GENERAL MEWS ITEMS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2214, 11 December 1920, Page 4

GENERAL MEWS ITEMS

Visitors to the British Museum lust year numbered 091,050. Tlie first bieyele driven by pedals was built in Paris in 1800. The (doth of: the turban ranges from 20ft. to 40ft. in length.

Lifjvioriee is believed to be the oldest confection in the Avorld.

, In proportion to its size, a bee is 30 times as strong as a horse. “Any kind of education is bad whieh prevents a lad who should be a. bricklayer from becoming a bricklayer as soon as he has a reasonable grip of things every civilised person should know,” and a system which does'not intelligently face the important truth that “efficient manual work is much more dignified useful, and in every way profitable limn inferior mental work," will certainly do as much harm in New Zea--land in I lie future as it is apparently doing in England to-day.—Auck-land Star.

A Wanganui pressman who had occasion to call upon a Maori resident recently, accepted an invitation for a cup of-morning lea. Evidently the hospitable Native considered that his pakeha friend might like a little additional nourishment, as Avhen the fragrant cup made its appearance it avus accompanied by a dish containing four fried duck eggs, a large slice of ham. several potatoes, and a boiled sehnapper. The visitor, when he got over his first astonishment, remarked Avilh mild apprehension that the compassing of the feast was a bit beyond him, but the amiable host immediately consoled him with the remark: “Oh, you have two hours yet before the train goes.” The impetus gi\ - en the butler industry in the Levin district by the high ruling rate this season is strongly indicated by the returns of the Levin Dairy Company/ The November payment was on an output of 181,145 lb. of butter, as against 143,-231) lb. in the same month of last year. The mil put has been increasing daily until on Thursday the factory manufactured no less than 3 toim fib., the market value of which is £B4O, This is the highest output for any one day in the hosiery of (he company, and shows the advance the industry is making in this district. It is estimated that (he December payment to suppliers will also see another record established by the company. —Chronicle. The mystery of the eels was referred to by the president of'the .British Association (Dr. William A. llerdman, Drofessor of Oceanography at Liverpool. University). The eels, he said, live and feed and grow under our eyes without reproducing their kind —no spa.Avning cel has ever been seen. After living for years in immaturity, at last near the end of their lives, the large male and female yellow eels undergo a change in appearance and in nature. They acquire a silvery colour, and their eyes enlarge, and in this bridal attire they begin the long journey Avhich. ends in maturity, reproduction and death. From ail the fresh Avaters (hey migrate in the autumn to the coast, from the inshore seas to the open ocean, and still weslAvard and south to the mid-Atlantic, raid we know not how much further • —■ for the exact locality and manner of spawning has still to be ‘discovered.

Tlic official rejk>j*i ot.' the proceedings of; Ihe Lambeth Conference, which Jiabeen received in New Zealand, -dmws that the calik’d sinumaries failed In indicate the epochmaking character of tin; conference, .-ays tlie Church Gazette. The cablegrams gave the impression that the conference was over-caul ions and afraid to commit itself to any big policy. We now know that the conference of 1920 readied some momentous decisions. Its frankness and courage has compelled admiration from all quarters. The Daily Telegraph describes the report as ■’'epoch-making.’’ The Daily News says; “Not since the Deformation has the Anglican Church published a document of such far-reaching character.” Dr. 1C F. Morton (a Xonconformist) declares that the .“manifesto marks a fateful day which may lead to the healing of the divisions in the Christian Church.”

According to an editorial in a Detroit .journal, the operation of prohibition in the United States is presenting some surprises, even to those who led in the movement, for its establishment as a part of the fundamental law of the land. tSul the least among these is the rapidity with which the tremendous amount of capital invested in» the liquor traffic* and the industries dependent upon it has been diverted to other channels. Apparently without-the slight est jar to industrial conditions generally, vast capital and physical properties have been absorbed by essential industrial and business activities which are giving employment to more persons than before at higher wages. Although barely

a year has passed since the federal prohilntion.amehdmont went into effect, the transition of the brewery, the distillery, and the saloon from destructive forces in American life to constructive activities is already practically accomplished, and without a single one of the dire effects predicted by the liquor interests. In a recent issue, (lie Auckland Observer pays tribute to the memory of the late Mr A. AV. Hogg. It says: "There died lately Mr Alexander AV. Hogg, ex-M.P. for Wairarapa, a rugged Scot with a good, sound heart and industrious beyond price. Mr Hogg, who was no relative of ‘Bob’ Hogg, the tenderhearted Socialist, poet and journalist, was a (Glaswegian addicted to printer's ink. .He loft Glasgow to pick up gold in the streets of Aus-

tralia, but picked up type instead, and became successively editor in Dunedin, Thnaru, Ashburton and Ma.sterton. He was,. perhaps, almost the best knoAvn man in the Wairarapa, if you except Sir Walter Buchanan, ‘the squire.’ In Parliament he avus fair and fearless, spoke probably better than he wrote, and had a hold, determined Avay with him. The Avriter remembers- him rather well as a member of the Wellington Charitable Aid Board. He sAvung a ready and expert blade for the sick and suffering, and, Avith his late members, the late ‘Davie’ Robertson (ironmaster) and the Rev. M. Evans (he Avas Welsh, look yon), eatne out to die as a young man, and lived strong and hearty for forty years. He could smell a fraud ut a mile, and a genuine ease at two. The late Mr Hogg was for a few months in the Ward Cabinet, and was an inside critic of its administration. But he was honest, sincere, as AA’ell as indefatigable. Rest his ashes.”

'"The member's of the congregation that resigned from EL Andrews (Presbyterian) Church, folloAving the decision of (lie General Assembly in tfie Rev. A. A. Murray’s case, attended divine service in the Tivoli Theatre yesterday morning and evening, (here being a large attendance at each service, says Monday’s issue of the New Zealand Herald. Addressing the congregation at the morning service, the Rev. A. A. Murray said: “Don’t think for a moment that 1 am going to launch a broadside against the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Let me assure you that I am not here to launch broadsides against the Church into Avhich I was horn, and under’which I was trained and educated. We are here not as a little ,-cct that has broken away from a ( 'i;eed. I am not the founder of a neAv sect. Yon all know perfectly well that it was my wish to remain where I was, and you did your utmost to make it possible for me to remain there to carry out the work whieh we believed God had entrusted to us; but avo Avere ea.-d out. W e are not now seeking popularity, nor are wo here in a spirit of competition.'’ No services Avere held at El. Andrew/ Church. It is understood that the church will he closed next: Sunday, pending the appointment of a moderator.