NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1953, 18 March 1919, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

To protect their Mocks, West Sussex fanners urge that low (lying by aeroplanes after the war should he forbidden. A scheme has been proposed for an Empire War Memorial shrine and cloisters within the precincts of West minster Abbey. Over K )(),()()(> 11 >. of tea were condemned by (he British Governmenl Laboratory in a year as containing sand or other foreign mailer. St. Helena appears to have no real criminals;' Stone-throwing by night was for a short period the most serious offence. Seven years' study of the birds of Columbia lias resulted in the discovery of 22 species and 115 subspecies of birds new to science. Tradition asserts that Portuguese sailors were among (he Mrs! European voyagers to visit (be distant cod hanks of Newfoundland. The kissing of (he hill, which lorms a part of the sword salute, is a relic of (he Crusaders, whose sword-hills were in the form of a cross. Many of the lamp standards on London and Waterloo bridges are made from cannon captured by British (roops in the Napoleonic wars. The Handley-Page bombing plane m so large Unit il lias to he hauled out of ils hangar and on to the Hying Meld by means of a petrol tractor. About a thousand products oh-' lainablc from hiluminous coal are in current use, and an almost unlimited number of others await: discovery by chemists. In the Cathedra! ul Cologne (here arc three skulls, each circled with a crown of jewelled gold. The skulls are alleged to be those of (he Three Wise Men. Britain's potato yield last year was 4,200,000 tons, the largest ever raised, and 8(18,000 tons above that of the year before. The turnip and swede yield was .12,018,000 (ons. Years of hard work will be necessary before the forests ami roads of Albania can be developed so as to enable her to export wood systematically on a large scale. Armour removed from the Tower of London for safely during the war lias now been returned lo the Armouries, which have been rearranged, and contain additional pieces.

Dr, Charcot's sailing vessel, the Pourquoi Pas, used for the French Antarctic" experition, and handed over to the French Xavy in 191 G, has now been re-transferred to the Ministry of Public Instruction for further use as a training school. A plaintiff who sued successfully at Bristol County Court for breach of warranty on the sale of a horse, stated that' during a fortnight the animal had consumed the back rail and cushions of a trap, the cover of a bin, two rungs of a ladder, a halter, a quantify of webbing, and a ship.

The practice of wearing beards had practically died out in England when Queen Victoria came to the throne. But during the long winter siege. of Sebastopol the British soldiers in the Crimea allowed .their beards to grow, and on their return

revived the fashion, which has never died but.

Post-war repairs to the roads in Great Britain will cost £60,000,000. 4 The average weekly collection of waste paper in England is 4,000 tons.

The volcanic island of Santorini, in the Aegean Sea,’produces a natural cement called “Portselana,’’ which, mixed in certain proportions with lime and sand, is an excellent substitute for (he best cement. Portselana has been used for many centuries, and is still being used throughout the Near East.

A canal is being constructed between the Illionis River and Lake Michigan, which will complete the waterway between St. Louis and Chicago. The Government is planing to construct power- boats and barges for the Illionis River, Avhich can pass through this canal. These will carry cargo between St. Louis and Chicago direct.

According to a recent census, Germany now possesses over 700 factories for drying specially potatoes, 150 corn-drying establishments, 400 open drying plants suitable for partly dessieating different products, 250 vegetable-dessicating factories, 22 milk-drying establishments, and 400 plants established specially for the drying of cabbages.

It is stated that the Prussian Diet recently voted the necessary funds for equipping all goods trains wi(,h air brakes, the work to be completed by 1027. The object in view is to increase the average speed, and thus obtain belter untilisation of rolling-stock, and (he measure is also expected to save 2] men per. train, thus releasing 40,000 men for other work - .

Port wine owes its position to what was largely ;m accident. Portuguese wines would not stand the journey to England, and the addition of a little alcohol was found necessary. Consequently the natural fermentation was cheeked til tin early stage and the natural sugar retained. Its sweetness made it immediately popular, and it has been in strong request ever since. While Ihe King is away the Queen’s Hag flies on the staff over the front of Buckingham Palace, London, whore her Majesty is in residence. The Queen’s Hag or standard contains eight “quartcrings,” four of them being the same as the King’s Standard and the other four the arms of her mother, who was Princess Mary of Cambridge, quartered with those of her father, the late Duke of Teek,

During the British elections it was discovered late in the evening that a girl aged 0i years was on the register, and on inquiry at her home it Avas found that she was in hod. When her parents were told that she could vole, the little girl Avas hurried out of bed and rushed off to the polling booth. At another polling station, a child four years old, who was on the voters’ list, registered bis vote.

After 50 years of service, the bamboo organ in the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Tungakadoo,. Shangahai, is still in fairly good condition. It is staled that there is one other bamboo organ in the Orient, hut it is not possible at lids lime to secure definite information relative to ils whereabouts or condition. As metal pipes are lo replace (he bamboo in the Shanghai organ, (he noted instrument will lose much of: ils public interest.