CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 May 1914, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

(from various sources)

General Sir lan Hamilton, Inspector of Great Britain's oversea forces, though his visit to Christchurch was of brief duration, created an excellent impression among those who met him or saw him. Little wonder it is, consequently, that when explaining to his fellow members of the Scottish Society for the reason why he had to curtail his stay at the gathering held in his honour, he remarked that he was "hunted to death." Which is another way of saying that the popular and genial fgeneral was in danger of being killed with kindness. When on parade or at a gathering such as that the Scottish Society tendered him, Sir lan was ever the same, urbane and considerate, and intensely human. The General's visit will be long remembered by local pressmejk who found Sir lan most approachable, most helpful and most communicative — except in respect to those matters that it was impossible for him to be communicative about.

About 1,000 men are now on the pay sheet at the Broken Hill Proprietory Co.'s steel works at Port Waratah (N.S.W.). By the time the works are ready to roll steel rails, the total number of hands employed will be something in the vicinity of 5.000. What this will mean to the Commonwealth in general, and to Newcastle district in particular, calls for no very vivid imagination (says an Australian paper). The preliminary stages of the construction works incidental to the establishment of this mammoth industrial enterprise have now occupied, roughly, 12 months. In that time very many thousand pounds have been expended in labour, materials, and machinery. * * "■#

The people of Whangarei" have a dredge which is-engaged in deepening the channel of the river when it is not seriouslyindisposed. Unfortunately, it ' seems to be frequently indisposed when, like the old lady, it is seized with a sinking feeling and displays a tendency to seek oblivion in the waters of the river. Quite recently it did the hat trick by foundering three times' in several weeks, which feat is said to have caused ".the members of the Board much dismay. The inference seems to be either that the Harbour Board of Whangarei is saddled with a dredge which is not earning its salt, or that the dredge is so badly managed that it sinks out of sheer disgust. Only one woman voted at the primary elections at Aurora Illinois-. The population of Aurora is 30,000, and this was the first opportunity women had to cast a ballott since the Bill enfranchising them was passed by the Illinois Legislature—lt looks as though women chiefly want a vote because they can't get it. When they do get it they frequently refuse to make use of it * * * In London a committee of taith cures, appointed by a conference of clergy and doctors, affirms the efficacy of prayer and the spiritual ministrations in aiding recovery in functional as distinct from organic ailments. The report deprecates the postponement of medical treatment,' and recommends co-operation between doctor and clergyman * * * In the history of duelling it has seldom happened that neither adversary would fire upon the other. Such a case, however, has; Dust occurred at Moscow, when after an altercation in a tramcar a young staff-lieutenant ■ chah leuged a retired general of over wfii y + ? dueL An encounter with pistols was arranged: But when the signal to fire was given' STV geirral nor lieutenant destroying a young life over a s^ iaiXy> While the lieutenant |L said it was impossible to fire upon V an opponent who had not raised ' effected! No —iliation was annJhf °af ada and U^itedStates the task of selection. He has. promised to send along some top-notehei-s in the scienceTf ag£-<-onumttee having failed to °>et representative scientific menli this important field of learning to undertake the journey. What With the visit of these scientific ' luminaries and the approach n" opening o t Parliament, not fort getting the general election cam paign to follow, the complete enlightenment of the people of the ttieTrr everr s^ect unde? ouehtTo h ™Xt and around ought to be a sure thin a- »