THROUGH Our EXCHANGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 29, 3 February 1913, Page 2

THROUGH Our EXCHANGES.

Wo eat too much, but good may ensue if the views recently propounded result in some curtailment of the consumption of meat, which has increased so markedly in recent years, says the Lancet. To those who have reached or passed middle life such self-re-straint is specially advisable. As the fire of life burns less fiercely, and the output of energy is smaller, so the fticl supplied should be reduced, that the system may not be clogged with ashes and half-burnt cinders whereby the activity of the whole machine, is from time to time impaired and may even be prematurely arrested.

A narrow escape from a serious accident happened near the clock tower at Hokitika, shortly after the arrival of the late train from Greymouth. Mr and Mrs Kerr, residents of South Hokitika, were crossing the road when the niail cart came galloping round the corner at a fast pace. Mr Kerr, in endeavouring to get his wife out of the way of the vehicle, was assisting' her, when she tripped and fell, ahd before she could move the horse and chrt passed over her, the lady being between the horse and the wheel, hut so close that the wheel passed over the rim of her hat, smashing it, but luckily not doing any further damage, Mrs Kerr being unhurt beyond receiving some bruises. The escape (the Star remarks) was a miraculous one. i

The Hindus have a number of musical instruments for which gieat antiquity is claimed. Of these (says “Science Siftings”) there ri orJy one that is very curious, hot so much by reason of its form or structure, but because of tho fact that it is played in a very peculiar fnanner. It >s not a stringed instrument, it is not a wind instrument, and it is not an instrument of percussion. It consists bf two small silver trumpets with a very delicate apparatus within. When the natives play upon this instrument they invariably excite the greatest wonder in the foreigner, who is perplexed to determine how the player produces tho sounds, for he does not place the instrument to his lips, but adjusts it to his neck. Foreigners have thought that a player of such an instrument must be a ventriloquist, employing tho trurapets/to convey a false impression. It appears, however, that the variations of tone are produced by tho variation in the quantity of air propelled through tho instrument by the pulsations of tho neck. Nothing could bo more curious, says a Writer in “HarpCr’ s Weekly 1 ,” than to witness a performance upon this instrument, and to hear the soft, sweet, musical sounds that emanate from the silver trumpets.

A resident of Devonport, recently employed as a barman at the Esplanade Hotel, had a trying experience in a flat-bottomed punt on the harbour during the stormy weather that prevailed on Monday evening. While walking on the Devonport wharf his hat blew overboard, and quickly drifted; away. Not minding the roughness of the water he put off from the wbarf in a flat-bottomed punt, taking only one oar to propel the little craft. He soon found himself in difficulties when he got away from the shelter of the wharf, for the one oar was absolutely no use to him in the ro'ugh sea. The Plan almost gave up hope of ever reaching terra firma again, and his anxiety increased with every movement. Fortunately the passengers on the ferry steamer, which left Auckland at 5.35 p.m., noticed the man’s unfortunate plight. They saw the little boat and its solitary occupant like a black speck on the water, and that the frail little . craft was speeding past the North Head towards the Rangitoto Channel, carried by the ebbing tide and the strong westerly wind. Much to the relief of the watchers a launch appeared off the Victoria wharf, the passengers hailed the owner, and he at once set off to the rescue. After nearly half an hour the launch returned to the Victoria wharf with the occupant of the puAt on board, apparently none the worse for his adventure. There is a Maori named Tommy at Kaiap'oi (says the Press), who is something of an oddity in the way of dress, which often includes garments that have seen better days with other wearers. For years the public has felt a great sympathy for Tommy, and when he has wanted 1 hikapenny '(sixpence) they have found it for him. They will still probably maintain the same kindness to him, but in the Land Court matters havf come to light which show that Tommy, otherwise Rataima Ngahiwi, ;s a landowner to the extent of 13C acres. In the list of landless he has a block of 46 acres at Waiau. in Southland, and up and down the South Island ho has various allotments making up the total slated. Yet the man is in poor circumstances. His rents, it transpires, have been collected by Native trustees and never handed over to him. Out of the rents, which the Public Trustee collects, that officer has been moved to 1 allow' him £9 a year towards maintenI ance, and upon 15s a month the than is expected to keep body and soul together, while the cost of living is increasing. The case is one which accentuates the fact that land is not affluence to the Maoris, and as they receive but very small rents, tney are i by no means well off, while the parI celling .up of the blocks makes the letting more difficult, and the i entees pay less than they would do if the titles were not so much involved in doubt as to the rightful Maori owners.

Mir Herbert Samuel, the British Postmaster-General, says that the post office is experimenting with new machines between London and Liverpool, whereby they will be able to send telegrams both ways simultaneously at the rate of 150 words a minute, and to transmit 1000 telegrams an hour.

The extent to which sheep farmers have benefited by the improvement in prices of wool may be gauged by the statement made by a Taranaki farmer, to the effect that last season his wool realised just over 9d at Home, while this season he secured over lid in Wellington. As the cost of sending Home is about one penny per lb, the net rise is about threepence per lb.

While fishing from the Castlecliff wharf a few days ago a mother and daughter had a rather painful experience (says the Wanganui Herald). The daughter was throwing out her line, when the sinker, instead of going seaward, struck the mother a violent blow on the temple, while one of the hooks was so tightly fastened to the bridge of her nose that one of the freezing works officials was required to cut it out.

Mrs William Clark, of Cleveland, Ohio, who recently gave birth to quadruplets, is reported to he convalescent. All four children died through Jbeing accidentally injured by the mother. Mrs Clark is 35 years of age, ahd has had no fewer than 27 children, only six of whom, however, are still living. Her record is a most remarkable one. Slie has had quadruplets twice, triplets three times, and twins on five occasions.

A remarkable fatality occurred on the Murray river last week when the mate of theyetoaiqer Invincible was drowned in tragic circumstances. The steamer was, it is alleged, navigated close to the river bank, nd an overhanging tree swept the deck, carrying overboard a cabin. This cabin, which was located on deck aft, was lifted bodily over the side. The mate, Percy Fenton, was asleep inside at the time, and was swept overboard with the cabin. His body was found the next day.

An exciting contest between five cats and a snake was witnessed in one of the principal thoroughfares of Ballarat (Victoria) recently. The reptile had obviously journeyed from a neighbouring woodyard, whither it had found its way in a load of wood brought in from the country, and was wriggling leisurely across the street, when, one after another, the cats appeared on the scene and commenced an attack. Eye-witnesses were greatly amused at the spectacle of the cats sitting in a circle round tho snake and delivering well-aimed and effective blows at the head and tail alternately. The cats displayed great dexterity in evading the retaliatory attacks of the snake, and the reptile had been reduced to a very weak condition when the onlookers killed it.

The letter “n,” substituted for “m,” came near quasliing the indictment and delaying a murder trial in the Middlesex County Court. The charge Was that the defendant did kill and murder a certain child, but it read “kill and nurder,” and this the counsel for accused said was no crime, since “nurder” was the name applied to an old English game of ball. For a time the Court was undecided, and the prosecuting attorney was distressed over the unexpected turn of affairs. Not uiitil the presiding judge'looked up the reports and had found a decision bearing on the case was the prosecutor allowed to change the “n” to an “m” and proceed with the trial. And even yet the blunder in writing the indictment may be taken to the Court of Errors and Appeals.

It is said that the course of true love never does run smooth, and probably this view is now shared by a boy and girl, but in their early teens, and residents of Waikfekie, who came to the conclusion (says the TVhangarei Mail) that last Saturday was an ideal day to embark on the stormy sea of matrimony,' where so many go and so few return. Their love made them impetuous, and without awaiting the usual parental benedictions they set out for Whangarei on Saturday intent on having the wedding ceremony quietly conducted by the Registrar of Marriages. Unfortunately for the runaway pair of lorers the telephone was set working, and the

result was that their arrival was anticipated with more than ordinary interest. It appears the youthful pair were speedily disillusioned, as some kind friend informed them that their ages were an inaccessible barrier to immediate nuptial pleasures, Sunday morning saw the young pair homeward hound again. Thus ends an interesting little romance.

“Really very little is known of New Zealand outside of the dominion,” said Mr Evelyn Wrench in his address in Wellington on Thursday night. “In England to-day we know very little about you, and it is largely due to the methods pursued by your representatives in the heart of tfte Empire, who haven’t been sufficiently progressive. You have to compete with great corporations, such as the Candian Pacific Railway Company. Even a small place like the Federated Malay States has its London offices in a leading position, and so has Rhodesia, with its office in the Strand, to attract settlers of the right kind. To get to the New Zealand office you have to clamber up two floors (and dark, too) in Victoria street. Ido hope the Government will in future amend these matters, because you cannot compete with the other dominons unless you adopt the same methods yourselves.”