NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2202, 13 November 1920, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

“Why do you not wish to serve,” asked Mr Justice Mann in the Criminal Court, Melbourne, the other day, of one of a number of men who made applications for relief from service on the juries, “I am not asking for myself, but for my father,” replied the applicant, “Then why docs your father not wish to serve?” asked Mr Justice Mann. “He was killed three or four years ago,” replied the applicant. Air Justice Mann accepted the excuse, and advised the witness to have his parent’s name removed by the sheriff from the jury list.

Several strange policemen (Tom other towns pussy-footed into Palmerston North on Saturday on the lookout for bookmakers and their patrons (says the M.D. Times). The latter must have heard of (he invasion, as they made a noise like it faint whisper at sundown, slid into (heir holes and pulled 1 hciiy holes in after them. One little silver heller was interrogated, but Ibe innocent pathos of bis sad bine eyes was such that the hunters of big game simply shooed him away. A member of the old brigade told a Times reporter that the majority of the bar-vous intend to lake a breather for at lime. He reckons that (lie public which is against; monopolies of all kinds will rise up and handle the politicians who arc trying to force everybody to wear blue checker tics and put all their savings through the “sausage machine.” Mine - (ires, once they take deep hold of a seam of coal, appear to he utmost inextinguishable. There is a tiro in a French mine at Aveyron which goes on from year to year, throwing up smoke and steam and (lame, so that it is known as the Burning Mountain of Mould. The Burning Hills of Uailly, Ayrshire, are an old mine whose subterranean jives were started when Napoleon was a prisoner in St. Helena, and they have been burning ever since. The tire, sending deadly fumes into an adjoining pit, caused the death of two men hist year.

The British Ministry of Agriculture believes tobacco may he grown profitably in England. B makes the statement Unit 1,000 acres of British soil, not suitable for growing wheat, would grow tobacco, and would employ for eight months of the year 200 families at a good prolit. The fact is that tobacco was once grown .successfully in (lie British Islands, but the government of those days—Charles 1 lie Second’s time —found ilia I collecting the duly on the tobacco grown at home was such a bother that they forbade its growth, and the tobacco tields were deliberately destroyed.