NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2030, 18 September 1919, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

“Who'is that man there, who harries himself so proudly, and -whom everybody is turning to look at?

A V.C., may he 1 ?” “Oh, no; that’s Brown. He’s a F.T.R., and-every-body envies him.” “What’s that?” “P.T.K.? Permitted to Travel by Railway, of course. It’s the most coveted distinction in the Empire. The Order of Merit isn’t in.it.”

A welcome home to a native soldier in the Masterton district on Monday night terminated somewhat unexpectedly (says the IFairarapa Age). The guest of the evening became uncontrollable, and it was found necessary to telephone for the police. When a constable arrived, he found that an armistice had been declared. The excited soldier had been chased around a paddock, and eventually threw up his hands and surrendered. .

The discussion was on “Lucky Numbers.” and a punter was asked for his views-. “Well,” he said, “I used to think there was something in it. I played poker, and eights kept coming to me so frequently and sensed me so well that I considered them'-my own property. As a test I tried No, 8 on the racecourse. I gave it a good trial. There was a meeting on the eighth of the eighth month, and it was the eighth annual meeting of the club. 1 selected the eighth race, in which there were eight runners, and 1 hacked the eighth horse, with which I got eight to one,” Then ho lit his pipe and pulled vigorously. “And,” he said, “(he cursed thing ran true to form; it finished eighth!”

The Cambridge Advertiser vouebes for liu' authenticity of (iu> lollin' which follows; —To Ihe Reyns Inn 1 of Berths end Mini yes, Doer Sir: We got you notice alien! registering the berth of our baby an Mr says wats you hurry, we got 8 days yet. Wo airi t sending you I lie printed form yet beeaus we ain t decinin on any name yet. I wanted Edith and my husdan w;mted Margot, so wo deeinen to call her Edith Margot and when she was burn she was a boy and we got it all to do over again. Wat you want is (he farther's mime, well it is George , place of residence , street , length of residence, 38 feet 4 inches, including the woshhouse, babies name, well we not deeinen on that yet. Can you register him now an we*let you have name wen you vacanate him. —Yours fatefully.

“1 consider it a reproach to the Church to ask the minister to live on £2OO per annum.” This remark was made by Rev. Dr. Erwin at a meeting of (he Christchurch Presbytery this week. Dr. Erwin said that it was just a question of whether the Church was not the greatest sweating institution in Christendom. Indeed, if the Church gave a little over a labourer’s wage, with a. house thrown in, to a minister who had to do a six-years’ study to qualify, was it not the greatest sweating institution He considered the clergymen should be given a salary sufficient to enable them to bring up their children decently, and educate (hem as a professional man's children ought to be. The motion was carried unanimously.

Last year l!ic Public Trust Oiliec earned the record protit of' £70,155, according to 1 he report presented to Parliament this week. Four thousand live hundred new estates were received for administration. The office controls assets and funds of an estimated value of £20,000,000, of which £10,000,000 hud been received on behalf of estates and was held in the common fund, or was specially invested, and £10,000,000 was held in the form of property which had not been realised. There had been an increase of £921,408 in the amount held in the common fund, and an increase.of £797,199 in the funds invested by the office. There was an accumulation of reserves totalling £389,440. Attention was called to the need for additional office accommodation in Wellington.

The Government policy in relation to scenery preservation is to some extent indicated by the following'excerpt from the report of the Scenery Preservation Department tabled in the House of Representatives last week: —“Although such good results have been achieved so far, much still remains to be done. Here and there throughout the Dominion small scattered areas containing scenery of outstanding beamy will from time to time.be inspected with a view to their acquisition and reservation, and when blocks of virgin land are being opened for settlement —as, for instance, in the Urewera Country—certain picked beauty spots will be set aside under the Act. In addition, there are well-known resorts, such as the Wanganui River, Marlborough Sounds, and the Hot Lakes districts, where scenic reervation is not complete, and further action is ■ necessary to safeguard the unique attractions of these localities. As opportunity offers, these matters will be attended to, and every, endeavour, compatible with the funds at the disposal of the Government, will be made to retain and preserve for all time the scenic attractions of New Zealand.''

The best form of ventilation in a room was declared by Professor (i. Owen at Wellington on Sunday evening to be a fireplace. He said that constant ventilation was necessary in a room occupied by human beings, as carbonic acid gas was produced by breathing. There were always about three-parts of car-

bonic ncidjfas in every 10,000 parts of air, but if the proportion exceeded six parts in 10,000 then we were apt to suffer. Hence it was necessary to constantly change air. Ventilation was the problem of admitting fresli-air without causing draughts. A fireplace was the best ventilating device, as it induced a constant flow of air up the chimney. Professor Owen said an open tireplaee was the least economical method of heating a room, a stove being much more efficient. In the case of- a stove, the source of heat was in the room, and the air was warmed by direct contact with -th,e stove. In the case of an open fireplace, the gases heated by the tire escaped up the chimney.

The question of whether it is more profitable to rear heifers or buy cows as required was discussed at the annual meeting of the Stratford Model Dairy Farm Society on Saturday. It was ('(intended by one member that it was cheaper to buy cows, and in proof of this he argued that four heifers would cat as much as two cows, and, as a cow con'd be expected to yield £25 a year in butter-fat, to feed two heifers till they were (wo-year-olds cost £IOO. There were plenty of people, he said,' who were dairyingon land much poorer and cheaper than that of Stratford, and thesis people could be left to breed the heifers required.by Strafford farmers. Another member suggested that the society should have a farm of cheaper (papa) land for breeding heifers. Mr Rawles pointed out that a yearling heifer could be bought for £-1 10s, and at that price a good profit could be made by feeding her till sell came into profit.