NEWS BY MAIL

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1926, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL

REVOLUTION STAMPS. LONDON, Dec. 20.

Russia lias just issued two new sets of stamps to commeramoratc the revolutions of 1825 and 1905. The designs show orators haranguing the mob from lampposts, street lighting at the barricades, trench digging, and other revolutionary activities.

MEDALS 35 YEARS LATE. LONDON, Dec. 20. The King has approved of a. silver medal with clasp inscribed “Mashonaland 1890” to the colonial forces which were engaged in the expedition which occupied Maslionaland, South Africa, in September 1890. The riband will be identical with that of the Matabeleland War Medal, 1893. The medal will ho granted to those who served with the Pioneer Corps or British South Africa Company’s Police, and who entered Mashonaland between Juno 1 and September 12, 1890. REFEREE KNOCKED OUT. LONDON, Doc. 19. During a West Cheshire League football match at Ellesmere Pori, Birkenhead, on Saturday the referee. Mr 'l. Rushton, of Helsby, Warrington, received the full force of ;i vigorous clearance by a full-back on the back of the head, and fell stunned. After attention by the team trainers, ho was carried off by players. A doctor found ho was suffering Irom concussion and loss of balance.

Another referee present took control of the game. “HOPE YOU DRAW ON THIS.” LONDON, Dec. 11. Burglars who broke into the offices of -Messrs Wedgwood and Jopp, accountants, Eden-street, Kingston-on-Tluimes, early yesterday stole two diamond and platinum lings and £5. The office, was left in great disorder, and in a conspicuous position was placed the owners’ insurance policy, on which had been written in block letters, “Hope you draw on this.’’

CROSS-WORD SHOTS. NEW YORK, Dec. 18,

Theodore Keerncr, a cross-word enthusiast of Brooklyn, last evening became intensely irritated owing to his inability to solve a puzzle. He asked his wife to help him. “I’m sorry, dear, but I’m tired.' she replied and went to bed. Uo followed her firing a revolver. The first shot missed; the second hit her in the temple. With the third bullet the angry enthusiast shot himself through the heart.

LIVINGSTONE’S FRIEND. LONDON, Dec. It

Dr James Murie, a native of (Glasgow and a noted botanist and traveller, who had lived alone at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has been removed to Rochford workhouse infirmary owing to illness. He is aged 95 and was a friend of Livingstone, tfao Scottish, missionary and explorer. It was tentatively arranged that Dr Murie should accompany the famous explorer on some ol his travels, but at the last moment preference was given to another naturalist.

FISTICUFFS IN COURT. PARIS, Dec. 20. Before the scandalised eyes of the judge of the Compiegno Court the public prosecutor and the examining magistrate came to blows the other day, the magistrate accusing counsel of having instituted the publication in a local paper of articles criticising him. The examining magistrate was knockoil Hat on the floor of the court by I he public prosecutor, and would have been counted out had lie not been carried away to receive the attentions of a doctor, \ report has been sent by the judge to the judicial authorities at Amiens, and is is exported that the belligerents will be transferred to other positions. £1.290 SURPRISE. LONDON. Dec. 2d. It is announced by the Public Irust.eo that a surprise Christmas-box of £1,200 is to be distributed among the 82! windows, orphans, and dependants of passengers and crew who lost their lives in the disasters to the steamships Titanic. Empress of Ireland, Lusitania, and Connemara. Tlte recipient, who are beneficiaries under the National Disasters Relief Fund, tiro to benefit as a result, of the improved financial position of (he fund. Each boneficiarv will receive an amount equal to one month's allowance. These allowances vary from His to 25s a week for widows and from 2s (id a week tor each child.

The National Disasters Relief Fund is administered by a Mansion House council representative of the subscribers, directing the policy of the Public Trustee, who has the assistance of executive committees and of local distributors.

IIEALTHfER NATION. LONDON, Dec. 19.

Doctors are looking forward with interest to the expected improvement in the nation’s health when the regulations forbidding the use of preservatives in foodstuffs come into force in January 1927. A medical officer of health told a reporter on Saturday; “It will lie an experiment on a vast scale and we onght to begin to prepare now to estimate its results. In a year’s time 39,099,000 people, who for a generation lmve been feeding on food plus drugs, will begin to feed on drug-free food. During the coming year doctors should keep some statistics of the digestive disease of their patients so that they may compare them with the results which will follow the prohibition l of preservatives. The use of preservatives has been blamed for the increase of cancel'. By the end of 1927 we shall have some evidence as to the correctness of that theory, but it will be some years later before the question is settled by the death statistics. Cancer is not a notifiable disease, and wo have no knowledge as to the number of cases among us, the death-rate being our only guide to its prevalence. One of the greatest dangers to health is the fact that preservatives often hide traces of decay in food, so that people eat meat and fish, shu sages and potted foods, which ate really unfit for consumption.”

BETTER TRADE OUTLOOK. LONDON, Dee. 19. Yorkshire is looking forward to better trade during 192(1. The journal of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce for the current month says the year closes on a greater note ol confidence as to the future, the main cause for disquiet being the prolonged stagnation of the heavy trades. Ibis has a far-reaching effect, but in many quarters the view is expressed that fl'CMo is more solid bsitfis for hope than was the case twelve months ago. Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., Parliamen-

tary Secretary, Overseas Trade. Department, writes on the need for salesmanship: , , , , “Goods for export have not only to he produced, hut also to lie sold, and the difficulty of sale is often greater than that of production. Hio days when England was the workshop of the world have gone, with the increasing competition ol other countries, and wo have now to a greater extent than formerly to seek out in all parts of the world buyers who in former days more officii visited our showrooms and factories here at home. Our reputation for quality of goods continues, and Iho standing of our traders remains high. Our prices 'may at times prevent us from obtaining orders, hut 1 fear more often the effective personal competition of others is the cause ol orders going elswltere. I would urge all traders whose business justifies the expense themselves to visit periodica ly their important overseas markets and, with their agents, to call personally upon customers present or prospective. And in the case of traders whose activities do not warrant such cast. 1 would suggest they should _ combine with other traders in goods similar io. but not covered by their own, hv means of which the expense of direct l-opro-sentation on the spot may bo shared. 70 YEARS’ SERVICE. LONDON. Tree. 12. Seventy years’ service to one household is the record of .Mrs Emma Ivcrj ufir,.. of '1 ho Mount, I otlaiul Bax, Isle of Wight. Now 80 years of age, she has spent her life since she was 16 with the family of the late Air Edward Ilium?, barrister and cricketer, which is represented to-day by Miss Marjorie Hume of the above address. On December Ist. 1855, Mrs Kerridge entered the service of Miss Hume's grandfather as assistant nursery maid. Since then she has been nurse, lady’s maid, and housekeeper. She is unmarried hut has been given the title of “Mrs.” as a tributo to her position.