ADVERTISERS’ SYNOPSIS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4309, 26 August 1921, Page 2

ADVERTISERS’ SYNOPSIS.

The following is a synopsis of the new advertisements appearing in today’s “Gazette” :—

Pigs for sale. Fencing posts for sale. ' New Zealand Railways.—-Excursion fares.. N.Z. Co-op. Racon Co. —Important meeting.

A stbry illustrative of remarkable dexterity on the part of a pickpocket was told at the Criminal Sessions In Melbourne recently. One evening George Day, Napier Street, Fitzrby, got into conversation with a man whom he met casually in a hotel near Spencer Street station. He mentioned that his brother had loaf both his legs at the war. The stranger expressed sympathy, and Day, with a pass or two of his hands over the stranger’s thigh, indicated that eacn limb had been cut off “ there and there.” In this simple manipulation Day had cleverly gone through the stranger’s trousers pockets, and abstracted a purse containing £l. Being found guilty, he was ordered four months’ imprisonment by the Judge Tor larceny from th person. This re« calls to mind (says the Age) a story that Dante a clever magician, who was accidentally killed some years ago by a companion whilst on a shooting expedition, used to tell privately of how, on.the public platform, inface of a large audience, he was robbed of a valuable gold watch that had been given him by his father. Preparatory ,to performing one of his tricks it was Dante’s custom to invite some persons from the audience to walk on to the platform, and, after passing their hands over his clothes, to assure those present that he had nothing concealed about his attire that Would assist him in performing the trick. One evening at the close of the performance Dante found that one of the members of his committee, evidently a highly-qualified pickpocket. had got away with his watch.

In his pithy advice to the speakers at Wellington at the Plunket Medal debate (states the Dominion) Lord Jel’licoe laid stress on -three points—‘‘first, speak slowly ; secondly, speak up; thirdly, shut up at the right time,” Mr Chapman, in judging the speeches, also dwelt on the common failing of speaking too fast, and put it down partly to the time limit imposed. A too rapid delivery is without question tne outstanding defect of public speaking in New Zealand. Those who have had the opportunity, of hearing Mr Massey and Sir. Jpsep i Ward speaking on the same platform in Britain with leading British, statesmen will bear this out. The Englishmen, speaking at leisure, and witn pauses as they made their points, were infinitely more pleasant to-lis.ten to, and made far more impression on their auditors than .was possible by’ the rapid and breathless delivery of the two Dominion statesmen. The time limit on speeches in the New Zealand Parliament is possibly chiefly responsible for the hurried speech of most of our politicians.. They are anxious to say as much as possible in a given time. The result is similai to wha.t would happen if a writer, having an important announcement to make to the public, and a column of newspaper space at his disposal, used the very smallest size of type so as to get in as much as possible. Those whom he sought to interest he would only weary. The fault is one against which, young debaters, with so many bad examples before them, should he very much on their guard.

Is coffee a luxury or a necessity? Having already debated the merits of German lagar and imported limejuice its beverages, Australian senators, in resuming consideration of the tariff schedule recently, devoted some attention to coffee and its cultivation in the Commonwealth. A proposal was made by Senator Lynch for the abolition of the duty of 3d per Jb on the ground that neither the duty nor the bounty had led to the establishment of the coffee industry in Australia. The suggestion that coffee was almost as popular a drink as -tea, which is admitted into the country free of duty, was strongly questioned by Senator Crawford, who pictured coffee as a beverage mostly consumed in cafes and after sumptuous lunches at hotels, and not found so commonly, iii working-class homes. Other senators looked upon coffee as - being a luxury from, which revenue might reasonably be derived, and the proposal for the abolition of the duty was finally withdrawn.

More boys than usual in proportion to girls are being bor;; in England and Wales, according to a recent cable message. If is a remarkable thing tha.t nature always tends to keep the sexes even in numbers, and it has. been asserted, with what authority we do not know, that after wars the tendency is for males ta predominate over females in the numbers born. Exactly what determines sex remains nearly as much of a mystery as ever it was,. Science at present assigns a monopoly of determining sex to the female parent in the case of birds and moths, and to the male parent in the case of man, flies, and some worms. The conclusion that the proportions of the sexes bor?i are subject fo external influences is now held to he. almost irresistible. Males are in excess in %ome groups, females in o.thers ; in most the balance is fairly even. In all cases .the preponderance or equality conforms with the general need of the species. Those who have studied the matter say that both with men and the lower animals i*t seems even that a sudden need for an excess of males or females produces a correct change in numbers. Knowledge on this subject would be of the greatest theoretical and practical importance ; but there is no'trace ,of it. The most probable theory is that some kind of selection takes place among ■the germinal cel’s, and evidence accumulates that, once fertilisation has been accomplished the decision of sex is irrevocable. When all is said it is little indeed that man knows of the conditions that most vitally affect him, A SLUGGISH LIVER. A sluggish Jiver gives rise to.biliousness, headache, irritability, and either disorders. The liver wants gently stimulating to do its work and the medicine for' this is Chamberlain’s Tablets. They are mild and .gentle in their action, and their use I'is not followed by constipation. ChamJierlain’s Tablets cleanse and invigorate the bowels, creating an appetite. S-fid by all cliemists and storekeepers.