NEWS IN BRIEF

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2259, 5 April 1921, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF

There are clone on 90,000 .Japanese iii California alone. Silver was 2s an ounce before Ihe war. It is now 3s Id. Roads of glass have been suggested for permanent wear. Old paintings winch have been •‘fakotT' are new tested by X-rays. A eamei can find sufficient: food where other animals would starve, Canals of a total mileage of more than 3,000 arc in efficient use in England. Swiss imports in 1920 exceeded exports by 1,000,000,0001' (over .640,000,000). The influence of the moon upon weather lias recently been denied liy scientists, The finest laces in the world arcworth much more than their weight in gold. A shilling in pre-war days was aeiuallv worth -11 d according to its silver value. Cinema pictures showing criminals at work have been barred by the Cb ieago police, v The population of London 10-day K 50 times greater than it was in the reign of James I.

Over ten tunes as many English widow- under 25 year.- of ago* iv- ■ m:cried in ‘1920 a.- in Is Li. The Porjuguc-c wore the firs! to trade with Africa'. I lie Dutch the firs'- to sc!lle in t-ii-u- Soulh, The eo-i to Brilaiu of producing a Treasury note is said to be Hot less than a half-penny. Nearly 100,(HU) tons of soap arc wasted in (front Bii.la.iji every year hv earo|,e.-siio— in the homes. At least two reprieved and converted murderers have afterwards served as churchwardens. Our bhwikels are named after a Flemish weaver milled Thomas .Blanket, who lived in Bristol in 1340. Prussia’s. Minister for Public Welfare lias sanctioned provisionally the eon.-l ruction of skyscrapers. Treasure recently found in a Boston sewer comprised rings, watches, and coins dating back to 1787. High iiecls are to.be banned if the State of Massachusetts. P.S.A., passes a Bill about to be pur forward.

“Motor veil ides, at present numbering 750,000. would exceed Af--000,000 in live year.-’ time," said an expert recently. There are 400 species of (leas in the world, each with ils own peculiar haunts. Each species can lie distinguished bv scientists.

Identification by finger-prints was employed in Korea 1,200 years age, having been commonly used in deeds. for the sale of slaves, Norway's balance of ■ trade for November bad improved by .100,-' 000,000 kroner (about £5,300.000) as compared with November, 1010. The execution of a Jew is a rare occurrence in Britain, only live oi; six having suffered the extreme penalty during the past 40. years. The greatest sum realist'd by a sale of pictures was £555.380. The collection was that of Jacques Doucet, of Paris, mid the sale 1 lasted four days. Railway trucks commandeered by the Brili-h Government wore jicir so long in'ii railway siding at Swansea that the wheel- ru-ted to the lines. , According to official figures just published in Belgium, there are 21G

British cemeteries in Flanders, containing the bodies of 47800 soldiers. The shells of shellfish are derived from the chalk, or carbonate of lime, dissolved in water. Thus the precious pearl found is carbonate of lime. A pickpocket' who stole a wallet from a commercial traveller in Brimingham presented a cloakroom ticket he.found therein, and received a case of jewellery valued at .62,000, The glass towers of fhe Crystal Palace, which are 270 ft. high,.arc kept in position by the force of gravity acting on tanks-at the tops of the towers. Each tank holds 1,200 tons of water.