NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2774, 21 August 1924, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

The first iron bridge across the Thames was built, at Vauxhall in 1810.

The British reserves of coal are estimated at 155,000,000,000 tons. The annual revenue of the Church of England amounts to £7,221,000.

Over 30,000 new vehicles were running in the streets of Condon last year.

Municipal and private gas undertakings in Britain employ 150,000 workers.

Moscow's population is now 1,500,000, including more than 80,000 Jews.

Engraving on plates and wood began about (he middle of the loth centurv.

Last year 108.000 people emigrated from Croat Britain —92,000 more than in .1922.

Certain species of hawks fly at a speed of 200 ft. a second, or about 130 miles an hour.

A pare white rook, even jo the eves and beak, has been shot at Uarlborough. Wiltshire.

The women of Lapland are amoiig (he smallest in the world, averaging only Iff. 9in. in height. In Spain street performers on tin. guitar are licensed, while organgrinders are rigorously suppressed. A Cheshunr, Hertfordshire, nursery sends 100 tons of encumbers to Convent Garden each week. Of the 9000 Berlin Universifv students 3000 have refused to pay fees, complaining that they arc too high. Letters of naturalisation have been granted to persons born in (he following countries: Germany 2. Austria 1. Denmark 2. Sweden 1, Tlnlv 1.

Two Scotsmen were the sole occupants of a tram until a goodlooking girl entered and sat at the farther end of the opposite seat. One of the Scots returned her effusive bow. The other questioned in n whisper: “Ye ken yon lassie?" “Eh, mon, she's fayre!” “Why dinnn ye go toe her?'-' The other Scot replied: “Aye I ken week but Alim just waitin'' till she’s pod her fayre." In discussing the want of min with a North Otago Times representative, a few (lavs ago, an old resident of Oamnru stated that about a quarter of a century ago a, severe drought was experienced. The farmers first resorted to praying. hut apparently without avail. They then decided to try the effect of dynamite. A huge explosion was made inland, and in the course of a few hours a torrential downpour of rain occurred.

Overseas reciprocity in the transfer of savings’ bank account. is notified by Order-in-Council. The whole or any portion of the amount at the credit of an account may, upon the application of the depositor, he transferred from the Post Office Savings Bank of the New Zealand to the Government Savings’ Bank of Great Britain, or that of any British possession or foreign country with which a reciprocal arrangement to that effect has been made, provided that the total amount transferred, inclusive of interest, does not, exceed the maximum sum which may lie deposited under the law of the country to which such transfer is desired. To have remembered the intertribal wars of the Maoris before the colonisation of New Zealand and to have been able to recall the days of cannibalism in New Zealand was the record of Beni Mangamutu, a Maori woman who died at Tauw here, Waikato, recently, at the age of 109 years. She was born at Matamata in 1815, at the time of a tierce fight between the Ngatima.ru and Ngatihana tribes. The >sgatimaru tribe was defeated, and Mangamutu always dated her age from the time of the battle. She used often to recall the pakehas and the first distribution of blankets among the Maoris. She spoke also of the cannibal customs of her people. The women used to follow a light and bring in the dead bodies of the enemies to the After that the women were never allowed to touch them. She remembered also the wars between the Taranaki and Waikato Maoris.