NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3743, 19 January 1928, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

There are now 112 slot telephones in Christchurch. The total births in the Dominion for the month of December were 979, deaths 564. During the year 1927 buildings and additions to the value of £120,929 were erected in Hamilton. When the gauge is lifted the water flows through the Arapuni diversion tunnel at the rate of 100 feet per second. ' A man who made use of a motor cycle owned by a fellow boarder without permission, thinking that he would not object, was fined 30s at Hamilton. The public generally do not seem to be aware of a concession made by the Department to families going on railway journeys. By this regulation a iiian and his wife, with their family up to 16 years of age, may procure a family ticket on payment of three adults’ tickets fare. Thus a man and his wife, ,and, say, 10 children could travel by rail on payment of three ordinary adult fares. The flightiness of dame fortune at a racecourse is remarkable (states the Stratford Post). A Stratford man “in the know” found that the ‘certs’ were having a day off and in pecuniary difficulties sought his wife for further funds, which were given with a few remarks, about his “inside information,” luck racing ability, etc. He next borrowed from a friend, then from his brother, then from his sons and still the '“certs” missed the mark. Arriving home he found his youngest son, 16 years of age, demanding the return of various pounds loaned to mother, brothers, etc., ah of whom referring to father. The youngest was the only one to letiun home financial, and he had kept most of the family, going'in cash on the course.

An exciting chase took place in Auckland city the other afternoon, When a clerk in the Bank of New Zealand pursued a mail whom he suspected, and finally caught him in the offices of the South British Insurance Company. The man entered the bank to negotiate a cheque, and in view of certain circumstances the efierk who attended him made inquiries and later communicated with the police. Apparently becoming alarmed at the delay, the man ran from the bank premises, but bis burned departure was observed by the clerk who rushed after him. The chase was maintained by the clerk across Queen Street into Vulcan Lane and through High Street into' Shortland Street. The fugitive endeavoured to escape by dodging among several taxicabs on the rank nearby, but was ultimately captured, ail'd was detained until the arrival of a detective a few minutes later. Five novel bicycles propelled frantically by their riders kept spectators at the Professional Cycling Club’s meeting on Saturday night in good humour (says the

Wanganui Chronicle). The distorted machines made the race an interesting one. One “old-timber,” with a quaintly high front wheel, bore its rider at a lofty altitude in pursuit of a machine with the gears exchanged. The latter machine was on the limit mark, and the cyclist, although he pedalled at a furious pace, proceeded at a mere dawdle. Another machine of the came class proved so difficult to manipulate that its rider retired. The two heavily handicapped men sat astride machines with the wheel hubs removed from the centre. As a result of this distortion, sensations akin to those secured on a boat in a heavy swell were given the riders, who, despite their difficult mounts, managed to fill first and second places. 1 The story of the film actor’s dog that' barked loudly every time it saw its master’s picture on the screen must apparently be taken with a pinch of salt. Experiments made recently in a room adapted for the purpose showed that animals and birds evinced a surprising lack of interest in pictui’es. Dogs made practically no response to specially selected pictures. ■ Only a little mongrel evinced a momen- I tary interest by sniffing at the hu- I man figures on the screen. Cats I were more intelligent. Oi; live sub- 1 jeets, three responded by showing ! fight upon the appearance of a big ; dog on the screen. Among birds, | geese, ducks, chickens and pigeons showed no interest. When a hawk was shown, small birds and barnyard fowls displayed considerable anxiety. A squirrel displayed in- 1 terest where a weasel w*is shown, but reptiles and fish were quite indifferent.