NEWS IN BRIEF

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2737, 24 May 1924, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF

Believed to be the oldest building in the world, a temple has been unearthed at Ur. in Mesopotamia, which dates back to GOOD B.C. Mr. W. H. Grant, for 61 years secretary of the Torquay branch of tlic Rational Friendly Society, has retired at the age .of 88. A party of 350 farmers, who are being specially conducted to farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan, sailed from Liverpool in March for Canada. Charles Flint, of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, who celebrated his 100th birthday in March, spent part of the day planting potatoes in his garden. Wireless music and electric power for lighting and heating are given

simultaneously from one lamp socket by a recent American invention.

The London Business Houses Amateur Sports Association has a membership of 40,0ut), of whom over 4500 competed in various competitions last year.

Offertory boxes in two churches at Ipplepen and Little lfompslon (Devon), were lately broken into by thieves who took up very poor “collections.” In many suburbs of London milkmen’s normal orders in March were often doubled owing to the number of entlnenza patients who had been placed on milk diet.

For the first time in its half century existence, the Wycombe Choral Society’s concert was conducted by a woman. “Painting spots on Dominoes." one of Britain’s most curious trades, is paid for at the rate of HiS spots of white enamel for l£d. Egg clips less than a quarter of an inch in height, with cups and plates to match, have been completed for the Queens dolls’ house. A beetle, thousands of years old, lias been found perfectly preserved among the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy. Six million customers and 125,000 orders by each day’s post is the record of America’s largest mail order business.

Mrs Mary Denning, of Coleford, Bath, who has died in her 1001 h year, was one of twins. Iler twin sister died 19 years ago. Profits amounting to £4OO, on a turn-over of £34,000, were made by the House of Commons refreshment department last year. Mr. Thomas Griffith, of Rhyde.lafdy, near Pwllheli, who is in his 89th year, followed the plough every day of the third week in March'. The sale of foreign newspapers and hooks it is stated, has been forbidden at Serbian railway stalions. Stratford-on-Avon borough council has decided in widen the famous fifteenth-century Clopton Bridge Capital punishment has been abolished in Austria, Holland, Norway Portugal, Italy, Rumania and Sweden. London’s busiest traffic points are Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly Circus, and the Mansion House, in that order. The Portmadoc Town Council has decided that no dam es should bo allowed in the town hall after midnight. Taxes on titles, ranging from £240 for a prince or princess, to £BO for a baron or baroness, are suggested in France. For the four meetings of Derby County and Newcastle Cnited in a recent round of the Cup, 128,301 people paid £Oll3 in gate-money to witness the matches.

Speech-making is the novel subject to be taught in a new “studio" recently opened in London. The promoter is a lady who belongs to the old Russian aristocracy.