GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2038, 7 October 1919, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

The shipment of platinum brought to America' by the,'British dirigible K-3-1 will tic used in making medallions commemorating the historic trip. When the bars were closed in America, a New Jersey hotelkeeper, .William Hartman, painted his inn black, stating: “In mourning, John Barleycorn.” Many saloons in New York displayed crepe on the doors and pillars. “Men earning £1 a day in the colliery are giving up work as colliers to earn £5 a day by street betting, ’ said Superintendent" Williams in a street belting case at Caerphilly, Wales. He added that bookmakers came from other towns because of the small fines imposed. M. de la Rcnotiere, a Paris collector, possesses the only specimen known to exist of what is reckoned to be the rarest stamp in the world —namely, the one-cent (185(i) of British Guiana. It is claimed that this stamp would not change hands now for £2,000.

Quite a profitable business is done in some large English towns by lending turtles to restaurants. They are permitted to remain in the windows for a few days, and are then taken to different parts of the town as advertisement, for other eatinghouse-;.

The desire of Sir Rabindranath Tagore to relinquish his knighthood us a protest against Ihe methods of quelling fhe Punjab disturbances is not. likely to he gratified. There is apparently no machinery for divesting knights of their honours, and a baronet may be as bold and as bad as he pleases without fear of consequences to his style and title. Sir Rabindranath's request, indeed, is believed to he withofit precedent,

A Bill, asking the death penally for any person nuivtcled of throwing, placing, or sending a bomb designed to kill Government officials or injure Government property, was introduced in the United Stales Uungress by Representative A swell, of Louisiana. The particular Govern - men I officials referred to are the ■-President, Vice-I’resident, members of Congress, officials nomina'ted or appointed by (he President, Judges and officials of the Courts, and employees of executive Departments or commissions.

The minimum wage movement hits invaded even the Spiritualist seance. A conference of Spiritualists hits been culled for in England to discuss (he formtt I ion of a federalism One object will he to establish a standard salary for mediums. It is contended that mediums are placed in an undignified position by the low rates of remuneration they receive, and are frequently forced to eke out an existence by giving private sittings, which are not to the advantage of the movement. The proposed federation is also to undertake a campaign of Spiritualist propaganda. A strike of American airplane mail pilots has been definitely settled, and I lie* mails between New York and Washington and New York and Chicago are arriving and leaving on schedule. Six aviators were dismissed for refusing to obey orders, The pilot" went to Washington to lay their demands before Mr Praeger and endeavour to prove to him that pilots with more limn uIH) hours’ experience in the air could he better relied upon to judge Aveallter conditions limn the post office authorities, ami could-decide when not to ll.v.

The police have now arrested a Dutch architectural artist, who is alleged lo have forged a huge number of Fnglish- hank notes since IUKi, imitating the watermark with a kind of varnish. When arrested the artist was in possession of false British passports, purporting that he was a lieulenanl-commander of His iMajesly's destroyer Recruit, The accused war during enough to spend some time a I Seheveiiingen amoug British officers, and once he directed the transport of British war prisoners through Holland. .His father, mother, and sweetheart were arrested with him.

One red sweater recently saved two young Americans from drowning iu t!ic Atlanta; Ocean, two miles out from Koekaway .Pedal. Their canoe was overturned iu a still’ breeze, and the young men but tied (heir way back to the overturned vessel and clung to it. Then taey had an idea. They swam to where the red sweater belonging to one of them was limiting on the water, placed it on the end of a paddle, and took turn* at waving the glistening garment in (he air while holding to the tiny boat. Several times they believt'd they had attracted the attention of persons passing in larged boats, but if was not until two hours later that a motor launch saw them and went to their assistance.