NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1754, 20 November 1917, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

An engine is in harness for about 15 years, during which time it will run 240,000 miles, carry 600,000 tons or 1,000,000 passengers, and earn £60,000; its ordinary power is 300-horse, and its first cost '£2,000. Extravagance is one very noticeable characteristic in Roumania, Driving a pair of horses is looked upon as almost an essential part of existence by all but the very poor. Even the artisan classes have their carriages and pairs in Bucharest.

A Norwegian engineer has invented a life-saving apparatus consisting of a specially constructed chart-house which can be detached from the deck of a ship within twenty seconds, and made watertight in a few minutes. German fish-buyers at Ymuiden, Holland, refused to pay the contracted price for their share of the fish supply, and asked for a reduction, whereupon the German share was placed at the disposal of the British exporters.

An emergency order has been placed by the United Slates Government for 6,000 Lewis machine-guns for use.by the army, navy, and Marine Corps in the war with Germany. Three thousand of these guns will be used by the army. The other 3,000 will be for the navy and Marine Corps. The first ironclad was H.M.S, Warrior, launched in December, 1860. Her ends were unprotected, but the middle of the ship was “armoured” with 4Jin. of iron, backed by ISin. of teak, for this was found to resist any shot from the 68-poun-der gun, then the most powerful gun in use bv the navy.

Twopence-half penny cabbages are said to have been used as a lure by an East New York vendor. The cabbages were displayed for sale, and while customers fought to secure the bargain, their pockets wore cleverly picked. The police have arrested the owner of the store, claiming he was in the plot. Thirty-five hundred women-doing work previously done by men in Canadian banks, three thousand in munition factories, five thousand nursing the wounded at the front, and in the base hospitals —these figures give a hint of the spirit in which the women of the Dominion are meeting the demands of the war. Walnuts contain 40 to 70, hazel nuts 60 per cent, of oil. Walnuts originally came from Persia; cucumbers from the East Indies; garden cress, peas, and onions from Egypt; radishes from China and Japan; spinach from Arabia; parsley from Sardinia; celery from the north and horse-radish from the south of Europe.

The city of Philadelphia has “adopted” the city of Arras and undertaken to re-build, it after the Avar. Arras, the chief town of the department of Pas-de-Calais, and the seat of a bishop, had some 30,000 inhabitants. It was the birthplace of Robespierre and of Joseph Lebon, originally a cure, avlio organised the “Terror” in Arras,

The skin of the men and women of some nations is much thicker than that of others. Particularly is this the case in hot countries. The Central African negro has a skin about half as thick again as that of a European. That of a negro is thickest over the head and back — evidently to form a protection from the burning rays of a tropical sun.

Three Presidents of the United States of America—Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley—Avere assassinated Avhile in office. Mr Roosevelt Avas the victom of an attempt at assassination four years after he had left the White House. The incident occurred at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 14th, 1912, Avhen he Avas shot and Avounded by an insane man named Schrank.

Knitting is declared to be a most helpful exercise for hands liable to become stiff from rheumatism, and it is sometimes prescribed by physicians because of its efficiency, For persons liable (:o cramp, paralysis or any other affection of the fingers of that character, knitting is regarded as a most beneficial exercise.