NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2403, 11 March 1922, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Paint from the waste products of flaxmills is one of the latest industries of a southern city./

The “Balaneello” is to be the new dance of the season in Paris, says the Continental Daily--Mail. Dancing masters have reviewed all sorts of dances, from the “shimmy shake” to Argentine tangos, and finally decided' oh the “Balaneello.” This is described as a sort of exotic pavane or a tropical minuet. It is much more sober than the “sliimmy,” and is expected to receive the approbation of even the severest critics.

The biggest locomotive in the world recently hauled the biggest train ever made up —more than a mile in length—over the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains, v from Princetown, West Virginia Railway. The locomotive and tender weighed 449 tons, and measured approximately 125 feet in length. The train was composed of 100 cars, each of which weighed 40 tons and measured 51 i feel. The load carried by each car.represented 120 tons of coal,' making the total weight pulled by the engine approximately 10,000 tons. *

It will be a wary Bolshevik who suecehds in blowing H.M.S. Chatham Ha desward. Near the armoury and adjacent to the magazine is a row of’four little red lights similar to bicycle reflectors. Tf one goes out the commodore knows immediately there is someone at the magazine, and he immediately looks at the kevrack! When explaining the system 'on one occasion it was noticed that one of the lights were out. “There is an officer inspecting it, and I see he has the key,” said the commodore. “But if the light were extinguished and the corresponding key mill in the rack, T would know immediately that some unauthorised person was in the Inagazine.”

An itinerant (Vendor oi lomaloes did good business at Balelutha saleyards. He backed his cart in and sold 250 cases of tomatoes at 10s a case in short order. The tomatoes were, it is understood, - ' purchased at 5s a base, so that the enterprising vendhTs’ profit was something like £O2 10s for the day —better than shearing sheep! Through' some deleterious agent getting into the Avon, states a Christchurch telegram, the river has been depleted of thousands of rainbow and brown trout, ranging from midgets of a few ounces to fish of four and five pounds. From 11.30 a.m. to 3 pan. on Friday dead and living fish floated down the river in hundreds. Investigations were ,made by officials of the Acclimatisation Society, and some of the dead trout were forwarded to the Government Analyst for analysis. The curator of flie A'cclimatisafion 'Society advances the theory that the trouble came about through the Christ’s College swimming, ha 111, which drains into the river, having been cleaned out with disinfectant.

Ethell M. Dell, whose novels have sold all over the world* by milions, is engaged to he married t<> Col. -I. W. Savage, a neighbour in Guilford, England. Miss Dell, although known to millions through her writing, leads the life of a recluse. Good Friday this year fulls on April 14th, and'Easter Monday on the 17fb.

Mr AY. H. Bennett, a well known member of the Wellington City Council, has intimated his intention of contesting the Wellington Central seat with Mr P. Eraser at the next general election. He will stand as an Independent. A ral measuring about 171 inches from the tip of the nose to the end of the-tail, was caught On the premises o"f a-’Pahiatua business firm.

“Wllat is that?” a somewhat pompoqs visitor in a certain ltniseuyi inquired of the custodian. “I hat is a buzzard,” was the reply. “But you know that’s not my idea at all of a buzzard,” said the visitor. “Perhaps mot, hut it is God Almighty’s idea of a blizzard,” was the answer:

“When T get hack homo,” remarked Bishop Locke at the conclusion of a lecture at Palmerston on Tues-. day night, “I will tell my people v/hat I have found out concerning' the attitude of New Zealand (whikh is identified with that of Australia) towards the great country to which I belong.” The speaker went on to state that our friendly sentiment was reflected in the United States, and he'was absolutely convinced that there would not he —there never could be—war-between Great Britain and America. Alluding t o the Washington Armament foil Terence, lie said there were a few recalcitrants l in the United States Senate who were against the League of Nations, and were now trying to find fault with the Washington Conference. He was confident, however, that the American authorities would not permit any reservation which would invalidate the 'Washington treaties.

A certain section of the business community in Christchurch is somewhat concerned about the disappearance of a fairly well known business man, who omitted to “square up” with his numerous creditors before departing for “fresh fields and pastures new” (says the Sun). The man- in question left Iris home some time ago “on a holiday,” since when nothing has been heard of him. In addition to numerous creditors who are anxious to ascertain his whereabouts, the man in question left a wife and family who are now facing the problem of existing without any income. It is understood that a fairly large sum is involved as a result of his defection, and if is stated that the pojice have a blue document which they are awaiting an opportunity to present to him. “I am very much afraid I shall be

unable to pay rates this year,” wrote a soldier-settler to the Wairau Road recently, “as, every d —- thing I have, except my character, is secured to someone —even my soul is gone. I have at present outstanding accounts amounting to over £59. All I have to pay them with is the prospective price of 199 wether lambs and 50 cull ewes, and I am not at all sure yet whether 1 will he allowed to use what they will bring. However, if my health improves sufficiently to allow me to do any outside work, I might possibly he able to pay you a bit later. In the meantime, what about posting me a ticket for the races? Thanking your board for the considerate way they are treating us.” Other soldier-set-tlers wrote, stating that they could not pay the full amount of rates at present. The board decided to hold over consideration of the soldiers’ rates until next meeting,, so as to give the young settlers every possible chance.

Chinese residents recently sent to the Minister of Health a cheque for 100 guineas as a contribution towards the erection of a hut for two Chinese lepers on Quail Island, says the Post. The Minister, in his reply to the Acting-Consul-General for the Chinese Republic, who forwarded the cheque, states that a hut is in course of erection, and that he has given instructions that it shall he used by the Chinese patients. Tha cost of the lmt will lie £390. Mr Parr adds: “I desire you to convey the thanks of the Government to the Chinese community for having so readily responded to my Department’s representations, and for having contributed so willingly to the best of their ability in these difficult times.”

This is a subtle one. Last week a cable came from Australia describing a mishap to an aeroplane, and it stated that shortly after the start the engine was found to be missing. The Daily Chronicle headed the paragraph : “Aeroplane Engine Falls Off,” and said that it was a strange mishap. The point was that some time later the propeller was still working well enough to break the arm of one of the aviators. Poor old “sub.” If he had only been able to afford a motor car he would have known *a t once that “missing”.is a slang technical term referring to the plugs, and meaning “misfiring.” Sometimes these misedits—they are not I lie printer’s fault, although he always gets the blame —have serious consequences. Another paper gave a recipe for discovering the age of an egg. You were supposed to make a solution of two parts of salt to one of water. We did try—tried hard, but you can’t do it. And there’s twopence worth of good salt gone west. A bowling club recently supplied ice creams to its members one hot Saturday afternoon. Most of the players, young and old, partook of the cooling stuff, but one man from the South, who was a visitor, refused all offers. “You sav our Auckland climate is hot,” said one of the members, “and/vet yon won’t take anything to help you to get cool.” “Let ine tell you my reasons,” said the man from the South, “and then you will understand. 1 am one of‘a big family,” he went on,” and all of us were noted for the quantity and quality of our hair. My father when he died at pver 80 had a head of hair a man half his age might have envied. It’s many years ago now, hut I was on my first holiday to Auckland, and with a churn we both tasted ice cream for the first time, and we like it so much that we took more than was good for ns, and We both fell ill, and for many days were in a very had way. When we commenced to recover, my hair began to come out, and in a short time I was ;is ha Id as a billiard ball.” Taking off his Panama hat and then removing his wig, sure enough there was not a trace of a hair on his head. “Don’t ask me again to have ice cream,” he added, “now you know \(hy I am.so obstinate in the matter. What may be one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and.by experience we learn.”