NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2870, 14 April 1925, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Spurious half-crowns are being circulated in Tharaas. The coins are much lighter than the genuine ones, and apparently contain aluminium and lead. A visitor from the South Island states that the woollen mills in the south are finding it difficult to keep staffs and plants fully occupied. The position did not look bright for the coming winter. Cats, birds, dogs and phonographs —but no men —will be allowed in “the first apartment house ever built for women only,” now nearing completion in New York city. In consequence of the increase in piracy in the China seas, many first-class steamers plying in the Singapore China Trade have been fitted with barbed wire entanglements, and arms have been issued (o the officers. It has been the fashion to describe toll-gates as relics of barbarism unworthy of a civilised country, but motorists at Wellington have had to pay during the last 12 months £8583 through the Ilutt Road tax, a toll under another name. During a heavy storm which swept over Dunedin and South Otago on Sunday afternoon, the water tower which supplies Milton collapsed into a heap of tangled wreckage. The supporting iron framework was wrenched from its concrete base, and the top cover of the tank was thrown into an adjacent paddock.

“Work and labour are going to go!” was an optimistic prophecy made by Mr W. T. bill at a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League. “I am sorry that I am old,” he continued. “I would like to live another 50 years, foi then I am certain that, foolish as the idea seems now, everything will be done by the pressing of a button.”

A large party of tin l Druids who assembled at To Kuiti for the Grand Lodge Conference, were taken through the Waitomo Caves. In the Glow-worm Cave the guide invited them to sing, and it said that the effect was truly wonderful. The choir, ably led by some of Auckland's leading male voices, burst into song. The guide, hardened as he is to shocks of all kinds, stood spellbound, and the glowworms ceased to shine. It. is safe to say that such concerted music has never been heard in the caves before, and it is doubtful if it ever will be again. It has now been suggested that a gramophone and some Caruso records should be obtained, so that the guides, in their spare time, may cultivate in the glowworms a tasts for good music, and so render them immune from shocks such as that of the Druidical visit.

It is reported that on the night of the first Methodist Conference Sunday, at Wellington, last month, a Maori entered Trinity Church. Newtown. He saw others putting silver into the collection plate, and contributed his shilling also. At the conclusion of the service the steward asked him how he had enjoyed himself. “Yemi good. Py gorry. ITim the big preacher. Him the big singer.” “Come again,” said the steward. “You bet,’' then in an aside, “I say, who got the bob in?”

Travellers in London tramcars usually find fog a distinct nuisance. It is often so difficult to know exactly where one is. A new device, now adopted in 150 London cars, and which may shortly be installed in others, overcomes this difficulty. It takes the form of a street chart, with the names of the streets plainly marked, which is suspended from the car. The chart is connected with the wheels, and moves as the tram moves. When the latter stops the chart stops and when the car turns back the chart turns back, too. A small pointer shows the exact position of the car at any moment.

In some cases splendid work has been done with the eradication of blackberry recently, remarked Mr. •!. Alexander, a member of the staff of the Department of Agriculture, who has been visiting the Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) district. lie said that by cutting the blackberry fairly close, then manuring and latter putting stock to iced on it, he found that in a short time the pest disappeared. Manure he said, sweetened the ground and therefore made the growth more lueious for stock feeding off it, and they bv constantly eating it finally killed the berry altogether. Mr. Alexander instanced many cases where 1 ids method had proved successful.