thoughtful officer, ' John Jackson will 'fire the gun. And John Jackson did fire the gun hanpily with no fatal result. b ' p Strikes increase in number every year in Germany As shown by the published statistics, the average number of strikes for the years 1899 to 1903 inclu sive, was 1242 ; in 1904 it rose to 1870, and in' 1905 to 2057. Of much significance is the increasing number of lockouts, which show that combination among emnlovers is also developing.: The number of lockouts, which averaged only 42 for the period 1899-1903, rose in 1904 th i°' iffi?« in -n C V O m" is expected that the figur^ for 1906 will show a further increase. The Mexican Government is seeking to develop the cultivation of bananas m that country For some years past experiments have been made with a view nf , converting the fruit into a flour for food purposes These experiments are said to have been successful and it is intended to start two establishments on the Gulf . coast m Mexico for the purpose of converting the banana into a flour, and of shipping the product to the United States As the flour is exceedingly nutritious -^anticipated that there will be no lack of demand ■ Here is a story of Lord Kitchener's recent tour along the . defences of the Indian frontier. He visited When he go t there, Kitchener was astonished to find that the fort had been so erected that it was easily 1 commanded from a high hill close by. The officer who , had been in charge of the erection, and who had-'selec-ted the site was present with the party, and KiteheneV called: him forward Instead of the outburst thatthe . staff, .expected, Kitchener merely held out his hand and said, • «:I congratulate you, Colonel — ! What a capital the Ce hlT^ ! WhCn d ° 70U Comme *<* to remove