NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2242, 22 February 1921, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Bread-making is a very undent art. Ching-Noung, a Chinaman, is reputed to have taught the method of making bread from wheat nearly 4,000 years ago.

Switzerland has been short of rain for many weeks. The mountain lakes are frozen, and it. has been necessary to ration waterpower and electricity.

The Chinese Cabinet has sanctioned the inauguration of an air sendee between Paking and Shanghai, with three intermediate stations and 80 landing grounds.

It is reported that plans are already far advanced for the foundation of a French bank, with a capital of 23,000,000 francs, by the General Confederation of Labour.

For years the Great Eastern held the record as the largest ship afloat, but we w.ould not rub our eyes at it these days. It was 691 ft. long, and 83 ft. broad. Its tonnage was 22,500.

The rush to Switzerland for winter sports is more pronounced this season than ever before. High prices exercise no deterring effect ,and people are cheerfully paying in some cases If guineas a week for a room.

Half a century ago millions of bison roamed the great prairies of North America. One herd alone was estimated to contain as many as 4,000,000 animals, and to cover an

area on the plains equal to over .1,200* square miles. A happy married couple at Southend, Mr and Mrs- King, who have just celebrated their golden wedding, have never been more than seven miles from Southend, and have never been in a train.

Parrots imitate the language of their owners, and pick up German, French, and .Dutch quite as easily as they pick up English. A parrot once surprised a party ol people by suddenly reciting part of the Lord's Prayer in Dutch, which it had learned from its mistress.

In order to help Paris students to cope with the high cost oi living, a targe eating-house has been opened for them in the Latin quarter, where they can get a good meal for 2f. 75c. (about Is 2d at present rates). Lacrosse was originally played by the Canadian Indians, who taught it to the French and English settlers. Later on, it was introduced into the United States and Great Britain. Its name, but not its origin, is French. In consequence of the targe output of unwholesome literature for young people, ladies of the Potsdam Evangelical Church Union are publishing cheap editions of good hooks, which they will sell at booths in the Christmas markets of Berlin and Potsdam.

Ponzi, the smart Italian waiter who astonished everybody by making a fortune by buying Post Office international coupons in poor countries and selling them in rich countries, lias been sent to prison for five years as a swindler. A haricot bean has been found growing at the back of a telephone mouthpiece. There was nothing to show how the enterprising bean managed to get there. It is suggested that the warm breath of the telephonists assisted its development.

While flying above the outskirts of Paris an aviator lost his pocketbook containing bank-notes and other papers, and an advertisement offering a reward for its recovery was published in a newspaper —the first advertisement for anything lost in the air.

Bread is very scarce in Madrid, owing t<* the bakers refusing to give full weight for the Government twice. Army bakers have been put in'charge of the bakeries, and as much bread ns possible brought from neighbouring towns. The long wait at bakery doors is causing great discontent.