FROM OTHER PAPERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 8

FROM OTHER PAPERS.

The uncertainty of life' is well illustrated by the writer of,tho editorial noto's in Palmerston "Times," who says, in connection with the death of Mr. W. J. Sainton':— "l never felt better.in my life," he said to a friend the night boforo, "but when I do die I hopo it will be like that," and ho snapped his fingers as an illustration of suddenness. 16 another friond on the same night who had declined a cigar on account of a weak heart, ho'said: "My heart is as sound as a bell"—^a few hours later it failed him. At tho Blenheim office of the Stock Departlrtont may bo seeii five cured goat, skins (says the "Marlborough Express"). Two lire from tho first cross of the wild mount tin goat with the pure-bred Angora, one is from 'the second'cross, and the fourth.is from • lie pure-bred Angora, being .tho skin of a ewe that died. Tho hair of' tho first cross' is much softer thsn thab of the goat, but quite straight; the hair—or,, rather, wool —of tho second cross is of a croway colour, wavy texture, long staple, and brffliant lustre quite remarkable when compared with thatof tho first cross—indeed, there is very little difference between tlie wool of the 'third cross and tho pure-bred, except that tho latter has not the creamy colour, but the cold steel line peculiar to the Angora's fleece. Although there is only six months' wool jn the pure skin, the staple is fully six inches. Interviewed in Christchurch. on his returnfrom England,.Mr.' W. H.Loughnan.told the "Press" that the Paris motorists would soon find themselves in trouble if they went at the same speed hero. The. Boulevards are divided into three divisions for traffic, the automobiles taking the centre, the cabs,. etc., one side, and the cycles another. The former frequently go at the pace of forty miles an hour, and not the slightest attention is paid to them; There is.nothing like the regulation of the traffic in Paris that there is in-Lon-don, the control, of the London .traffic by, the police being wonderful. Ho also took great interest in the taximeter cabs in)?aris. Each cab waiting to be ongaged.has a'small Qag out in front denoting-that it:is,waiting for engagement. On being...engaged "the- ftag is removed, and that has the effect of throwing, back the taximeter indicator to zero. The cabs aro similar to a Victoria, and are each drawn by one horse. ~.'.' !..',. The following pertinent comment by.',"Dβ-' mocritus" in Christchurch "Troth" has an equal application in this city:—"lsn't it time that somebody took up the> cudgels 'for the unprotected male. Bisnop Neligan has. been saying hard things ..of men who'lead girls astray, , and I don't'wish td-defend them. But the Bishop, should spend' his righteous indignation on the parents'.of the girls. Let him take a .walk in the main street of Christchurch on a Saturday ovening and count,the numbers of young girls with "their hair down their backs parading the town in" twos' and threes without anybody to look after them." An experiment-which Mr. Beswick, borough • overseer for Tiinaru, has been trying lately had apparently an element, of'danger about it. Some oxide of iron,.which-jis-a residue periodically removed from, the purifying apparatus at,-the gasworks,-had been spread.along :the sides of BanksStreets, with a view to .destroying weeds.. This oxide contained a. large percentage • of, sulphur,, and ; was,' therefore, inflammable, but it would not burn ' spontaneously. \On : AVediiesday (says the ''Herald!.') by-sorao mj'storious. means, a- portion of.the weed-ex-terminator :in Sarah Streot 'was- ignited, and a quantity.; of grass churned., Mr. Beswick was informed of the affair,' and he and a liduDle c»,Council; workmen' took , ono of th» fire brigade's reels to the scene,-and quicklj subdued the fire before much- damage..was done. ■" : , '•' .:'.'-,.: ; ";■ ~'' .-.. ' . :

. Among the questions which came up for consideration during the hearing of the bricklayers' dispute at tho Arbitration Court in Auckland, says the "Herald," was one of the employment of apprentices: One employer, in giving evidence, stated that he did not employ any, and-he knew of no one who did. "The".work- is I! too'rough'-'fOr ;boys :, in New Zealand,". l he !! sn.id. ;:l '"They prefer to keep on a black coat and wear a stiff collar-.' , ■'■ • •

". An accident to a gunner of B.Battery, Duiiedin, owing to the kicking of one, of. the horses attached to. tho limber, of one, of the guns, has rousod\the local "Times" to.comment on tho inadequate horsing of, the battery. The paper says; This is not the first mishap that has.occurred to"the battery from the same cause—namely, the. necessity for hiring hprsos 'on' every occasion on which the battery takes the field.. The hired horses' are necessarily unacquainted with,the surroundings, -and'are consequently sometimes fractious. The difficulties of. the position would be miich.accentuated in case of a real emergency, and it is therefore much to be desired that hotter provision for horsing the battery' should bo made/.

That oranges can be grown and' ripened in Canterbury has been proved,-it'is said, on more than one occasion; Mr. F., Gardiner," of Purau, produced proof of that fact to a representative, of "Lytteltoii .Times" on 1 Saturday by displacing-a twig bearing four wellgrown oranges, in various stages of ripeness, all probably more maturedthaii the imported fruit is when it is , gathered, for shipment to New.Zealand. The twig was cutlfrom a tree at Purau, planted by Mr.'.Rhodes, .as .Mr. Gardiner-bclidves, about thirty-five years ago. This 'tree is, he states, now about 'ten feet in height, , and-bearing freely. It is stated that in-years gone by oranges were ripened on trees growing in-the garden of the late Mr. Potts,' ; at Governor's Bay:'ii,--;. , /... .

"If ever 1 become a member of Parliament," remarked Dr. Thackdr at tho meeting iii the City Hall," according to Christchurcli "Press," '.'I will agitate for the refunding of the poll-tax on Cinnamon, the paying of the interest, on that poll-tax,, and tho .shipping back to China of all Celestials.,. It ,is a. gross shame that a Chinaman slioiikl bo , , treated as Ah-.Choiig was, in .the, rracas..in, St.-. Asaph Street on/Saturday night. If we don't want them Jet us send them back; to their own country." :' ' . ~..,', :.■..::■:.,-, >, ' ■'<

' Mr., F. AV. Flanagan, , 'Commissioner .of Grown Lands, has just returnee]'.'from a'.visit of inspection'' to thei Waiigapeka' Settlement, says tho Nelson' "Colonist. Ho found the settlers in good spirits and woll satisfied with their holdings. Considerable- work' has been done:in the way-of clearing woods and scrub, and a , 'considerable quantity of land has been broken , -'up, some of which, will be put in' turnips for sheep fattening.-. Mrs. M'Ph'erson, wife of one of the settlers, is at present conducting the school, which has,.fourteen pupils,. Altogether/ Mr., Flanagan is exceedingly pleased with tho: prospects, and considers that Wangapeka will be one of the most successful sei.tleme.nts' of the kind in the Dominion.. -. ~.■.-..■',>. . ■ , .

The Dunedin Fire Board is,at present in a state ~of. uncertainty, .'and.,the mombers thereof do not know whether the Fire Board will be extiiiguishei! after a brief but meteoric career, or if it. w;ll continue.'its work, increasing in utility and. 'importance. The chairman, Mr. Cray, does.not, belicvo (according to the "Daily Tillies'!) in the insuiv ance companies bearing the greater part-of the burden of the expenses, and criticises the action of the Government in- contributing such a very slender amount. "Whether wo are wiped out of,existence or not," says Mr. Cray, "the Dunedin Fire Board will always ndrocato economy as far as practicable with ollicipncy in Dunedin Fire Brigade matters.:' This is how the local "Herald V gives away a Now Plymouth bootmaker:—A Maori bought a pair of boots in towiv on Saturday, and, of course, put them on before. lenvinq the shop. Shortly afterwards" she returned, annoyed. "These boots be no good," she ejaculated; Tho shopman turned a He was quite aware that he had "palmed off" on the■ dusky lady'some pretty old stock,- and : he expected to bo told that tho stitches had burst. But he mustered'enough cheek to ask, "What's the' matter with them?" Tho wahiiio sinmly blazed. "Why you no put in tho squeaks? ' They no like the now boots at all. I liko tho iicw boots uo snueak, squeak, then , I know they all right.'! Ho breathed again. : '■■•"■ At llangiora on Wednesday Mr. V. G. Day, S.M., granted an old-age pension in full to ii Malay over soventy years of ace who, had been living in the vicinity of Tuahiwi for about forty-fivo years. Two or three persons (adds the "Lyttelton Times"), who had known him all the time he had ; lived in the district, gave him a very good character; When being questioned by the Magistrate, lie declared: "I no drink, no smoko, no swear, no nothing bad; go to church."