GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1962, 8 April 1919, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

DEADLIER THAN BATTLE. In the South African House of Assembly Sir Thomas Walt stated that during the war the "Union forces lost 6,395 whites and 1,797 coloured and native people, while the recent inllnenza epidemic carried oil' 11,726 whites and 127,745 natives and coloured people. HELPING BELGIAN FARMERS. Efforts are being made by tho Agricultural Relief of Allies Committee to replace the animals in Belgium killed or stolen by the Germans with good British stock, ami a lirsl consignment of dairy cattle is no,w being forwarded. These animals will, it is hoped, play a valuable part in re-stocking the farms of the peasants which lay across tho path of (he Germans in (heir march towards Calais, POWER OF THE SILK HAT. A protest: was made at Liverpool City Council against the Health Committee’s proposal for 104 silk hats for sanitary inspectors at 104 9d each. The chairman of the committee, defending the proposal, said the silk hats were supplied al the inspectors’ own request, because they gave them an air of authority. DETECTED THROUGH BRAVERY. The chief officer of a coastingvessel was sentenced at Liverpool Assizes.(o six months' imprisonment for obtaining £7 by a. false cheque. The offence was committed in July, 1914, and the prisoner was arrested at the end of 1918 through a photograph and the story of bis being torpedoed aI: sea appearing in the Press. As he had displayed great; courage in saving the crew, the Judge look this into account when passing sentence. COFFIN-PLATE TO FRYINGPAN, The curator of a Paris museum, while at a small restaurant, noticed a frying-pan of unusual appearance banging on the wall. Taking it down, ho discovered that it was (he plate that had been fastened to the eotlin of Louis XIV. When I lie burial vaults of the Royal family in the cathedra! at Saint Denis wen l rilled by the popnlaeejn 4793 it bad been wrenched from (Tie coilin. lilted with a. handle, and turned into a fryingpan. A FAMILY SHIP. 255 Canadian soldiers and (heir wives and 200 children left Liverpool for home in (he Tunisian lasi month. It was a family ship. Not .an unmarried adult was a passenger, and everyone had a home to go to. “Canadian soldiers in Britain are marrying ai the rate of one thousand a month," said Lieut.-Col. J. Obes Smith, the Canadian Emigration Commissioner.