LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Franklin Times, Volume 10, Issue 797, 5 January 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The well-known Maori war cry, “Ka Mate! Ka Mate!” has been adopted by the students of the University Farm, Davis, California, as one of their official “yells.”

The game of ping pong under the new name of table tennis is very popular in England at present. The rules forbid direct service, which can be made too difficult, and piescribe that the hall must stiike the table on the server’s side of the net and bounces/over. Volleying is also not permitted. The Evening Post reports that in the course of a few days the Alliance of Labour will take a. ballot for which papers have been printed but not yet distributed. The paper says : “Do you favour Affiliated Organisations* ceasing work as a protest against the reduction in wages . The papers are returnable to the local secretaries of Unions by the 15th January. »

At the-Police Court yesterday, before MeJrs J. T. Stembridge and C. K. Lawrie, J’s. P., Henry Gibb, of Churchill, aged 68 years, was charged that at Churchill on 26th December 1922, he committed incest with his daughter Constable Horan applied for a remand as the complainant was not in a fit state to appear in Court. The request was granted, accused being remanded to appear at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court at 10.30 a.m. on January I,lth. Bail was allowed, accused in himself of £SOO and one surety of £SOO. An old bird of 84 years, who claims to have swallowed sufficient whisky to drown IJO Scotchmen, and smoked enough cigars to put up a decent smoke-screen for (the whole British Navy, maintains that he is “the one real juvenile in, Sydney’s ancient brigade,” without a pain, crutch, or complaint. And the panacea is just ordinary kerosene. Here is what he says about it: “I started on it 30 years ago, with a teaspoonful nightly, increasing the dose as my system became inured. To date I have consumed 31 cases* or 248 gallons. It has rid me of all forms of rheumatism, sciatica, colds and a skin disease of 40 years standing. The virtues o± simple remedies are naturally suppressed by leg amputators, body carvers, drug purveyors, and nostrum merchants. The only thing that annoys me is that I fipent £7OO on doctors and chemists before a simple Pennsylvania miner opened my eyes to Nature’s panacea.”

A Tamworth-Berkshire pig now being exhibited in Wellington is Bft 3in long, 3ft 9in high, 6ft 9in round the girth, weighs 1058 pounds and has not yet stopped growing. He exceeds the present holder of the world’s championship by 2571b5. He is to be taken to the British Exhibition where the world’s challenge will be accepted. The pig was bred in Canterbury.

Otaki is,, perhaps, the only town in New Zealand where it would be difficult to say whether! the European, Chinese or Maori predominated (says the Manawatu Times). The Europeans are attracted by the genial climate, the Chinese' by the rich soil, and the Maori by both, these,, and bv the fact that it was his ancestral home. To escape the environment many residents are building an attractive “all white” suburb near the seaside. .

An amusing, story was: told of a New Zealander’s experiences _in America by Mr Moran,, American Consul, at. the civic reception to the, American athletes,- at Wellington. On being asked by an American from what country het came, the colonial replied: “New Zealand. The American did not know where this place was situated, so they adjourned to’ a public library and after a perusal of an old map they found that New Zealand was indicated by two small dots in the middle of the ocean. “That’s where I lander, proudly. The American looked at the map for a minute. “Ahem ! What do .you do when the tide comes in ?”

Have; you ever noticed how very few people walk straight ? Watch any person as he or she comes toyou in the street, and you will be surprised to find that they follow a zig-zag course. Watch a number of people, anid you will find that about nine out of ten bear gradually to the right, then leturn to their course,> and repeat the process until: they arrive at their journey’s end. The reason for this tendency to bear to the right * s the right leg and right side of the body are usually stronger and more developed, and weigh more than the left. A left-handed person is apt to lean, and, therefore,, walk a little to the left. If a man be slightly deaf, in say ,the left ear, his steps will go sligthly in the left direction. In the same way a person shortsighted in one ye will tend to to go out of his true course on the side ot the imperfect eye.