NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1924, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL.

AVAR OX CROP PESTS. DEADLY PARASITE IMPORTED FROM FRANCE. LONDON. Jim. 10. An exchange of insects between countries is an important development of economic entomology which promises good results in the constant war against the pests of crops. The insects in question are parasites on various forms of pests, and in some cases are being bred for the purpose of exchange. The Journal of the .Ministry of Agriculture points out that from a small quantity of material obtained Iron] Franco last spring some thousands of Cocoons of a chalcid fly have been raised at the Government Pathological Laboratory at Liarpenden. Herts, inis flv is a deadly parasite of the American blight, or woolly aphis, a pest ot fruit-growers everywhere in Groat Britain.

The cocoons will he sent out to certain centres in the country for general distribiiitou as required. It is believed that this fly will prove deadly to other kinds of aphides (green fly) aiso.

Ladybirds, indigenous in llriain, are extremely beneiie-iai in the war on aphides, hut it is regarded as practically impossible to increase their numbers, or those of any’ other insect whose position ill the insect world is stabilised. “Hence,” it is staled, “the reliance on new int reductions.

CO I.Ol'R NAMES. YC CIH AND IT IT. LONDON, Jan. to. As if women’s fashions were not al- | eady incomprehensible enough to men. strange names are being coined lor different shades ot colour. Yu Chi ami Pi l'u are shades of green, and Toltec. one ol four lieu shades of red. of which Maya. Mexico and Peruvian are the others. The new names are said to have originated in the I'nited States. Some of them are:- — To-Ming—yellow NiUko. Chiug- blues Xavaho orange Imperial. Patricia. Roman. ami Togo -purples Fog and lead—greys Pitch pine grey-green ( lierry-blonm— pink Coolie—blue. Whether women generally will adopt these names is a matter lor surmise. Tt they do, there will he every excuse for men to look Dim, Thunder, ( loud, otherwise black. CRIME FILMS. PAD INFPI’ENCE ON YOFXCi. LONDON. Jan. 10. American film producers, by flooding the British market with sensational “serials” and “adventure” films, are adding considerably to the task of social workers.

“The kinema.” said a mission worker in South London yesterday, “has a remarkable fascination for our boys and young men .and although it is perhaps deplorable that they should spend every span l penny they have on the ‘pictures,’ the influence of a wholesome story of manly adventure on the minds of these youths is not had. “But as regards these preposterous American adventures, with their cheap regard for human life and the hrar.en presentation of scarcely veiled vice and immorality, it is dilheull to say what the rl will he on the mimb. of some of (lie youths. “As a rule British hoys are fairly well balanced, hut when we have pictures which have robbery and violence for their theme, one fears for the effect on those youngsters who come from homes where the environment is not ill, best.”

In many past? of London mission v.orlee's are doing their utmost (o keep youths out of undesirable places bv providing comfortable etuli-rooins where billiards, ping-pong, class and draughts can he played. Most of these missions also have gymnasiums and provide boxing instructors. “Pul.

said one worker, “despite all we can do. the (mi's go off to the kinema if they gei tile import unity.” icnrcATioxAi, films.

Air Wheeler, of the London headquarters of the A'.ALG.A.. expressed the opinion that kinema proprietors, il they won!®, could create a demand lor educational lilms.

“If i liey would persist in showing them, I think the public would soon get to a| preeiate them, and the younger members of the audience would find them as interesting as some ol the adventure films.” JOCKEY'S’ BOAT RACE. PARIS. January It). Four jockeys well-known in France, Gamier. Frank Keogh. Fred AA’illiams, and Allemaiid. took part in a boat Nice on the flooded racecourse at Mai-son.'-Laffitfc to-day. It was raining hard and the jockeys wore mackintoshes »s well as caps with their racing colours. As each jockey sculled in a racing stiff out of tile paddock, lie was greeted with cheer? and advice to “Pull hard!” The race for the Flood Gold ('up was on a course of 100 yards along the ,'straight'.' AYith some difficulty, every now ami then grounding on rails, the jockeys reached the starting gate. Hie starter tired his pistol, and from 1 !)•* water-sodden grandstand came the civ. ‘■Tl.'cyTc off" ! Flank Keogh won by about seven lengths from Allemaiid, with Gamier third. DEM CHE (URL PANDIT. NEW YORK. Jan. 8. A girl bandit who within the past week has perpetrated a series of daring robberies in New York was arrestcd to-,lay. She proved to be a demure looking blonde ot* it A with bobbed hair, who keeps house and cooks admirably for her father, a well-to-do widower of Brooklyn. She submitted to arrest with the utmost nonchalance and at first denied all acquaintance with a 19-vears-old youth and more than six feet in height who was her comrade in arms. Later, however, she admitted that slip mew * •Apples,” her pet name for the I'oung giant. I lie first witness to identify her was i clerk in a provision merchant’s hop, whom she asked four nights ago iver the counter to be good enough to

look closely down the barrel of her big revolver. She directed him and six other clerks to a wall, where she held them all lined up while “Apples” took C2OO from the till. On another occasion she entered a .-hop, and in her pleasant girlish voice issued the command, “Hands up!” to the proprietor and his assistants. The command, in spite of her threatening resolve, provoked an outburst of laughter, which quickly subsided as “Apples” entered and repeated it. The couple took £3O with them on this occasion.

“Apples” was arrested yesterday, and betrayed to the police the name and address of his fair accomplice. FILIPINOS AGITATION. WASHINGTON. March I The question of granting Philippine independence will be brought squarely before Congress, due to the Committee on Insular .Affairs reporting on a bill advocating such a step. It is not believed likely, however, that the Filipinos, who have been conducting an active campaign to this end, will succeed in convincing Congress that independent e is feasible at the present time. The Pill .provides that the I'nited States shall retain a naval base in the Philippines, after the* island obtains sovereignty. The situation meantime has become newly interest-

ing, due to a boycott of American products in the Philippines as a protest against the action of the new Insular Auditor in stopping payments from the Philippine imlonondenee fund for propaganda work in America. A poptdai subscr:ntion is being taken to provilo the money to continue publicity on behalf of the so-called freedom.