NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1924, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Some interesting figures showing a comparison between New Zealand and Denmark were given hy Mr A. H. R. Alness (director of the Stratford Technical High School) in an address at Stratford recently (reports the "Taranaki Daily News”). Denmark, he said, was roughly twice the size of Taranaki; yet it contained 3,500,000 people. The land there, was, generally speaking, poorer, than the average dairy land in the Dominion, but Denmark maintained over 1,000,000 dairy cattle, lit Now Zealand, large areas were not fully developed and tertain tracts not at all. Despite its larges area and fertility of the soil, New Zealand only supported 1,250,000 cows tit the present time.

The ill-fated Mount Everest expedition had a stamp issue of its own. One of these has reached Ashburton (states the "Ouardian”). The stamp is of a light bloc colour, with a clearout view of Mount Everest in its centre, ami the names Sikkim, Tibet, and Nepal, 1021, round its border. It is reported that only about 700 stamps lotve been issued. The stamps were used hy members of the expedition on special greeting cards, which have as a frontispiece a view of the mountain front the base camp in the Rongbuk Valley, Tibet. The cards were dispatched hv postal runner to India.

“These fencing disputes tire not in any wily desirable,” said Mr H. \\. Bundle, S.M., in the Oamaru Magistrate's Court during the hearing of n dispute regarding a boundary fence (reports the ‘‘North Otago Times”). “In the majority of cases, the trouble starts when the Court’s decision is given and the dispute handed down to the generations there is danger that it will develop into a feud. People should avoid these disputes as they would a plague,” concluded the -Magistrate.

To speak ol a “white hlaekhitd seems tin absurdity, hut in all classes of animals or birds there are "Leaks.’ Ft.-ti while wood-hens have heen known (remarks the Timartt “Post”). But we do not require to search fur lor a "spurt” of the blackbird tribe, there being one in Tintrau its white sis driven snow. The bird lias frequented, the home where it is at present for some years. When it first appeared it was not robed in leathers ol pure whiteness. Year hy year, however, any tinges of dark colour, which it once possessed gradually disappeared, and to-dtiv the bird is perleetly white. Tt is very quiet, and in the care of the occupiers in the house where it has taken up its abode, it* will literalK feed from the hand.

Horse racing is claimed to he iho sport of kings, and rightly so (remarks the “Wanganui Chronicle”), for one certainly requires a considerable ■• hank roll ” if he desires to follow the irregular “gee gees" front week to week. However, fortune smiled on a none to wealthy punter, who resides in the vicinity of Wanganui, and ho efin boast of having purchased a car, valued at USSO. out of Lis winnings i t tile tote, lie has gone so far, ami has decided to give the game up before his luck turns. A wise move, no doubt I

"Siiti'ig litre il.iv lifter day. oil'.' tiling impresses me strongly" .-aid .Me .). I’. liatholomew. S.. Min the .M :i nistr;i tc r s Court t lie other iluv Matos tho Dnnnovirke “Star”)’ “and that i» that the powers ol ohservation of the average person are very limited

indeed, ll seems that, unless suinethine special happens to attract the attention, no impression is made hy passing events. Speaking the matter over after somethin;' out-of-the-way has happened, people usually eome to the conclusion that it has boon prefaced hy nothin”: that can he recollected.”’

.V humourous incident occurred durum the progress ol the East CoastPoverty Hay match at Cislmrno recently. An extra football was kept on the sideline to facilitate phi}' (says the •■Times"), hut hy mistake it rolled on to the •'round near where the play was cent red. Two Poverty Hay players immediately seised it, and tore op the held like, the wind, while an East Coast man vainly attempted lo collar both men amid shrieks ol laughter from the spectators, The entluiasists were neat' lh? goal-line. Inti then realised they had been ''tooled.

Countrymen. yet unable to converse in their native tongue! In ennversalioii with Mr John ('. Young, of the Miintiwatu Football Association. "ho met the Chinese footballers in \\ cllinglnu, a “iMaiiawatu Times” representative was interested to learn tli.it the visitors do not speak lo each other in Chinese, liecau-c one cannot iinclerstainl the talk of the other! To the man from the North the Southern Chinaman's dialect is as a foreign language, and consequently English is Used as a common medium which latter is absolutely essential. PeeuliaiK ennui'll, the foot haliers can yet understand the Other’s dialect when it is written. Mr Thomas Moore. all old man who for -»t years showed visitors the famous major oak of Sherwood Forest, six centuries old. has died at the up;,, of s:i. Me was pmml of an accomplishment which he used to eav other .-amekeeper had aegmred.

for lie could tame pheasants. His peculiar whistle would attract them from the forest, and they would walk up to him fearlessly, and oaf cake front his hand'.

Sleeping sickness has been known on the West Coast of Africa lor more than 100 years. At the end of the last century it spread from the Congo into Uganda, and in a lew years killed 200.000 of the natives.