NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1062, 11 February 1913, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Girls at Chicago have iormed a “ a year club,” one of the rules being that no member shall marry unless the executive board are satisfied that the family income will be at least a year, and that there is not undue restriction upon the wife’s expenditure.

“Any bird that moults a feather in February should be marketed or put in the pot: it will seldom or never prove profitable to feed any longer. The long-season layer is the only truly profitable bird, and this is the latest to moult. This fact has been well bourne out by the egg-laying competitions.” Thus poultry expert, Fred. C. Brown, in the current issue of the Journal of Agriculture.

Mrs William Clark, of Cleveland, Ohio, who recently gave birth to quadruplets, is reported to be convalescent. All four children died through being accidentally injured by the Mrs Clark is 35 years of age, and has had no less than 27 children, only six of whom, however, are still living. Her record is a most remarkable one. She has had quadruplets twice, triplets three times, and twins on five occasions.

A leading medical man in Wellington does not agree with a statement often heard that more children in New Zealand in proportion to the population suffer from throat and nasal troubles than is the case in England. On an average ten children are sent to Wellington Hospital every week to have their tonsils removed. The juveniles present themselves at the institution in the morning, and recover sufficiently to be taken home by their parents before nightfall.

In his book, “My Soudan year,’* E. S. Stevens tells this story : “ A telegraph clerk in an outlying district of the White Nile, finding the desolation upon his nerves, telegraphed to beadquarters, ‘ Cannot stay here. Am in danger of life ; am surrounded lions, elephants, and wolves,’ The hard-hearted operator at the other end wired back, ‘There are no wolves in the Soudan.’ He received a second wire, ‘ Referring my wire x6th, cancel wolves.’ ’’

In a recent interview at Christchurch Mr Webb (president of the Federation of Labour) adversely criticised the contract system at Reefton. He said the men were asked to work in slopes at such low prices that it means that they must sacrifice their health. The secretary of the Employers’ Association has received from the general manager of the Consolidated Company, Reefton, the rates per shift earned by contrators during December. The following were the earnings per shift, after deducting what the men have purchased in stores: 15s 4d, 17s nd, 15s 96, iSs Bd, 1233 d, 23s 6d, xos yd, 12s 2d, qs rod, 14s 4d, 16s, 13s qd, iqssd, i6s4d, 17s id, 18s 4d, 15s qd, 17s 6d, and 15s sd. ’