New, Odd, Interesting.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 July 1911, Page 4

New, Odd, Interesting.

A CURIOUS COLONY. The Coloni.i Cosine, on the Paraguay, a'hove Asuncion, is one of the most curious in the world. The members of the colony make or grow everything they need and import nothing. The workmen do so-ven hours' work a day, and earn, not money, but time. Their wages are hours and half hours. These they .sometimes save up till they Lave a week in 'hand and then go off on an excursion. If a man wants a eihair o»r table, ho pays for it in hours of work, which a,re deducted fmm the bailance to his credit. Three men went off up .the river in a canoe for throe weeks' holiday. The ; y sold their canoe a.t Asuncion for a'pound, and came home overland in ten days, lodged in the "best'houses in the village on the way, and , yet Jiad sa.me- money in hand at the end. THE NEW YEAR TN JAPAN. The New Year is ushered in amid great rejoicing in Japan. On tho last day of tho told year no one goes to bed the bolls ring all night long, and -on New Year's morning the, usual sweeping >and dusting of rooms is not permitted lest any good luck should he swept away. All the .gateways are decorated with, straw ropes, ©ranges and lobsters, tho last because of its crooked back being regarded as the symbol of old age —and from January Ist to 3rd, the "three chief days of the Now Year," the people regale themselves with "Zoni," a stew 'of rice cakes and greens 'boiled in fish .gravy, which is the Japanese substitute for our own Christmas pudding. Tho Ne-w Year holidays last until January lGth, winding up with a Feast of Return to Labour.