NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2150, 15 July 1920, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

More rain falls by night than by day.

Calico first came from Calicut, in the East Indies.

Ancestor Avorship is still observed among the Chinese. All slaves in the British Empire became free in 1838,

Spain has feAver daily papers than any other European country. An all-night cinema in Portland, U.S.A., is largely patronised. Aeroplane services for the British Peace delegates in Paris cost £103,000. There Avere 2,028 fatal street accidents in the United Kingdom last vear.

SnoAV is a fertiliser, containing appreciable quantities of carbonic acid.

The Amazon and its tributaries comprise 50,000 miles of navigable Avater.

Bulgaria has suffered less by the war than any other belligerent except Greece.

The first European Royalty to learn to drive his own motor car avus the King of Italy.

A single bone Avill enable scientists to build up a Avhole skeleton of anv animal or fish.

Like the dog, the fox and the rat can be made to understand and obey the human voice.

An imitation soap, formed of soft Avhit.e clay, lime, and ash, is living manufactured in Russia. Dredging machines are being manufactured by Krupps in order to keep the works employed.

It is estimated that at the present rate of consumption Britain’s coal can last only about 500 years. Dandelions always fold up their leaves Avlien rain is at hand. So do clover, trefoil, and the pimpernel. At the recent district council election at Ilford, Essex, the expenses of one candidate Avere only ltd. Criminals are rarely made by circumstances, but are due to birth amj environment, says an expert.

Although only two peaks of the Alps are over 15,000 feet in height, there arc dozens exceeding 12,000. A system of road-making is under Avay in England to last 100 years. Concrete, Avooden blocks, and tar, arc the materials used.

An ox is considered to have (avo(birds the strength of a horse, a mule about one-half, and a man belAvecn one-fifth and one-sixth. There are 25(! raihvay stations Avithin a six-mile radius of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Avhile Avithin a 20mile radius there are nearly 400. ,

Light and electricity, Avhich move at the rate of from 780,000 to 100,000 miles per second, have no rival in any velocity knoAvn to us. Nearly all of the cities and loaviis of SAvitzerland, and even many of the small villages, have technical schools specialising in Avatchmak-

One of the most curious boundaries in Europe is betAveen Italy and SAvitzerland. In one place if consists of a high barrier of Avire netting hung Avith bells. To encourage honesty and industry, Chinese salesmen receive, almost universally, an annual percentage of the linn’s profits, in addition to their Avages.

Elephants are perhaps Ihe long-est-lived members of the animal kingdom, averaging belween 100 and 200 years. There are records of elephants living 350 years.

Most nations of the world use leather, in some form or other, for their footgear, the greatest exception being the Japanese, avlio use Avooden clogs to a very large extent. From figures left by the late Mr Charles Crack, a rat-catcher, avlio died at Rocking, Essex, aged 70, it appears that he personally accounted for 50,000 rats during a period of fifty years.

The British Weather Office is using over 13,000 balloons a mouth to explore the upper air. These are small balloons sent up Avith self-re-gistering instruments attached, and,

of course, no aeronauts. In certain Amazonian tribes, on the day of his marriage, Avhile the Avedding festivities are going on, the bridegroom’s hand is tied up in a bag filled Avith fire ants. If he bears the torture smilingly and unmoved he is considered fit for the trials of matrimony.

From information based on the amusement lax proceeds, it is estimated that New York theatres in January and February took - in £3,000, 000, which is calculated would be sufficient to buy 1,000,000 pairs of high-grade boots and 250,000 Avcll-made suits of clothes.