GENERAL NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 64, 18 March 1915, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

In the Tamvnuunni election case a witness, asked by counsel why he signed an application lor enrolment. he being a full-blooded Maori, and, ol course, ineligible, replied: “By eorry, boss, I think 1 sign the paper to go to the war.” “Fanners are obtaining greater prices for their produce owing to the war, lint for some unaccountable reason they are spending less,” said a Palmerston North business man. He ventured the opinion that the retail price of household necessities would go still higher. “We business men,” he concluded, “are makin gnothing out of this war.”

Amongst the recent acquisitions to the Canterbury Museum is a ten shilling Treasury Note, issued by the British Government at the beginning of the war (says the Christchurch Sun). The specimen is especially valuable owing to the fact that the issue was withdrawn and replaced by another note of a different design. The note was presented to the Museum by Mr James Pipe, of Christchurch.

Deer continue to swarm on to cultivated paddocks in the Lindis district (writes a correspondent of the Cromwell Argus). As many as 35 were seen in one paddock on a recent evening, and appeared quite indifferent to the presence of numerous' horsemen. Some doubt prevails as to the conditions of the free licenses to shoot in certain areas of the district, reference to which was made at the last meeting of the Acclimatisation Society.

Something approaching a record in wool production lias been achieved by a crossbred hogget shorn on the farm of Mr A. Jenkins, of Wallacetown. The length of the staple was fifteen inches, and the weight of the fleece was twenty pounds. It was disposed of to Messrs J. H. Kirk and Co. at teenpeuce per pound, the return for the wool from this one sheep being sixteen shillings and eight pence.

Advice received by a Catholic dignitary in Wellington states that the Turks expelled the Jesuit Fathers from their university ac Beyrouth. When they boarded the vessel which was to take them away, the refugees found no fewer than 212 priests, religious blethers, and nuns, belonging to oiffereut orders, all driven from the country by the Turks. After suffering many hardships they eventually readied Fiance.

A singuar accident befel a voting Maori named llangi Hiroa, residing at -Whakarewarewa, last Thursday, lie was diving for pennies from the brhige at the entrance to the village, an J, m accordance with the usiiu practice of young Maori divers at that place, put his takings into his month. When he attempted to eject then; he involuntarily threw back his head, and one of the coins slipped down’ his throat. Tie was taken to the Rotorua Hospital, and an examination by X-rays showed that the penny had been lodged in bis oesophagus'. It was decided to send the patient to Auckland for treatment.

0./e apparent sign of tlie exercise of thrift by the people of the Dominion ■s shown in a comparative statement of traffic on the railways for the period April 1, 1911, to January 30, 1915. The return shows that while more people have used the railways in this period than in the same period of the preceding financial year, a considerable reduction is to be observed in the number of first-class tickets issued. The people are travelling second-class and saving money. The total number of tickets issued in the period ended January 30, 1915, was 11,268,395, as against 11,086,1-18 for the corresponding period of last financial'year, an increase of 15,995 single and*'216,298 return second-class tickets, and a decrease of 11,610 single and 38,416 return first-class tickets.

An interesting feature of last month’s vital statistics for Auckland (says the Star) is the marked decline in the number of marriages that have taken place both at the altar and before the registrar. The total number for the month was 91, against 139 the previous February, and tire total for the two months of the year has been 222. against 262 in the corresponding period of last year. The marriages performed by the registrar for the month and two months respectively were 25 and 57, against 40 and 72 last year. Births, as compared with last February, decreased from 259 to 222, and the figures for two months from 530 to 456. The death rate, is also smaller. During the month 93 deaths were notified, against 117 last February, and during the two months of the year the total was 183, compared with 217 last year.

is there not something substantial in the old-fashioned view that sleep before midnight carries a special and particular merit? There may he, says the Hospital, a simple and obvious explanation 'of this creed, butt. we are satisfied that, in any event, the practice it proposes is beneficial. To take a single illustration: it is widely known by medical practitioners that anaemic girls may long bo treated with want of success until they are compelled to cultivate the habit of early to bed. And though strong and vigorous young men may with apparent impunity continue to hear the chimes at midnight, middle-age announces itself by some dnlnoss of the faculties on the days following such experiences. r lhat different individuals need different amounts of sleep is certain, arid it is perhaps true that sleep, like other habits, may be carried to excess; yet once the elasticity of youth is gone most of us are better and more fit when we avoid late hours. So far as the discipline of the war through the influence of the darkened streets leads to this result the lesson will have its advantages, and some people, wo fancy, are ready to give personal testimony to this effect.