GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3684, 30 August 1927, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

The Cologne aerodrome is now dealing with about 40 air liners a day. Robins recently built a nest in a .doll’s house in Rempstone village school, near Nottingham. Jupiter, 86,500 miles in diameter, is the largest planet. Mercury, 3,030 miles in diameter, is the smallest. In China there is only one qualified doctor to every 740,000 inhabitants. In Great Britain the proportion is one to 1400. The Japanese have forbidden the ancient Korean custom of carving a design on the neck of a girl who has jilted her lover. Fifteen to twenty per cent, of the food crops of the world are lost through insect and fungoid attacks, such as mildew and mould. A hedge-sparrow’s nest with a brood of three newly-hatched nestlings has been found on the top of a decaying brussels sprout at Workington. Serious crime in New Zealand increased by over 200 cases during 1926 as compared with 1925. There were 13 murders reported, no arrests being made yet in four cases. During a at Wanganui on Saturday, several riders in a bunch collided on the river bank road with Mrs. Walpole, who was knocked unconscious, and sustained numerous cuts and abrasions. Her condition is serious. Barnes, one of the riders, was badly cut about the face and had to be taken to the hospital. A serious accident befel Audrey MeDell, a boy of 11 years whose parents reside at Pukekohe. When playing on Newstead farm on Saturday he fell from a disc plough which passed over him, severing the left leg below the knee. The sufferer was admitted to the Waikato Hospital, his condition being, reported satisfactory. Drastic precautions against premature burial were ordered by James Mott, of Birmingham, who died, aged 82, leaving £19,088. Two surgeons were first to apply every test to prove that life was extinct, then to put a strong dose of prussic acid in the mouth, and afterwards to cut the head off. Alternatively, they were to dissect the body by post-mortem. Finally, deceased ordered his remains to be buried at sea or cremated. One of the most delightful pieces of unintentional humour was provided in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court (says an exchange), when a frequent female offender for drunkenness appeared. One of her pleadings to the Magistrate (Mr 11. A. Young, 5.M.,) was: “It’s not so easy after being in gaol, going round getting work. You’ll know that yourself, you see.” The Magistrate joined in the smile which went round the entire gathering, with the exception of defendant. A Whakatane telegram says a rather serious accident occurred at White Pine bush during the filming of the Te Kooti trail picture, resisting in Paoi Roia, a young rough riding film actor, being admitted to the hospital in an unconscious condi-

tion through being thrown from his horse, which fell on him. With thirty other riders Paoi was negotiating a log-strewn piece of country when he collided with two other horsemen. All throe were thrown, but the others escaped with minor injuries. The accident was probably the result of the natives taking a risk in an effort to out-do the American rough riders. It is the lot of few men to enter the portals of Paradise and of Hell, but an Ashburton resident has achieved this distinction (says the Guardian). Some years ago he visited Paradise, at Queenstown, and now word has been received that he has just paid a visit to Hell, a small town in Norway. It might also be mentioned that this traveller has also been in the Garden of Eden, another delightful resort in the cold lakes district. In support of his visit to the Norwegian town he sent back a postcard showing the railway station bearing the name in large letters. “Mahommad! Mahommad!” was the name thundered forth by the court crier in the Invercargill Mag-1 istrate’s Court. Solicitors smiled and waited for the judgment debtor to appear. Most of those present looked towards the door, but there were several whose eyes were upturned towards the ceiling. The Magistrate unconsciously added to the humour of the situation by inquiring if the summons had been properly served. “I’ve seen Mahommad,” said the court crier. “He’s a bottle de.aler.” The Maoris at Ratana are preparing for the new season and hundreds of acres are being brought into profit, states an exchange. Potatoes and maize were cultivated last year with a fair measure of success and this year the cultivated area is being considerably augmented. A couple of tractors are operating over the paddocks and preparing the ground for crops. It is proposed to sow about 400 acres in wheat as well as several hundred acres in potatoes. A Wanganui resident who had some experience of the potted meat trade at Home, when referring to day-old-calves, states that it 1 is quite on the cards that plenty of this veal will be returning to New Zealand in the form of “ham and chicken” or “shrimp paste,” (says the Herald). When mother goes out on pay-day and brings home a neat little jar containing a small quantity of paste, and gleefully announces to dad that the jar will do nicely when empty' to put violets in on the mantlepiece, little does she or dad guess that they are about to partake of a small portion of day-old calf, plus perhaps the eyes and trimmings of a skate to give it the necessary flavour of “shrimp paste.” Imbued with the bandit idea, two small brothers recently coramandeered bicycles, pony, and a horse and cart, and spent a brief holiday. The younger one, 12 years of age, canto before the Children’s Court, Auckland, on Saturday, and pleaded guilty to some of the offences. The lads had “cleared away” in June, and having taken, a couple of over-} coats at Onehunga, they mounted ladies’ bicycles, and rode off. Then a horse and gig appealed to them, and they drove it until the animal shied and went over a bank at night. They left the horse and it died there. Later they returned home. The Magistrate ordered the parents to pay £7 10s. The boy was put under supervision. His brother .s at, a training farm.