NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1377, 23 March 1915, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Kaiser, who was tn take Paris in September, took Lodz in December. Recalls the case of the young woman who said she would not marry the man until he had .saved 10,000 dollars, but compromised when he amassed IS dollars 40 cents.—“ Louisville Courier-Journal.” The effects of the war are making themselves felt very severely in ihe photographic business. Nearly all the chemicals used by New Zealand photographers have been manufactured iu Germany, and the supply is now completely stopped. The result has been that price,. have risen by big percentages. Amidol alone lias increased 600 per cent in price, while bromide of potassium, which used to cost 3s per lb, is now 33s per lb, an increase of 1000 per cent. A peculiar fact is that a number of the chemicals are cheaper iu Now Zealand than in England. A record for brevity was put up by two witnesses who gave evidence before Ibe Railway Appeal Hoard at Wanganui on Friday, Both were guards, and came from Feihliiig and Palmerston North respectively. Their collective evidence amounted to 22 words, and it was perhaps a coincidence that eaeh spoke half of that amount •‘F am sorry you have been put to the trouble of coining here/’ said Mr Haseldeu, S.M. to the second witness. The regret was not shared by die witness, and lie hastened to reassure the chairman of the A pr»oa 1 Hoard with the cheery remark: “That’s alright , sir I” At a general meeting of the Country and Suburban (loiters" Association. recently held at Sydney. Mr I’ther proposed that the sum of £2O be set aside and utilised in the purchase of medals (or burtons) somewhat after the fashion of the "I’rinco of Wales’ Medal.” which is being extensively competed for in England. lie .suggested that the medals bo donated to the various chibs, to be played for monthly, ami die clubs re(|Uested to make that competition the principal one held during the month. This irlea is following on the linos laid down by the Victorian Golf Association, which suggested that all competitions should bo held in connection with the warmedal funds, and that all the clubs be requested to give their support to the idea. Mr Ether's motion was adopted, and a sub-committee was formed to fix on the model the medal should take, and arrange the details of the competition. The mover slided that lys idea was that while gelling and enjoying themselves die would feel that they were doing something, if only a little, for their country and fellowbeings. The fact, that the entrance fees are to be handed over to the Association, and donated by that body to the Belgian Fund will make the members enter more freely than they otherwise might do. In the Bronze Medal Competitions in England £IR4B 16s 2.1 has already been forwarded to the I’rinee of Wales" Belief Fund, being entrance foes taken at those competitions. The Public Service Commissioners recent! v instructed the Civil Service to improve its writing. A contemporary referring to the matter says : “Tin ,’ublic Service was said to be rearing widi laughter at the advice tendered regarding the first rules of penmanship, such as holding the pen correetlv. the writer's position, and other rudimentarv details. Well, v.o see nothing whatever to laugh at. It appears to be an article of faith nowadays to scribble at the foot of official correspondence a ‘mark’ — it. cannot be called a signature, as writing is understood —which in many eases is ouly ideutilicd through the recipient knowing the name of the ottichd associated with the correspondence. This is only a fortuitous circumstance, however, and does not absolve the faddist, no matter how much his risible faculty lias been tickled by the Commissioners’ latest edict. In some cases it matters little whether the signature is deciphered or not. but. as legibility in writing is quite as easy as illegibility to achieve, the former may just as well be insisted upon.’' If bids wore taught penmanship In the State schools tin re would he no need for the advice tenJivvd to the Civil Servants, and Education Hoard- would rentier the mercantile (ommiiniiy a i-ervicc if they gave the matter their serious attention.

A Gcnniui volunteer Hives to a Cologne newspaper u remarkable account of a peculiar shot. lie says; "From one of the trencher I aimed at. my adversary. At u distance of about 70 metros the outlines of a cap offered a remarkably irood aim. I pointed my rille, and was already sure of my .success. I was just pulling tlie rrigm>r. Tim aim was too clear, my bullet could no! fail. Suddenly a shot fell from the other side. I -niggereil back, and when 1 recovered 1 found my rille dumaired at the lock and the chamber. I bad a very ntrly wound at the forehead and the eye from pieces ot my own rifle. 1 examined my own rifle, and found in the, barrel a French and a German bullet, both flattened. What had happened? After closer examination I saw that the imizzle ot my rifle was only -lightly damaged. No doubt the French bullet, hud entered my rifle at the muzzle, following the course' of the barrel, caused the explosion of my cartridge, and so wounded mu through my own rifle. During the hearing of one of the eases on Friday Indore the Hailuay Appeal Hoard at Wanganui, an interesting qne--tion cropped up in regard to the liberty of a .statiomnasler on the New Zealand railways when oil’ duty. ‘"Take the ease of -uy, the stutionnui'ler at Wellington,” said Mr Haselden, S.M. If he Mas off duty from mid-day on Saturday to mid-day on Monday, would he not be free to go away from the city on any expedition he might choose without getting leave of absence from headquarters?” Air MacDonald, who appeared for the Department, replied that unless a stutionmaster got leave of absence he had to remain within call ot his post. “Doesit mean that he has to slay in his own house ” queried Mr Domeliy, who "as appearing on behalf of appellant in the ease. Mr McDonald made no reply on that point, hut he repeated that a stationmaster had to be in the vicinity of his work unless on leave of absence. Air Haselden made another effort to obtain some light on the question, but no definite information was forthcoming. The appellant, at this stage said that when acting as statiomnaslei at. Feilding lie understood that he could not go outside of the borough when off duty without leave of absence.