NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1059, 4 February 1913, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Paris physician cures the nervous headaches of his patients by directing them to get their hair cut. The idea is that the hair “ bleeds,” thereby affording relief to the congested part.

The ancient Saxon parish church ot Greeusted, near Ongar, Essex, reached its 900th year last month. It is probably the most curious church in England, being built of rough hewn oak trees split lengthways.

The Hector Memorial Committee is unanimously of opinion that the Hector medal for 1913 should be awarded to Prof. Easterfield, of Victoria College, Wellington, for distinguished work in connection with New Zealand produce.

The advantages of the game of bowls for old men were enlarged upon by a speaker at a bowlers’ social recently. The game, he said, gave an old man a good sunbath, kept him active, gave him a good appetite, made him sleep well, and in addition, prevented him from becoming a nuisance at home.

Four hundred bales ot Chinese pigtails were recently sold by a Liverpool firm. These pigtails were made into tops in Bradford and were used for hair belting, dolls’ hair, etc. Hair belting can be used for driving machinery where leather would soon rot and become useless.

Last week Mr Richard Keene, of Wellington, paid over the final deposit in connection with the purchase of the Paranga Estate in the north of Auckland. This is one of the largest estates iu the Far North, the block consisting of 90,000 acres, stretching from sea to sea in the vicinity of Doubtless Bay.

“Will you walk into my parlor ?” was practically the invitation issued by the Red Federation of Labour generally for the present peculiar conference. The fly has walked, but the fly hopes to harness the spider with his own strands, for the meetings plainly reveal the fact that the delegates are dancing mainly to the tunes played by the “ red ” band who dominate the assembly. The United Labour party, who have many sergeants aud corporals, but no captain, are suffering for their leaderlessness. If one strong mau had been in command he would have opposed the folly of agreeing to official representation at the conclave convened by ultrasocialists. —Wellington Post.

Some excitement was caused ou the Marine Parade at Timaru one evening last week by the appearance among the seaweed and rocks, opposite the. Swimming Club’s platform, of a very large octopus. Its movements as it stretched out its long arms oyer the rocks created quite a sensation aud made swimmers quite ill with the ease aud power it showed when embracing an object. An attempt was made to capture the horror with a boathook, but the octupus easily avoided the strong grip made upon it, and glided away among the seaweed. If any bather had got within reach of the tentacles of the octopus he would have had a very poor chance of getting away alive.

The following is a translation of a letter which appeared in the Euneburgerheide Nachricbten, a German newspaper: —“As soon as Germany has command oi the sea, which will be before long, I would advise our Government to turn their attention towards an island named New Zealand.' It would not take much to get possession of it, because they have only boys for soldiers, and are too far away from England to get any help there. It is a very fertile land ; it produces an enormous quantity of butter, cheese, beef, mutton, and wool, all products much needed in our country. The country is also rich in gold, coal, oil, and other minerals. The first nation of the world—Germany—ought to be in possession of it-”