NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3877, 29 November 1928, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Light travels 480 times round the earth and sound scarcely thirteen miles in one minute. Last year 3190 divorce cases in Britain were made absolute; this is 568 more than in 1926. In men’s hats the commonist sizes are 6J and 7; in shirts, 15in. neckbands and 15Ain. collars. The first insurance policy was issued on June 18, 1583, on the life of one William Gibbons. 'About forty per cent, of London’s ,boys and girls go on attending evening classes after leaving school. A Persian cat walked from Clun, Shropshire, to its old home in Brecon, a distance of about 80 miles. Although income tax has been payable for some months in Jersey, no official lias been appointed to collect it. The most popular marriage age in Great Britain is twenty-three for brides and twenty-four for bridegrooms. Men outnumber women in the Irish Free State, the number of males being 1,505,889 compared \vith 1,465,103 females. Mrs. Elsie Fleming, of Plymstock, near near Plymouth, believes she has the longest tresses in England. Her hair is sft. Oin. in length. Umbrellas can be hired on wet Plights in at least one London theatre, the fee being sixpence with a returnable deposit of 4s 6d. Owing to the clearness of the air, conversation in the Arctic regions can be conducted quite easily by persons two miles apart. The population of England is a little over 700 a square mile; the figure for Wales is 300, and for Scotland 160 a square mile. Britain has 67,000 fewer cows now than a year ago. Up till 1927 the cow population had been increasing at a rate of 50,000 a year. With King George V. and Queen Mary on the throne, it is the first time for 300 years that both king and queen have been natives of ' England. iCharleston, West Virginia, boasts an incinerator plant for the disposal of its garbage which is so attractive that the town considers it a show spot. Reputed .to be about 14,000 old and the most aged sample of basket work in existence, an Egyptian corn-bin was recently exhibited in London. A German engineer is constructing a giant motor-ear, 125 ft. long, to be used in the Sahara Desert. It will carry enough petrol to last a month. The boys of Donoi’a, Pennsyl.vania, are supplied with baseballs and bats by the town authorities to keep them off the streets in the summer months. Women form the greater proportion of the passengers in British aeroplanes, fifty-four per cent, of the Air Union passengers this year having been women.

The Hawke’s Bay Automobile Association now has a membership of 1362.

It is understood that a Greytown resident has placed an order for a Moth airplane (says the VV'airarapa. Standard). The annual shop day of the Masterton branch of the Blanket Society, held last week was responsible for raising over £97. Sir Joseph Ward secured the largest total of votes polled for a candidate at the general election. He polled a total of 7309 votes and had a majority of 3278. Over 30 undefended actions for divorce and restitution of conjugal rights were dealt with in the Auckland Supreme 'Court one day last week, each case occupying an average of about live minutes. An Oamaru resident who recently visited Australia states that the railway fares in Victoria arc much lower than in New Zealand. Ho travelled to Ballarat (a distance of 74 miles) and back in a palace car on a Sunday for 8/6. Motor traffic cannot compete with the railways in Victoria. More fungoid growths than usual are to be, expected on fruit trees in the Hawke’s Bay district as a result of a recent humid conditions, combined with rain than has since set in. The rain of last week had the effect of undoing much of the good that was done by the spraying during the brief period of dry weather last week, the spray now having been washed oil. Black spot and like diseases arc therefore expected to show up. When weather conditions become more settled, spraying for the prevention of codlin moth will be continued.. Asked about the scheme for developing the West Coast Sounds, a connection with which he recently visited England, Sir Douglas Mawson said that the scheme was undoubtedly a great project and his investigations in England would be the subject of a comprehensive report to the promoters. The scheme would call for a capital of £7,000,000, which financiers at Home were prepared to find. Undoubtedly, with the resources waiting to be tapped, the cheapest hydro-electric power in the world could be developed for the extraction of nitrogen from the aii’, and the making of nitrogenous manures. Farming conditions on King Country holdings are very favourable. One, farmer who has made judicious use of top-dressing, has increased the carrying capacity of his farm during the past 12 months by a sheep to the acre. On his property of 50 acres he has wintered 400 ewes, and recently docked 120 per cent, of lambs. In all 80 ewes produced twins, and these have been separated. Shearing is now general throughout the district, and some of the early sheds have already been cut out. Reports to hand from these sheds are very assuring. The sheep have come through the . winter exceptionally well, and losses have been light. It is expected this season’s clip will be the best in the district for some years.

“Our huge harbour bridge is becoming a ‘bridge of sights,’ ” says a Sydney writer. The contract price is £4,217,721 11s Od. Up to date the amount expended is £3,300,000. It is not half finished. The Government has to foot the bill when wages concessions are granted to the men working on the poles. When in full swing 1500 men were working at the bridge but the granite quarry at Aioruya has completed its work and the Government has not got to face as many demands as heretofore. But they are finding su/icicnt trouble w meeting the demands of the 200 men who are engaged in the erection of the steel work. By the time the bridge is finished, if it is ever finished, it will have cost a million more than contract price. The Government that made this contract must have a grudge against posterity.