CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 18 February 1914, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY.

(FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.)

In North Canterbury large numbers of the horses working on the farms and stations are wearing streamers of bright red ribbon attached to the straps of their bridles behind their lower jaws (says the " Lyttelton Times"). Imagin that the red ribbon indicated that the horses were a remount reserved for the Red Fed. cavalry, a recent visitor to the district made inquiries into the matter. He was quite reassured when he was informed that the red ribbons were worn to scare botflies, which usually attack a horss on its lower jaw, but which leaves animals so decorated severly alone. The red ribbons have proved quite effective as a preventive of botfly attacks on horses, which seems to indicate that even that destructive pest scents danger in the red flag.

In their endeavours to put an end to passengers interfering with ships' officers while on duty, one of the large trans-Atlantic shipping companies has appointed a number of " guides " to each of its ships. These men will be thoroughly acquainted with the sea and everything appertaining to modern steamships, and will know every part of the ship to which they are attached. From them, and from them only, will passengers in future be able to obtain any information they may desire. By adopting these measures it is hoped to prevent female passengers, under the guise of obtaining information, flirting with the officers whilst the latter are on duty, and also to prevent passengers from distracting the attention of officers while on duty.

Examinations recently began in Chicago for women candidates for the municipal police force. For ten vacancies there were more than 300 applicants. The applicants, of whom, the commissioner observed, there were " more varieties than I thought existed." were required to lift 351b dumbells, and show their agility by hopping across the floor. Most of them failed to satisfy the requirements regarding weight, which was fixed at not less than Bst and not more than 12st. The commissioner said, in condoling with a woman who tipped the scales at 15st: " A fat policeman 'may be all right, but we cannot have fat police-women."

That steps should be taken to disseminate information about New Zealand in the villages of England is a suggestion made by Mr W. D. Holgate, a resident of the Dominion. During a recent visit to Great Britain, he covered 6,000 miles by motor in England and Scotland, and he found that New Zealand was better known. amongst the farming community than he expected. He also found many small farmers desirous of enlarging their knowledge of the Dominion, and getting definite information about the prospects for practical men, with a small capital. Mr Holgate suggests that the dissemination of information in villages is of greater importance than publicity work in towns, and would bring many desirabie immigrants to this country. During his residence in Devonshire he found that many people had a wrong impression of the conditions governing the securing of land in New Zealand. He found, however, that the Dominion generally was well spoken of, and regarded as a coming country; in fact most ] people to whom he spoke seemed to think they would rather settle here than in Australia. x x x An assisted immigrant named Gilbert, a young man 19 years of age, who was former.y a brassroller at Birmingham, England, where he was earning 25s a week, applied recently at the Melborne Police Station to be locked up, as he said he was starving. Gilbert's story showed a lesson to others who look on Australia as an El Dorado for everybody regardless of qualifications for a successful career in a new country. He was told by the Government agents at Home, he says, that he could £3 a week easily. He got a job with a farmer on landing, but had to pay his fare. As he could not milk he was no good to the farmer, who only kept him one day. He paid his fare back to Melbourne again, and in four days he had but two meals. The good-natured constables could not lock up the unfortunate youth —he has one leg deformed — but they gave him some money out of their own pocket, and a supply of bread from the prisoners' ration box.

During 1913 the Auckland Harbour Board spent £113,000 on loan works.

The question of taking steps to check the influx of Hindoos, which was discussed by the Auckland City Council at its meeting last week, was referred to. The Prime Minister, Mr Massey at once made it clear that the matter is receiving the serious consideration of the Government. " The difficulty that has to be faced," said the Prime Minister, "is that these people are British subjects. Any legislation dealing with the matter, I think, would have to be agreed to by the Imperial authorities before becoming Jaw. Whatever happens, something must be done to prevent an undue influx, either of Hindoos or any other class of Asiatics. I can only say that the question- will be firmly, and, I hope, effectively dealt with by the Government —and soon."