NEWS AND NOTES

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2082, 27 January 1920, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES

Some rather quaint statements are occasionally made by discharged soldiers in filling up the departmental form in connection with applications for land. To the question on the form: “What was your occupation before enlistment,” the startling reply was made by one applicant: “Married cample for nine months!”/ 'file' Halifax Herald, commenting on the State dinner to the I’riuce. of Wales, says it was “dry.” Jl was the first State dinner by a National Government in this Empire at which intoxicating liquors had no part. “There were none there —it was a dry State dinner —the first dry State dinner of its kind in our history.” There are some fourteen German internees in Fea liters! on Camp, and to lake charge of them there are a Major, a* Captain, and a Military guard. The Major's and Captain's pay will run into about £I,OOO per annum, and the rank and file pay into at least another £I,OOO yearly. “That’s the way (be money goes,’’ j Why a sergeant and a couple of ■' files of soldiers could do the job comfortably. But then, Sir ■James Alien’s “army" wmild look 1.00 insignificant and pallry, and some of “my officers” would be out of work. —Exchange, About four years ago the big elephant with Wii-lh Bros.’ circus, when engaged in drawing the cages containing the oilier denizens of the jungle out of the Dunedin railway goods Card espied a water lap which had not been properly turned off, and he promptly turned on the lap to its fullest extent and drank bis fill. A few days ago the animal arrived again, in Ihe good:- yard, and, guided by the same wonderful and .-unerring instinct that leads the toper to Ids favourite house of refreshment. made straight for tin 1 tap. which lie had held in grateful remembrance since hi.- !a-l visit to Dunedin. Willi a 1 ’rolnbll ion vote hovering' about the AO per ccni, line, the Trade cannot afford to rely any longer on life entrenched posiljon in which it is placed, by the triple issue legislation, say.- the Wellington Posl, and adds: Serious selfreform may hold hack Ihe tide, but a policy of slackness will just, ns certainly leqd lo punishment. Though Prohibition has been defeated, liquor has by no means won. It has merely been reprieved, and its fill are depends almost entirely on the use it makes of the respite which fate lias narrowly conceded. It is not generally believed that ■ horses possess a, sense of humour, hut an incident thill occurred recently in Colombo Street (.-.ays the Lyttelton Times) suggests that they have. A cab horse standing near an empty motor car began to gently lick the rubber on the motor horn, Avilh the result that the horn sounded. Passers-hy stopped to laugh. Again and again the horse, with ears laid hack, blew blasts on the horn, until an tinitnaginaUve policeman interfered and spoiled the sport. Several of the spectators positively declared tlial they saw the lioi-se smile. . The Otago Daily Times stales that about, three months ago a miner was killed while working in one of the Kailangata mines, and his widow has since obtained compensation through the Courts. The miners absented themselves from work between the day of the fatality, which occurred at the end of a week, and the day of the funeral on Gie following Tuesday. They are now to be prosecuted for a bread) of the aAvard. About ‘220 men are concerned. The eases will be heard at the next silling of the Court at Kaitangata in March. A pitiful tale was told by the Ereemantle Bay police (says the Auckland Herald) when giving evidence in a ease in AA-hieh Michael Charles liyan (aged 34) was charged with having attempted to commit suicide by inhaling coal gas. It was stated that on Saturday night the accused was found Avandering harefouled about (be Freeman’s Bay district. Asked wind lie wa.- doing, he replied: “Em going to drown myself lo finish up.” He was then taken to his home, Avhere his Avife told the police how her husband had tried to end his life by cutting his throat, hanging himself, and by inhaling gas from the cooking ring. The accused admitted, the-e attempts on In’- life, and the nlagi--trjile remanded, him fur a week for observation and treatment. “How is it that Japan has not been drawn on to supply coal: is not Japanese freight available'.’" wa.- a question put to a merchant (state- , the Christchurch Sun. in an article on the coal position). His reply was that Japanese freight was not ■ available, aud, in any case, the cost of import nthoi wmjd L* w.-vtAl-pL-.i,

“Tlieni is any amount of /joal available in Australia,” he said, “if we can only get the shipping-. Owing to strikes in Australia, the Government there lias taken oil the ..Melbourne and Perth from the New Zealand trade, and diverted these boats to other uses.” To other questions, the merchant said the reason that outside freight was not attracted to the trade between Australia and Xcav Zealand was be-«-anse rales ruling were not templing enough. Mew Zealand freights were the cheapest in the'world, and, after them came the British. For Bronchia! Coughs, take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.