LATE NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1920, Page 3

LATE NEWS.

STAGE UNDRESS

PARIS, Nov. 14. Dresses in Paris revues have become so scanty that the Prefect of Police lias sent inspectors to music-halls to report what they see. The result has been startling. In nearly every ease ‘the police code of permissable undress Mas found ignored. The Prefect of Police has issued a circular to music-hall managers refusing to accept excuses in future and threatening with an icy cell any actress M'lio displays in her stage dress a predilection for chilliness.

MARRIAGE “ BOOM.” LONDON, Nov, 14. The population of ' England and Wales was increased by the excess of births over deaths in the quarter ended September of 82,255, as compared u-ith the increase of 34,233 in the same quarter last year.

The number of boys born exceeded that of girls by 58 per 1000, the average in the ten preceding quarters being 41 per 1000. The births totalled 175,367.

The number of marriages in the second quarter, ending June, was 202,142, an increase of 81,866 over the previous quarter, and 67,902 more than the same quarter last year.

LOVE-POTION CRAZE. LONDON, Nov. 14. Superstition revived enormously during the war, among both soldiers and women, declared Mr Edward Lovett, in a lecture on the folk-lore of London at a meeting of the London Society.

held in the hall of the Royal Society of Arts yesterday. Mr Lovett is bon. curator of the folk-lore section of the Imporial War Museum. On two occasions, after notices of his lectures had appeared in the Press, women from the fashionable quarters of London, lie said, bad called or written to him for “dragon’s blood ” as a love potion. Tormentil root was still sought by

jilted girls in the poorer parts of London. (This herb is so called because it is said to allay pain.) HAIR-TONIC DRINK. NEW YORK, Nov. 14. In New York the Revenue authorities are trying to overcome two evils which have arisen since the passing of the Prohibition Enforcement Act. The saloon keepers, 'it has been found, are buying barrels of commercial alcohol and colouring' it with prune juice or caramel to look like whisky, and selling it at 2s a drink, which nets them a profit of £240 a barrel. Doctors describe the effects of this drink on the stomach as being like «■ charge of dynamite. Deaths have already occurred. The other evil is the drinking of hair tonic, toilet water, and bay rum.

GIRL TYPIST DROWNED. PARIS, Nov. 14

Miss Florence Rossler an English typist of 28, who had boon living for a year at the Christian Union Hostel in Paris, threw herself at noon to-day into one of the lakes in the Bois do Boulogne. Though quickly rescued sh.e did not recover consciousness. At the Christian Union I was told this afternoon that Miss Rossler had been suffering from acute neurasthenia which had obliged lu-r to give up her work. Her family in London has been informed of her death.

WOMAN'S ‘OPERA” HAT, LONDON, Nov. 14. An amusing incident took place at a hentre matinee this week.

• \ woman entered the stalls u'oaring, with her winter furs, a rather high hat, formidable as a barrier betuecn those behind her and the stage. Tiff? usual polite requests that the. hat should be removed Mere passed frpm one stall to another immediately behind the wearer, M-ho instantly and n jllingly compiled M’jth thpm, ’ But what M'gs the astonishment of all concerned when the lady was seen to place on her stall the hat she had taken off and then t<> sit on it! Curiosity was too strong for, one of her near and admiring neighbour, and the fact was soon made clear that tho hat was of the collapsible kind, its possessor’s owy. invention. That, ia was exceedingly practical was proved at the end of the performance, when it was shot into shape again, planted firmly on the head of the weaver, aiyl borne out proudly, a smart piece of black headgear, The applique flowers sparingly yet effectively bestowed upon it were apparently incapable ot being spoiled by the drastic treatment, they had received.

MORMON’S AGAIN. LONDON, Nov. 16

Mormon agents are busy in Great Britain, more especially in the north, seeking girl recruits to send to the Moimon city of Utah. The fact that husbands are scarce is an opportunity for the Mormon elders, 'many of whom,, it is stated, have arrived in Eiiglapd since the signing oi the armistice- Women missionaries are working in the great cities and in the villages trying to lure girls to Utah. The agents get into conversation with girls, tell them of the advantages of emigrating, and promise them work. If they agree to emigrate it passage is arranged and they are sent to London to await sailing.

Although the Mormons say that polygamy as a part of their religion has cyiised fo exist, it must be remembered that converts have to swear to secrecy and take an oatli of allegiance. U.S. OFFICERS ARRESTER. PARIS, Nov. 19. Two American officers have been airested by the Zurich police in circumstances of alleged violence which have led to a strong protest by the United States Legation in Horse. They were investigating cases of fraud which are stated to have taken place in connection with the American Army Purchase Office in Switzerland. An American N.C.O. is under arrest in Paris charged with complicity in fraudulent contracts entered into by Swiss merchants with the United States Government. The two American officers sent to oxamine into this matter arc said to have been roughly handled and threatened with revolvers by Zurich police.

AVILL OF A DUCHESS. NEW YORK, Nov. 16. The United States Trust Co., co exe cutor with the late Frederick Beach of the American estate of the late .Consuelo Duchess of Alanehester, has filed a petition in the Surrogate .Court, in consequence of Air Beach’s death, to disburse the residuary estate of the duchess

The petition states that after setting aside funds for providing annuities bequeathed under the will to the douager’s grandchildren. AHseount Afandeville, Lord Edu-ard Aiontagu, Lady Mary and Lady Ellen Aiontagu, and.her two sisters, Miss Emilie A'znaga Tmd Countess Zicliy, the trustees have - a sum of more than £350,000, mostly in. railway stocks. . Tile entire estate of the duchess in the United States and Britain amounted to more than £600,000. She was Ahss Consuelo Yznaga, daughter of Antonio Yrinaga de Abtlle, a wealthy Cuban.resident of New York.

Consuelo Duchess of Alanehester left the residue of her fortune on trust to the Duke and Duchess of Alanehester and their children during his lifetime.

AVAD OF £1 NOTES. LONDON, Nov. 19. At Derby Assizes Arthur Beesley, charged until converting, to his own use £162 belonging to the Rolls-Royce holiday club, of which'he wris' secretary., said all the money, which aas in notes, was stolen from his trousers pocket at Birmingham while he Mas in a tramwaycar going to. the races. • Several jurors questioned him on this point. One, a tailor, said he had made a test and found it impossible to get so many notes into such a pocket. After this statement counsel defending declined to address the jury. Beesley was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

NEW MUZZLE ORDER. LONDON, Nov. 16. Dog-madness lias broken out in a neuarea, the disease having been confirmed by the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Board of Agriculture in a stray dog found at Wormingliall, Bucks, close to the Oxfordshire boundary. An order imposing muzzling and prohibiting the movement' of dogs over a M’ido area is being issued. It M ill embrace most of Buckinghamshire and Ox. fordshire and parts of Berkshire, North amptonshire, and Hertfordshire,