NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 February 1924, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

"If 1 could have my way Parliament would nut- upon the Statute Book a law prohibiting any mon* occupying land who did not keep it free -d noxious weeds/’ said Sir Walter Buchanan at Alasterton on Tuesday night. -"iVairarapa Age."

"It has been said,” observed Mr Justice Stringer at Auckland, in his -muming up in the murder trial, “that we are all mad more or less. There is no such thing as absolutely perfect mental health, any more than there is such a thing as absolutely perfect bodily health." Fxrhange. "Slome people may think." said Sir Waiter Ruchaiian at Masterton, “that the I'armcr i- n 'small jjotalo' a- compared with t! •• eitv man, but that this, opinion i- erroneous is proved by, a ref.-reeie i,i the Year Book, which show- the; :be farmer is responsible for pfi j(.• i- cent of our exports.’’ The Admiralty is experimenting with a !i-*n extract in tablet form of water-

cress. spinach, and other green plants, ailed Phyllosau. which, it is suggest'd. may supersede liinejuiee for the treatment of scurvy. Phyllosau is (ho lisenvery of Professor K. Ihlei'gi, M.I). if Berne University, and is made from •lomphyll, the vital fluid in plants, ninth hears a close ehi-mieal relationship to human blood pigments.

One C. Walker. ol Tottenham, won the London “.Star’s” prize of £SOO for his skill in forecasting the general Titian results. He forecasted 258 Conservatives, 1.17 Liberals, 102 Label r, and eight I udepeiideut candidates, •iiid la- prophesied that the total votes would be 1 L55(i,72-‘L lie was exact in ihe Conservative result, and gave the Liberals anti Labourites each one less than they actually polled. The actual total votes recorded were 1-I 501,035.

When a ease of alleged obscene language is being heard in Court, the alleged words are always written, down ■n paper, and shown to the difierent witnesses in the ease who have to "•linn to the licensed person having ased such. Thus says the “Manawatu Time-.") Ihe words are never spoken. In ;i case at Palmerston North on Momhn the Court received rather a

surprise, and stared a litih- when a female wilm-ss of Maori origin, ipic.--lium-d .'is to whether tlu- accused per- - aii had used obscene language toward her. repeated loudly the words alleged to have been used, and then said them igain immediately- -to make it quite ,-1-ar. The next witrn-- was given pciiei-l and paper.

When opossums wete introdm-ed in ,s. New Zealand the elleei on the .mil industry (annot have .been taken into consideration (says an exchange). \'t u Zealand was blessed with couiparativelv few pests when the white :r.;m landed here. Then rabbits were let loose, alyl ferrets, stoats, weasels, hares and opo.x-.ums. to sav nothing ol onte birds farmers and fruitgrowers •mild well spare. In the Pomo-c dis!.rict opossums ate doing damage to the I'rnil. Out' resident stated that i hey are clever enough to eat the rind of lemon-, but leave the sour inside still mi the trees. Apple-, peaches, nectarines ami plums aw- all welcome food to ibe pe.-t introduced Irmn Australia. ••Do you speak English r” asked counsel of aii old Maori judgment debtor in the. Palmerston North Magistrate Court one Monday morning. •■No." was the reply. “Is this your signature!-” asked counsel. “ion write English, don’t your” “No," said the Native, “and I want an interpreter.” Later (says the “Alaiiawittu Standard") he admitted that it was ! is signature and when questioned by the Magistrate answered in very good English. In answer to Mis Worship he said: “Sometimes I work, sometimes I don’t. The other day I got -■ight 'hob/ I can pay five ‘bob' a month.” His Worship: “That’s no good, f don’t think you are trying lo work—-you must pay .Cl a month.” The dialogue concluded when His Worship remarked : “You must pay 21 per month oIT the debt, in default seven days’ imprisonment.”

.Mr I.ursoii, assistant apiary mtrnetor for Southland, lias just comIdoted a systematic tour of inspection of apiaries in the section allotted lo him (states an exchange). During los loiiiul lie had on many occasions to order owners to clean up hives affected with foulbrood. While he met with ninny who took a great interest- in their hives, he came across several ttho simply tossed hoes into a box and leftthem to do for themselves. Ilins foolbrood held sway, and these colonies proved a menace to other apiaries. An order to “clean up" was the result, and instruct ions tor the Mcl'.vov system were supplied. Mr I.arson reports that n line grade ol honey will he secured this season, and that a good crop is assured. From his own apiary at Myrnss he expects to take at least three tons.

A very high tribute to the New Zealand nursing system is contained in a letter received recently by the Directoi of Nursing from a Now Zealand nurse now practising in New Aork. "Having vi,irked at mod of the hospitals here, I find none which have our splendid system of three separate duties of eight hours. - ’ she writes. “If they have eight-hour duty, it is split tip into two lots of four hours, ff wo could get more into personal contact with nurses from training schools in other countries we would soon realise that our system is second to none. When T applied for registration in New York State, one of the examiners remarked alter glancing at out certificates: "We consider that • the New Zealand nurses are the host, or one of the best, groups of nurses in the world. Their certificates will ho gladly accepted anywhere.” This unsolicited testimonial, adds the nurse, was all the more surprising hy contrast with the general haziness of most people concerning any matter pertaining to New Zealand.

A Maori settler's complaint against wandering stock was lodged at the last meeting of the Paten County Council couched in the following quaint language (reports an exchange)l want you ti give me a iob a ranger because there’s lot of cattle, lot of horses on the Rangitautau road. Puau, and lot of my fences broke and lot- of these road cattle go in my garden, and eat all my potatoes, oat all my maize, and walked over my sweed turnip and mangles every body wouldn t sorty bo me when my vegetable garden gone. I hope you would be sorry to mo because the road belongs! to you, and all these animals should belongst to you, please let me know.

The largest library in the world is the Bibliotlieque Nationals, in Paris, founded by Louis XIV. It contains 1.400.000 volumes, .‘IOO,OOO pamphlets, 171,000 manuscripts, 3()0,000 maps and charts, and 150,000 coins and medals. The collect ion of engravings exceeds 1.300,000, contained in some 10,000 volumes. The portraits number 100,000. The perfecting is announced of an electric “ultra-audible microphone” which is said to do for the human ear what the miscroscopc does for the eye. According to Mr S. M. Kettner, director of research for the Westingliousc Coy., F.S.A., the new invention can be used in vessels at sea to pick up the sounds of fog-horns and other warnings beyond the range of the human

,-ar. It will be of incalculable use in studying the liner sound-vibrations of organs of the human body, such as the heart and brain. To entomologists it also noons up a vast realm of study, because ii will enable them to analyse signals made to one another by male and female insects. The new device, says Mr Kettner, registers sounds of an infinite number of vibrations above 2d.0U0 to the second.

Passing over English Royal gluttons, the "Manchester Guardian” quotes the very substantial bill of fare of a maid of honour at the Court of Henry V 111. Every morning at breakfast -lie was entitled to “one cliyno ol beef from the kitchen, one ebete loaf and maunchot and one gallon of ale at the buttery bar.” For the middle-day dinner, besides a further allowance of bread and another gallon of ale, the maid of honour got “a piece of beef, a stroke of roast, and a reward from the kitchen.” In place of the afternoon lea of our days a further “mauneliot” of bread, ami also a further gallon of ale at the buttery bar” were available. For supper the menu was “a messe oi pottage, a piece of mutton, and a reward from the kitchen,” plus a caste of eliete bread from the pantry bar,” and a gallon of ah- at iTio buttery bar.” There was a sort of “Night cap” aIT or this: “Half a-gallon of-ale from the cellar bar,” with “a eheto loaf and a maunehel from the ptlHIry bar." The daily allowance of ale four gallons and a half in all scuts to have been generous indeed.