NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3013, 20 March 1926, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Most spiders have poison fangs, but few are dangerous to human beings. Latest figures give the total number of telephones in Britain as 1,317,522. Sheep could' be purchased for fourpence in England in the twelfth century. It is stated that in Ancient Egypt diamond drills were used as early as 2400 B.C. British thoroughbred horses are (he hardiest and healthiest to be found in the world. Bibles numbering over 10,000,000 were issued last vpar by the British and Foreign Bible Society. Two Roman camp ovens and other relics have been found on the new library site at York. .France makes nearly 2(5,000,000 pairs of gloves yearly, and of these, 18,000,000 pairs are exported. Dog licenses in Britain this year will, it is estimated, reach the record number of nearly 3,000,000. British Treasury notes are sufficient, if equally divided among all, to pay £6 per head of I lie population. Taxes for using armorial hearings on motor-cars and carriages in Britain are paid by about 35,000 persons. •Of the alarms received by the London Fire Brigade last year, nearly one-quarter came directly over the telephone. A snake measuring 3ft. (iin. was found on a bunch of bananas, from Jamaica, at a warehouse in England recently.

Pigeons arc to be fought on a concerted plan by Devonshire farmers, who find these birds very harmful to their crops. Two hunters at Harrisburg, Ulin- ( ois, brought down an American o eagle that was carrying a twenty- t five pound pig in its claws. Children at Meavy, Devon, are to be called to school by the beating of a drum instead of the more prosaic bell-ringing. 1 Land, including the site of the Roman camp, has been acquired by Maidstone Corporation for the erection of 400 council houses. Transporting horses from England to Australia is a costly business, the cheapest freight being £BO, with other expenses in addition. Mr. James Englefield, of Winchester, believed to be the oldest angler and journalist in England, died in December last, aged 100. Deer herds in Britain number forty-three, and include something like 8000 animals. At least one of these herds dates back to 1576. Mr. Swinton S. Melville, who served during the Indian Mutiny, and retired as judge of Meerut in 1879, has died at Wokingham, aged 94. “A man. cannot be fed on less than 7/6 a week,” said Mrs Mclvillop, formerly of the Food -Ministry, when she lectured in London recently. The world’s highest aerial tramway, from 10,0()0ft. to 17,000 ft above sea level and more than live miles in length, is used at a Bolivian tin mine. During 1924 the number of people married in Britain who were unable to write their names was 2005. These made their mark in the marriage register. Dowries for the tallest, shortest, youngest, and oldest brides married in St. Cyrus’ Parish Church, Kincardinshire, arc paid under the terms of a will. Pears are not popular in cold weather, according to u Covent Garden authority. For this season ripe pears have lately been on • sale as cheap as 2d each. Telephoning by wireless from moving trains has been succcss- . fully tried on British railways, ali though tunnels caused a 'distinct j ‘fading” of the voice. A Sunday school teacher gave out the text, “Arise and take the young ’ child and its mother, and flee into . Egypt.” Then he showed the text 1 illustrated, saying. “Here is the ; child, here is the mother, here is E°ypt,” and paused, whereupon one 5 small boy asked, “Where is the . flea?” “Woops dearie!” This was lion 1 a modern flapper greeted her boss t the other day in a well-known business establishment in Wanganui 1 ( says the Herald), when he fell t on the stairs. The boss, who was - a man of mature years, was not at f a ii pleased with the presumption of i the flapper, and even went so far as r to object to her placing her hands - under his arms in an endeavour to i hoist him on to an even keel again. - (says the Chronicle).

The. police are anxious to hear from anyone knowing the whereabouts of Wilfred Ronald \)ledley, i-emd 30, an ex-naval man, who on Tuesday night escaped from the Waikoria Prison, where he was undergoing a three, years’ sentence for forgery. It is though) that be escapee is in the city, and tor that reason the following description has been circulated :-Wedley is clean shaved, about sft. Tin. m height, has, brown hair, hazel eyes, with a «»“- .von and swallow tatooed upon Ins left arm. At the time he escaped the wanted man was wearing prison garb.