NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1923, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

The composers of "Yes, We Have No Bananas T'o-day,” have already received 1'17,000 royalties on the sale of ,z. The highest hotel in Europe is now being built near the summit of the Jungfrau, in the Swiss Alps, at ail altitude ol 11.801) feet. Mis Anna Vanslike, of Santa Monica. celebrated the third anniversary of her birth by swimming ten miles in the mean, .lust before finishing the swim she sang a verse of "The Star Spangled Banner” to show sue was not exhausted, and on leaving tie: water dressed without assistance, She was in the sea nine hours and twenty minutes. She arrived there twelve years ago suffering Irom tuberculosis, according to physicians of Santa -Monica.

A Colonial Office report for 1922 on the British mandated sphere of Togiltuiit, West Africa, states that fotisn. ism (the worship of inanimate objects believed to possess ill themselves some kind ill mysterious power) is tho dominating religion, and converts to Christianity in many instances still uphold the spirit of fetisli influence:*. Polygamy, in particular, is very prevalent, and the mi'-.ioiiaries do not seem able to combat it. The individual will marry in the chinch, but in the majority ol instances insi-ts upon Inning more than one wile. In the so

eases he is permitted to attend ire church, hut i' barred from partakinof the l.oid’s Supper.

In British industrial circles it is anticipated that the contract for the bridge which i-s to he constructed over Sydney harbour ai a cost of about £7.(’.09,000 "ill l,i. placed ill this country (says rlie London "Daily .Mail"). Tenders irom both Lhilish and foreign souiees are now on their way to Australia, hut theic seems to he .some ground f< r believing that a British oiler will he accepted. This is one of the eonstrueti(,., schemes within the Empire to which allusion was made by Sir Allan Sinim M.P., in the memorandum lie sent to the Prime .Minister two months ago on behalf of the Industrial Group i 1 Al.l’. s regarding trade and unemployment. The use of about 50.000 tolls of ,'leel is iuvolied ill the cimtiaet-. The luidge will be the largest in the world, and the Industrial Grout) urged the Government io exerei-e its

activities in securing the contract- for this country.

The report recently published legaidin;/ the hermit life of a. New Zealander on the remote island of Alanihiki, north of the Society Island', has produced information that the man in question. Mr Frank* Gelling, was a former resident, of Hamilton (reports an Auckland col respondent). He tvn.s the Unit! son of tile first town eF'-k of the hi ruligh. As a youth the town, oll'ered him little scope, and. disgusted with the conditions of civilisation as be knew it. ho went to the pacilie Islands. IT nm which he never u-turned. Recti,tly three adventumus young men arrived in New Zealand at the conclusion of a. 2000-mile voyage in a ,507m i vav. 1. reverting the existence on

Mniiiliiki of a white man named Frame Gelling, who had been there .'SO year*-, i,ml who had not been visited by Euro I calls for 12 year:.. Be was quit" t <*.i *e nt with his lot and had eo desire to ret urn to his old association.-.

When a visitor Born "titml" in-nT* the King Country territory, it is a usual thing for the tales of sly.grog Selling to he told (says (be Rotorua “Chronicle":. \ Waiigaiuii-ite who vas theic recently heard the latest. A Maori conceived the brilliant idea of getting his grog over the border in a barrel libelled “.Motor oil. A." FnLu innately for the wnuld-be. reveller, his barrel became confused at. the railway siding with a. genuine bane! oil When the native dis-overed the mistake. lie adopted "Sherlock Holmes's" method to retrieve his loss, and was successful in tracing his grog, to the garage of a well-to-do farmer. On inquiry from one of the womenfolk 111- learned that the owner was away. •‘Well, where to ear?" he asked. “The ear:-' It'- at Oiinkune being tepaired. Mr ran it over the bank last night." "By golly! No wonder. To

damn thing must ha' bin stunned!