GENERAL NEWS ITEMS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2287, 9 June 1921, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS

The sealing schooner Viking, olf St. Johns (Newfoundland) overtook the largest herd of seals ever seen in the Gftlf of St. Lawrence, says a Montreal message. Four thousand were killed in three hours, and the slaughter only stopped when the vessel became jammed in pack ice. The herd still remained visible 34 miles south of Magdalen Islands, and still so large that the slaughter did not seem to worry it. The Cairo schools, which were closed by order of the Government in consecpience of a strike on the part of secondary school students, have reopened. The students were required to give cash guarantees of

good behaviour. Strong disciplinary measures have been taken with regard to other schools, including deprivation of free tuition, the dismissal of those students who have been arrested, and the dismissal of those who have been readmitted if they fail to pass their examination.

A carpenter was once subpoenaed as a witness on a trial for assault, and one of the counsel, who was much given to browbeating the witnesses, asked him what distance he was from the parties when lie saw the prisoner strike the prosecutor. “Just 4ft. sJin.,” he retorted promptly. “Pray tell me,” said the counsel, “how is it possible you can be so very exact as to the distance?” “Why, to tell you the truth,” replied the man, “I thought perhaps some fool or other might ask me, so I measured it.”

A movement is on foot at Calgary, Alberta, for the establishment of a system in the different prisons of Canada to give some sort of business education to the inmates. A message to the effect that a movement is being started to give men in Wandsworth (England) gaol a. business education has given impetus to the endeavour. It: is claimed that a number of prisoners, while lacking the facilities in youth to acquire education to make a living, have records of good behaviour, and if they could be given some training while in gaol would be better fitted to take their part in the world’s work upon being released.

Many uneashed cheques and dividend warrants were discovered scattered about the house at Ncw-eastle-on-Tyne, in which Frederick Staples was found, apparently starved to death. Staples, who was regarded locally as a miser, had lived alone for several years. For a long time lie had not been seen out in daylight, but bought what food he required after dark at a squill -hop not far from bis house. A nextdoor neighbour who had not seen the man for some time, informed the police, and the house was broken into and Staples was found lying dead. There was no food and no money in the house, but the documents found represented a considerable sum. It is- supposed that Staples would not leave the house during daylight even to cash cheques.

Mr James Elder, chief superintendent of travelling post offices, recently retired after 44 years in the British postal service. With London his headquarters, he lias had to make long journeys all over the Kingdom, so that colleagues -ay he can challenge 'the record of the -uporiniendent who claims to have entered upon his second million of train miles. “When duly took me to Dublin during the Easter rebellion of 1916,1 had to make my way from "'Kingstown to the city in a military car.” said Mr Elder. “1 passed through districts where there was very hot lighting. At the castle my luncheon fare was tea and dry bread, while later, a't a hotel, not a slice of bread could be had with dinner. One ineiijeut was a military escort to a barber’s for a shave. During the railway strike of 1919 I was stranded with accumulated mails in Edinburgh. I was told that Anferiean warships would convey them to Harwich,- where they could be entrained. The vessels proved to lie submarine chasers; and I made Iho journey in one of these, roughing it with the sailors, and afterwards bad to go on by sea to Plymouth, so that I had those mails with me for almost a week.”