NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3517, 29 July 1926, Page 1

NEWS IN BRIEF.

T)ie next contemplated trip of the Ratana party is to South Africa.

Ast red as a ruby, a wonderful diamond has been found in Kimberley mines. When cut, it will weigh about six carats, and should be worth anything up to £9OO. Millions of starfish, estimated to weigh 232 tons and covering an area 500 yards long by five yards wide, recently “r'aided” shellfish beds off the East Coast of England.

Canada’s Indians last year reaped over a million bushels of grain and bred 50,000 head of live stock on their farms. They occupy an area equal to the size of Yorkshire. Tennis courts in the open spaces controlled by the London County Council now number 721. There are also 320 cricket pitches, and nine putting greens for golfers. Ajt'ter a building has been sheduled in Britain as an “ancient monument,” anyone removing part of it is liable to a fine of £IOO, or three months’ imprisonment, or both. New homes were found for 3280 lost dogs taken in by the Battersea Dogs’ Home last year; 2037 were returned to their homes and 28,565 were painlessly destroyed. During the beating of the bounds at Abbotskerville, revived after a century, a parish councillor fell into a deep river water, and a woman spectator sprained her ankle.

Regarded as America’s highestsalaried woman, Miss Craig Bacon, who has recently visited London, is instructor in retail selling to the American Ministry of Commerce. Appointed official story-teller by the Bradford Civic Authorities, Mrs Bancroft told stories to 12,926 children last year in the children’s departments of the city libraries.

“The absent-mindedness of people who suddenly step in front of an approaching vehicle is responsible for many street accidents,” says the Chief Constable of Carmarthenshire.

Ml-. T. Dodd, of Wye, Kent, has won for the thirty-third year in succession the title of champion rhubard grower in the district. His prize-winning sticks this, year were 53in. high and 4 inches in circumference.

“The fear of death,” “the burden of unacknowledged and unconfessed sins,” and “extraordinary unexplainable melancholy,” are among six evils which, according to the Bishop of London, oppress the human race.

An ostriteh is worth more dead than alive. When the bird is killed every bit is used. The flesh is made into biltong, the skin is sold for fancy shoes, the feathers are made into dusters, and the bones are ground up for meal. Constantine, a little Cornish village, near Heston, claims to possess a larger number of septuagenarians, according to population, than any other place. More than 170 of its inhabitants, or one in every nine, are seventy years of age or more.

After crossing the line in the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Scotland, twenty-seven young couples on board decided to cross the line into matrimony. This announcement was made when the liner reached Southampton after a 35,000 miles pleasure cruise.

London’s Lord Mayor receives an allowance of £10,375 for his year of office, as well as the use of the Mansion House as an official residence. In spite of this, holders of this high office are’ stated to have expended as much as £60,000 out of their own pockets.

Main thoroughfares two hundred feet wide and garages to hold thousands of cars will be needed in London within the next ten years, according to a motor trade expeit. He says that within this period every Londoner will want to drive to work in his own motor-car.

A valuable block of greenstone, measuring approximately four feet six inches by two feet four inches, is reported to have been discovered alongside the road near the township of Greenstone, by R Keene, a roadman. The present value of greenstone is 4s 6d per lb.