GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1926, 14 January 1919, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

THE TELL-TALE PIANO. A Canadian soldier on leave recently related the latest piece of German trickery. The enemy abandons a village; our men enter it. They find a pleasant little villa. A piano is open in the drawingroom; one of the men plays a few chords or rattles off the latest army song* The piano is connected by a “listening with the German guns two or three miles away. The enemy hears the music, and the village is forthwith shelled. WILD LIFE IN CANADA. Latest statistics furnished through the Canadian Dominion Parks Branch of the Department of the Interior show that there are over 3,500 buffalo now in the park at Wainwright, Alberta. In addition, there are nearly 100 elk, about 200 moose-, a few antelope, approxi-i mately 400 mule, deer, and 19 cattle. The buffalo had at one time nearly disappeared. There are now several herds of them in the Dominion. In the Canadian National Parks all animals have sanctuary. PYTHON WITH A PEDIGREE. The latest pet offered for sale in a naturalist’s paper is a snake. It is described as “A Bornean reticulated python, 21ft. long, quite tame.” The python is said to have been “on exhibition in every fair ground in Great Britain.” The price is £55, and it is said the reptile “can be safely handled.” Cheaper snakes of the English green grass order are also offered at 2s each, but you must buy half a dozen. FLOATING MINE DANGER. Although peace will relieve the seas from the danger of submarines, there are in Home waters alone today thousands of mines, and until these have been cleared away all ships will have to be handled with care, says a London paper. The cleaning up of the seas, although carried out with the utmost possible depatch, will occupy a considerable period. Fishing will also be affected by the presence of minefields, some of which lie over the best fishing-grounds, while the menace of mines to merchant shipping will be greatly lessened if masters follow Admiralty instructions. In some cases the routes will be circuitous, and will reduce the speed of sea-borne traffic. Finally, there is the danger of mines being washed ashore and handled by careless people. Everyone should bear in mind that it is dangerous to,touch a mine. WOMEN M’s.P. AND THEIR. HATS. What rule, writes Mr ('. T. King in the Daily Express, will be made with regard to the millinery of women M’s.P.? Will women have to take on and off in the House a toque with an aigrette or a large Gainsborough/ One present rule is that if a member wishes to address the House he must: be “uncovered.” Will the woman ALP. have to remove her hat before she addresses the Speaker? Will she do as Sir Frederick Banbury did some time ago at the end of a speech —sit down without missing the hat! In his case it only meant buying a new silk topper. But a Paris confection —!