GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2055, 15 November 1919, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Tiupiiries have keen in a tie as to the reason for the Bank of New Zealand charging exchange in New Zealand on its Samoan bank notes, some of which are in circulation here. It is explained Unit a charge of 1 per cent, is made in order to cover certain expenses, on I he same principle as exchange is charged on Australian notes, and on notes issued by the Bank of England. In' (he same way, exchange is charged on the Bank of New Zealand’s New Zealand notes in .Samoa. Very few Samoan bank notes come to New Zealand. A Chinaman’s cart, a mol or cycle with side-car attached, and a motor ear put the' human element once again at a loss recently (states the Auckland Herald). The Celestial’s cart was standing outside a shop in front of which the motor cycle was passing in charge of Mr Grimmer. In the side-car was a gentleman friend, The motor cycle, to pass the cart, had to be diverted from the side of the road out into the open, and while this piece of circumvention was proceeding a motor ear came up from behind and made for die gap-between the two vehicles. The room was insufficient, and, us the motor oar came into contact with the motor bicycle, the driver of the cycle was bumped on the leg, but emerged without' serious damage to himself or to the bicyle, the worst being a broken wind-screen and a bent mudguard. The passenger did not fare so well, receiving a nose wound. The other party appeared to have suffered least of all. For Children’s Hacking Cough, i Woods Great Peppermint Cure.

One of the most extraordinary incidents of the historic retreat from. Mons was called to mind when the Kin" received at Buckingham Palace Lieutenant-General Tom Bridges, the famous “toy■drum” hero of Mons, and conferred upon him the honour of knighthood and invested him With the K.C.M.G.. After the action at Le Gateau in September, 1914, when the British Army was making its big lighting retreat, Major Bridges (as he was then) was despatched to St. Quentin to round .it]) some 250 stragglers. He found them on the verge of collapse. He went into a village shop and bought a toy drum. Then, falling his men into line and walking at their head with a toy drum and a penny whistle for a hand, he marched, them off for 28 miles, the men laughing away their weariness. The atmosphere of Zululand is so clear that it is said objects can be seen by starlight at a distance of seven miles.