NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2825, 18 December 1924, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A new record for motor paced cycling has been set up in Paris, where a Belgian cyclist, Lton Vauderstuyft, covered 0(i miles 1405 yards in one hour.

A purple suit worn by a fashionable Parisian hairdresser is matched by the fur of his white Russian wolf hound, which is sprinkled with mauve powder. The bad weather in Britain has at least done one good turn this year An umbrella manufacturer states that he has not known so great a demand for 32 years. There are 1,139,500 people in receipt of poor-law relief in England and Wales at the end of last June, against 1,225,800 in March last, and 1,270,100 in June, 1923.

Three poachers having killed three stags on the island of Lewis, carried them to a boat. One of the men in placing his gun on board, was accidentally shot dead.

A crop of 17.2 ewt. of hops an acre has been obtained this year in England. It is nearly twice as much as in 1923 and compares with 14.2 ewt. the previous record. Mrs Alderton, sexton of Epping Congregational Church, and Mr Alfred Fairchild, sexton of Epping Upland Parish Church, were married recently. Both are over 70. Two chapels recently uncovered close to the Shep Pyramid, near Cairo, are stated to be the oldest stone buildings in the world. They date back to about 4449 B.C. At Ombersley, Worcestershire, the churchyard is overrun with rabbits, whieli_are destroying the flowers on the graves. The pests have even nibbled at clusters of artificial flowers.

The Rimu dredge at South Hokitika cleaned up 4,000 ozs. of gold for about three weeks’ work. The return indicates that although the dredge has been operating for three years, the gold returns are as good as ever —better, in fact (states the Hokitika correspondent of ' tne Lyttelton Times). The present workings are well down the Hat, and are approaching Adair’s Road, which will ultimately be worked and a new road made to replace it, as (lie present road reserve carries good gold. It is expected a favourable decision will he reached next year regarding the placing of a second dredge in South Hokitika.