NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1314, 22 October 1914, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Waikanae lad named Stone sent an opossum skin into the Wellington wool and ' skin sales last week, with the request that It should be sold and the proceeds sent to Waikanae for that town's contribution to the Patriotic Fund. The competition among brokers was so keen that the skin realised £77 ios. A cheque for this amount (which is practically the brokers’ contribution to the fund) has been forwarded as directed. The London Times, in a leader, says : “ The German occupation of Ostend is a matter of no importance. The Harbour is useless to an enemy who will not dare to bring ships into it. Were it used as a base for submarines it would be instantly and effectively tackled. A Zepplin shed at Ostend would be as agreeably vulnerable. The occupation has no relation whatever to the military and naval position. From the view-point of the progress of the war, the matter js not worth a second thought. “What we want is more sound teaching on sex questions, without false modesty hindering the value of our work,” remarked Mr F, V, Fraser, S.M., in an address to men in Auckland. “If we find that any form of amusement or entertainment is directly conducive to immorality, or is of a questionable nature, we should refrain from patronising it. If we always did this, we should soon close up a very fruitful source of harm. I am a firm believer in the establishment of plenty ot clubs, gymnasia, debating and musical societies, to provide wholesome amusement, relaxation, and profit for young people of both sexes.” Dirt and disease go hand iu hand. It is no consolation that if a house is dirty the inhabitants deserve to suffer. Disease cannot be locked up in a house, it floats through the air ; the dirty people infect the clean people. No one can be forgiven nowadays for being ignorant of the barm done by flies. Rubbish heaps should be swept and sprinkled with disinfectant. Fire is the great cleanser ; every scrap of rubbish and waste and cabbage-stalks and old rags and other things that may lie about in corners—all these should be burnt in the fire. The fire is a much better receptacle for rubbish than the dustbin. Food should be protected from flies. The following values of fibres, according to the country of origin, were imported into the United Kingdom during July, the figures for the corresponding month of last year being iu parentheses : Philippine, ,£214,722 (,£203,330) ; seven months. 1914, ,£974,736, New Zealand, ,£40,661 (,£102,195); £322.427- India, £22,037 j£i4.' 511) ; £223,71:. Russia, £21,257 (.£38,908) ; £i79,973- Germany, £19.243 (£14.606) ; £122,641. The value ot tow, or cordilla, were: New Zealand, £5,469 (£9,944) ; seven months, £33,086. Russia, £3,521 (£2,586) ; £32,706. Other countries, £2,274 (£i,745) ;