NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2839, 29 January 1925, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

It is stated that 1,000 Western Canadian range horses have been purchased bv representatives of the Soviet Government. Most were, purchased in Alberta.

An orchestra of one-armed men is very popular in Oregon. It is believed to be the only one in the world. Two men are engaged to play the instruments which require two hands. A statement lias been made by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, that the Government intended to advertise the fishing and scenic regions of New Zealand more extensively and that an improvement in the accommodation for tourists was desired. In a political speech in Scotland, Sir John Simon (Liberal) described Mr Winston Churchill as a meteor in the political sky which would not long remain in a fixed position, and said a new piece of jazz music was being played called “The Winston Constitution.” You took a step forward, two steps backward, a side step to the right and then reversed. If was well named. In the course of a speech at Thames, at tlie ceremony in connection with the new harbour scheme, the Minister of Education (Sir James Parr) emphasised the need for greater cultivation, comparing New Zealand’s exports with those of Denmark, which although half, the size of the Auckland province, exported £21,000,000 worth of produce against the local £9,000,000, and supported 8,000,000 people. A party of sightseers who visited (he well-known Rotokawa sulphur fields recently (says the N.Z. Herald) was rewarded by a weird sight. A scrub fire had set part of lira sulphur beds alight. A column of blue smoke first attracted attention and this was found to he rising from a large pool of sulphur molted by the fire. Blocks of pumice Hooted on the surface of the licry liquid and pieces of manuka thrown into lids little lake of lire burst into flames almost instantaneously. The lire was apparently the result of •carelessness on the part of visitors.

The South African Government is considering u new design foi' I'niim poshigo slumps, lull it is repoitul lluil nothing delinile luui been decided. Asked if' it was likely ilint the King’s head would he re|)laeed hy some South African token, .Mr Boydell, Post and Telegraph Minister, s:fid that was piute likely. Me hoped that political eapifal would not he made of that, and pointed to the .fact that Australian stamps did not hear the King’s head. ft might also la* pointed out that several issues of New Zealand stamps also have no! Imrne the King’s head. Chief: Judge Jones, of the Native Land Court, Under-Secretary of Native Affairs, shortly proceeds to Tuahiwi, near Christchurch, to open up the hearing of the Xgnilahu case arising out of xi claim hy the natives against the (tovernmnl of CJ54,- (>()(), the amount of compensation assessed hy Rova'l Commission in connection with tlu* sole of the South Island to the Government in IS-IS. The Government has not decided what amount it will pay in respect of the claim, the present proceedings being simply to settle who will benefit hy any allowance that the Government may see fit to make. This allowance in any case will not he in cash, hnt will he a sum. set aside as if land had been reserved and the income of the reserve allocated to those natives entitled to participate. It is proposed to adopt a- similar method to that in connection with the Rotorua compensation. A loud knocking at the door by which prisoners enter when appearing at the Dunedin Police Court was

‘heard during a sitting of the Court last week. A constable made haste to ascertain who was responsible for the disturbance (states the Ota--go Daily Times). lie opened the door and was somewhat surprised to find an old Chinese looking up at him. In answer to a question the Chinese smiled broadly and said: “Any vegetables to-day?” When told he had come to the wrong door the purveyor of fruit and vegetables allowed his features to relax in a grin and left. While in the act of feeding one of the baboons belonging to Perry Bros. Circus in Palmerston N. on Saturday, one of the keepers (Mr S. Way) met with a nasty accident. He was placing food on the floor of a baboon’s cage when the animal snapped his hand and drew it into The cage. It was not until another keeper, seeing Mr Way’s predicament, dealt the'animal a heavy blow on the head, that it released its hold. The keeper, though suffering slightly from shock, was none the worse for the encounter, barring a mauled hand which necessitated medical a I tenlion. The same animal caused a sensation in Australia twelve months ago when it escaped from its cage and severely bit three men who were endeavouring to re-cap-tnre it, says Ihe M.D. Times.