CLIPPINGS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 157, 18 January 1878, Page 3

CLIPPINGS.

X ; From " Atlas" in Thf World. latest development; of free-trade I in Ireland isitne frnpT>rtfnson~fiF~ t&lI&f* made coffins from Norway. With Pat's unfortunate lack of punctuality, the corpses oi' course were nod ready., The following story is characteristic of our impayable Premier.".'. A stanch jyjherent from a distant Country took up This two sons to present them to the illustrious leader of the Tory party. < Give them a word of advice, IJlr Disraeli, on their introduction into ljfe ; it would be an honour that they would never forgot.' Very much worried atlthe. request, Mr • Disraeli at last consented. ' Never try to ascertain,' he said'to the elder boy, ' who was the man who .wore the iron mask, or you will be thought a terrible btSre. Nor do you,' he- added to the second, 'ask who was the author of • Junius, or you will be thought a bigger hore than your brother.' **It is perhaps hardly known out of Ultramontane circles that a Catholic lady, sister to a Liberal Earl, performed the feat, not long ago, of sweeping a London crossing for a day, on behalf of a, chanty. The lady's benevolence is so real that hardly a smile was raised at the curious achievement, and the perfect plainness of her hnbitu.il attire prevented any fantastic public effect. But the world has missed the truly wonderful spectacle it might have enjoyed if a sister religionist, fired with emulation, liad had her wish: this lady was found in hysterical tears because her husband judged that her artistic bloom and perennial curls would have roused general amazement if stationed at a crossing and joined to a broom.. The credulity 6f newspaper writers and readers was severely taxed last week ■ by the announcenipiit that the medical officer at Wedneiliury had informed . his Local Board that mo less than 53 per cent of the deaths \t .all ages during the last six years withhi that district were of infants under onq month of age. The population of Wednesbury exceeds 25000 persons, and the statement is so preposterous and clearly nonsensical that it is not a little surprising. that any wellinformed editor should have reproduced it. It bears its absurdity on the face of it. The Daily Telegraph tras, however, equal to the occasion, and devoted a sub- \ leader to this interesting statement, cal\culating that in the s.ix : ' years 'two v thousand fragile creatures under a month 4>M died at Wednesbury,' and adding, •' perhaps itissurprisingthattlienumberis liotgreater.' It is difficult to say howdense may , be the ignorance of a newspaper I editor, in respect to the facts with which deals so confidently. Such an article r 6 amusing if it did not indicate o*-,ignorance'.and gullibility in respect to statistics which at this date is rather lamentable.. Apropos of %--iKater-famme, it may be as well to tak«; advantage of the panic to remind the British householder that he keeps concealed— consciously or unconsciously—within his cistern all the I elements necessary for death by poison. 1 The circle is a vicious one, for be cannot I ljve' without water ; and watery as it. I reaches, him thfoagh the.cTomestic cistern

in common use, presents at best,a choice of evils. Wo. were told lately iji the health sm tion of the Social Science meeihg at .Vhcrdocn Ihal water-cisterns were notlsiujjT more <.r le-s than tanks of poison supplied to every house lor the coalmen t> of the individual. Covered cisterns are wonr iliiin uncovered cisterns ; lor altheiiirh <lif>y m-Vy keep out mice, planter, jind other impurities, they condense the vapour ariyin.sr from the .water, ami'form carbonate and hydrate of lead. , Dr Macadam, in his paper, .tells us ;the remedy for this evil lies in 'the; periodic cleansing of the house-cis-tern, which should be done regularly every month or two- This should be carried out with a very soft brush, and every care should be taken that the natural skin of the lead be not disturbed. A. wire or zinc cover might be placed over the cistern • but a tight cover, which hinders, the aeration of the water, should not be used.' The president, in deploring the great waste of water in domestic^consumption, stated that in one his knowledge the foundation <pj3ffe. house was so super-saturated witli w|fed water that .watercresses wore actitarfl'*. found growing in the .cellar. That another published facts recording the sham&ful watse of water in towns are worth at a time when the precious ffetfient is on strike. The following advertisement,, which appeared in the Times the otjijer day, is so extremely definite that thtfe can be little doubt the required injjbrmation has been promptly : forthcoming :— 'Wanted the name and address of the lady who married a gentleman supposed to go in different names. He is tall, fair complexion, had a very long beard now over middle- age. Says he belongs to the Jesuits, and was in., the war. Has a large bruise on anlrje.' Alas, how many of us have , beards 'Stow over middle' age' ! . 5 s -