CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 3 April 1914, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

(VROlt VARIOUS SOURCES)

In the fourteen years ended March 31, 1912, the British Navy has cost the people of the United Kingdom no less than £502,000,000, or, to put it another way, every unit of the population of those islands has contributed in those 14 years the sum of a little over £10 to the naval defence of the British Empire. The total population of the British Empire is about 410,000,000 people, the contribution to the navy working out at 2s 6d for every subject of the. King. This does not appear a very exorbitant price to pay for the enjoyment of existence under the British Constitution. The British Empire comprises 11,500,000 .square miles of territory. Fourty-six million pounds was the total of the naval estimates for 1912-13, and it will thus be seen that every square mile of land over which the Union Jack flies is insured in its continuity as the property of the British Crown at the sum of M. ('■■■ * * * """Tkn interesting relic of the middle ages was discovered at Akaroa last week by Superintendent J. Carter, of the Sumner Fire Brigade, who was attending the Firemen's Conference there (says the " Christchurch Sun"). As a momento of his visit to Akaroa he was presented by Mrs E. Jesson with an old French helmet, which had lain in her -washhouse for many years. He brought the helmet to Christchurch, when it was closely examined by M. Malaquin, who is of the opinion that it belonged to a Government soldier of the time of Louis X, a contemporary monarch of Edward 111 of England. Should this be the case the helmet is about 600 years old. It was probably preserved as a family heirloom, and must have been brought to Akaroa by one of the first French ships some seventy years ago. The helmet is in an excellent state of preservation, although it .shows some signs of its great age. Mr Benjamin Altman, one of New York's greatest merchant princes and art collectors, who died rscently, anticipated Mr Ford, of Detroit-, in making provision for a scheme of profit-sharing amongst four hundred employees of his general goods store. The total amount available is not declared, but already in the last few days £200,000 have been distributed amongst the workers, and a fund is set apart with the object of further developing the system, which will be administered by a board of trustees. Eleven employees received £1000 each, and others less, the sum awarded being graded according to the position and length of service of the recipient. Apart from establishing a profit-sharing scheme, Mr Altmann be,queated over £5,000,000 to charitable and educational agencies.

Counsel for defendant in a separation .case at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court said that the effect of these cases wa« that three or four times a week he jhad to turn away women from his office who wanted a separation order from their husbands,1 because so-and-so had got one, and was getting £2 a week maintenance. Domestic duties had been placed on a very low plane. "I humbly -wish myself," he went on to say, "that •(these women would discharge their duties as the wives of working men should, and there would be fewer cases of alleged cruelty."

The export of fruit is going on briskly, says the "Herald's" Clevedon correspondent, one orchardist alone shipping from two to three tons regularly twice a week, sometimes three times a week, as tides and other circumstances permit. The early apple crop is now over, but the late varieties remain to be gathered and stored. Pears have been gathered in large quantities and excellent quality, and are bringing very good prices. In tne trial shipment of pears'to be sent to "Vancouver shortly from WellingtonAuckland is to be well represented, and leading Clevedon orchardists have been requested to prepare their quoto of it.

'--During the last decade dairying in Germany, thanks to the constant extension and improvement of cattle' keeping, has developed to such an extent that -the yearly production of milk is new -worth about £150,000,000 in round figures, and is consequently superior in value to the bread stuffs, which in 1909 amounted to £141,000,000. Notwithstanding the extraordinary increase of milk production, it lias not been able to -quite keep pace with ths vapid increase of population, which is, in round figuresf Si&.QQQ^er annum.