NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2716, 3 April 1924, Page 1

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The United States has now a tobacco crop which is valued at sixty million pounds a year. Roller-skates were first patented bv Merlin, a Flemish musical-in-strument maker, in 17GO. France expects to be using lour million horse-power from her water courses ten years from now. The weight of the earth is estimated to amount to li,01.10,(100,000,<109,090,(100 (six trillion) tons. There tire 40.0011 unemployed boys and girls in London. W’ireles.- licenses in England now number nearly 609,000. Eton lias a waiting list of pupils long enough to fill it till 1934. Over 300,000,000 cigars were exported from the Philippines last yea r. London’s Zoo was visited last year by 1,613,125 people: this is a record. Sussex's population, has risen from 159,471 in 1801 to 727,997 in 1921. A map more than 200 ft. long, claimed to be the largest in the world, was recently exhibited ui London. Although HO years of age, the sub-post—mistress of Middiezoy, near Bridgewater, still sees to her oilieial duties. Nationals Savings Certificates sold in England up to and including the lirst week in January totalled 073,517,102. A solid steel shaft 27iu. in diameter was lately cut through in about 15 minutes by means of' an acetylene cutting torch. “Dance and keep young’’ is the advice of it French dancing-master who is still giving lessons in Chicago til the age. of 81. Eighty per cent, of the men in Britain's convict prisons are stated to have begun their criminal career before the. age of IS.

Public telephone call-boxes in England are wiped down every three da vs, and the mouthpieces are disinfected once a week.

Giant fossil oyster shell-, said to be more than 400,000 year- old, have been found in Texas. Some of I hem were 3ft . long.

To spend a 12 days' holiday in England, a schoolmaster of Uruguay lias travelled 12.000 miles on tiie journey to and from bis country.

Leicester claims to lie at least ~,.ntiirv ol<ler than Rome. It was a place of importance when Domesday Book was compiled in 1081).

The I'niled Sluter of Atnericn is liu- must neurotic country in tilt’ world, with Britnin u close second, iiccordinff to well-known doctor.