GENERAL NEWS ITEMS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2249, 10 March 1921, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS

The smallest screws in the world —those turned out in a watch factory —are cut from steel wire by a machine, but as the chips fall from the knife it looks as if the operator were simply cutting up the wire to amuse himself. No screws can be seen, and yet a screw is made every third operation.

In spite of the tact that gold is distributed in every continent and is mined in about (>0 different countries, its production has never been considerable in any one locality, with a few possible exceptions. The goldfields of the Transvaal., South Africa, are the heaviest producers, and now yield about 40 per cent, of the world's gold, as against about 20 per cent, from the United Slates.

As an avenue of escape from the slump in the wool market, Mr A. Robinson, of Wanganui, suggested at a Farmers’ Union, meeting at Mart on that the product should he marketed in Germany and Austria. A member protested that no money could he got for it in either country, hut Mr Robinson replied that manufactured goods could be got in return, and that was equally as good.

Jerry building apparently is not a. modern development. Speaking at the annual dinner of the Concrete Institute in London, the president advocated in relation to stability of structures a return to the practice of Hannuurable, King of Babylon, in ihe year 2090 B.C. That great law-giver enacted that if a house fell and killed the occupant the builder should be slain, and it the wall shifted the damage should be made good out of the builder’s own personal property. A woman named Sarah freeman lias just died at Woodstock, Ontario, at the age of 108 years. She attributed her longevity to the fact that she had some Indian blood in her veins. She had continuously smoked a pipe since her early girlhood. Two years ago she had her first motor ride. Her favourite teaching was that too little nitontiou was paid to the Bible, that it was the person’s heart that counted, and if' that was all right “we got to Heaven and won’t be asked bow we came.” About ten tons of British Treasury notes are destroyed weekly. The face value of the notes on an average amounts to £20.000,000. If, in the opinion of a hanker or postmaster, a note has become worn out, it is sent to the Bank oi: England. The notes are then defaced, made up into bundles of a thousand, and put into sacks. The sacks containing millions of worn currency notes are put into vans and despatched to their destination in Kent, where they are converted into pulp. “More than ever do I not know whether I am of France or England,”, said Georges Carpentier on the eve of his departure for France. “For I have been received at St. James’ Palace by the Prince of Wales. He assured me that he was very pleased to meet me, and wished me every possible luck in my future contests. I was introduced to Prince Henry and Prince George, and I go away with the greatest of all my souvenirs, for in my cigar-ette-case the Prince of Wales has inscribed his autograph. It was an autograph that I only dreamed of getting, but there it is, at the head of those of Earl Beatty, Mr Lloyd George, Mr Winston Churchill, Lor.| Birkenhead, Earl Cnrzon, Mr Bonar Law, land Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson. And when I have got that of Marshal Foch truly will my cigarette cose he unique,” The suggestion that Feilding might possibly revert back to the Wednesday half-holiday was laughed to scorn by a well-known Feilding retailer in conversation with a Palmerston Time’s representative. A meeting of Wednesday supporters there was called a couple of nights ago to receive the petition in favour of the Wednesday half-holiday. Three people attended, including two representatives of exempt trades. “The fact is,” said the informant, “that the small shopkeepers who were the most ardent supporters of the Wednesday holiday are

now thoroughly satisfied with Saturday. They find that it has made no difference in their takings, and it has given them much more freedom than they enjoyed before. I am perfectly certain that Feilding will never go back to Wednesday.”

A coincidence has marked the deaths of an aged brother and sister at Guide, near Blackburn. Until Christmas, Samuel, and Alice Holden, 82 and 79 years old respectively, enjoyed robust health. But they were both seized with illness on the same day, died together in the local infirmary a short time afterwards, and were buried in the same grave. During the New Year festivities at Morpeth (Northumberland) Workhouse, it came to light that one of the inmates had lived in the institution since 4 his birth there in 182 G. The man’s name is James Maekie, and he is now 95 years of age. During his residence in the institution Maekie ha,s eaten hisChristmas dinner regularly every festival since be was able to do so.

Mrs Louise Turnbull, a wealthy Putney woman, accused of attempting to murder Iter husband, was released on bail recently, herself in £5,000 and two, sureties each of £2,500. On Christmas Day the couple quarrelled, and the prosecution say the woman fired two shots, one of which inflicted a serious wound in her husbands' neck. When the case again came before the magistrate, Mrs Turnbull’s counsel said his client, a Frenchwoman, had a private income of £2,000 a year, and owned her house at Putney and another at Chcsham. A remarkable love story is reported • from Pnrkstone, Dorset. Touched by the plight of the lepers, the Rev. Mr Mnchoniche, who is over GO years of age, some time ago resigned the , vicarate of a local church and went oul to East. Africa to work in a leper colony. His heroism and solf-safrilice stirred the imagination of Miss Winifred Mower, of Parkstone, and she and the ox-vicar have continued to correspond. Miss Flower, who is 21, has now sailed to East Africa to marry him.

Formerly a well-known athlete, Lionel Lnmblcy has been found dead with his throat cut on his yacht, Joffre, in Benllect Creek, iCanvey Island. Aboard the vessel was a line collection of trophies, which he had won in his younger days at athletic meetings. The cockpit, where he was found, was flooded, and the body was submerged. Mr Lambley, who lived a lonely life aboard the yacht, was hist seen a week previously, when he gave a waterman £2 to give to Mrs Lambley. who a short time ago obtained it separation order.

In hi" efforts to evade arrest, an army deserter named George Gee disguised himself' as a bundle of clothes, and hid in a cupboard. A detective visited a house in Maple Street, Manchester, in search of the man, and opened a cupboard. Inside he saw what appeared to he a handle of washing, but the officer, himself an old soldier, was too wily In he deceived by this ruse. He prodded the “washing” with a stick, and then Gee, who had bent himself double by touching bis toes with his lingers, revealed himself from underneath some clothing.