CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 11 February 1914, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY.

(FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.} ,

It is refreshing to know that Lord Halsbury, who is 88 years of age, eats mincepies and other pleasant indigestible foods without fear, or hesitation. We suffer badly from v diet funk " in these days (writes a Londoner). Our fathers never talked about their stomachs or thought about them. They ate and drank prodigiously, and were merry. We finick and fear and are dyspeptic. A friend of mine declares that whenever he finds that any sort of food he likes disagrees with him, he eats it everyday until his digestion gives up the struggle and does its duty. " A man,' he says, "is a coward who allows himself to be mastered by his stomach."

Having pleaded guilty at London Sessions to a common assault on one of his girl typist apprentices, Joseph Marcus Copelev.itiz Josephson was sentenced to the maximum term of 12 months' hard labor and recommended for deportation. He was alleged to have flogged two English girl typists on the bare flesh with a six-thonged whip. On behalf of accused it was urged that he was a Russian who had been brought up with very severe notions on discipline. There was no distinction in Russia between the sexes as to corporal punishment. Boys and girls received the same kind of chastisement. There was no suggestion that Josephson was anything but very kind to his typists.

A hugh kauri tree that had been buried for centuries is now being brought to light on Mr H. A. Mullins's property at Clevedon, Auckland district, by means of the so-called " bush devils " and crosscut saw. Although the tree has lain for ages in swampy land, it is found to be perfectly sound right to the butt, and is estimated to run out at many thousands feet of timber, a scarf having to be cut at each side to make it possible to work a 14ft saw. Numbers of people are visiting this splendid specimen of a past forest, and much interest is being shown as to the actual amount of timber it will produce.

" £500 Beware!" is the enticing heading to a poster signed by the Minister of Justice, and circulated by his Department, a copy of wMgli document is displayed at the Hawera police station. "Whereas on the 10th of November,', it reads, "an attempt was made, by means of the explosion of gelignite, to wilfully damage machinery in the colliery atDenniston, the property of the Westport Coal Company, it is hereby notified that a reward of £500 will be paid for such information as will lead to the conviction nf the person or persons who caused the said explosion. A. L. Herdman, Minister of Justice, Wellington."

Experiments in tar-spraying of country roads in Taranaki have been going on for some time. The Rawhitiroa road, in southern Taranaki, was tar-sprayed with ordinary gas-works tar, but it has not proved very successful. A small section of the same road was treated with restar. which appears to be holding-well. On another road soltar was tried in the wheel-tracks, and wherever there is good foundation it is standing well. The Manaia road, which has had another top-dress-ing of tar, is reported (says the Hawera Star) to be in good condition. The restar preparation, where tried on the Eltham-Strat-ford road, is maintaining a solid surface after three months' traffic.