From Many Lands

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 946, 12 April 1930, Page 19

From Many Lands

TABLOID READING FOR THE WEEK-END. I

SNAKE STORY

I THE WORLD'S HOTTEST

BEATS ALL “FISH" RECORDS For sheer imagination it would be hard to match the tale of a snake which "Millyet” publishes in a dispatch from Broussa. jt seems that a certain woman took a nap out of doors four months ago an d while she was asleep a small snake crawled into her mouth. Since then, she asserts, it has been living in her stomach and rises to her throat once a day to take air. It has now become troublesome and specialists are seeking to remove it. WINDOW CRASHER leaves guessers guessing “Guess the number of marbles in the bowl and get the 10 dollar bill you see,” read a sign in a Fresno, United States of America, drug store window. A 10 dollar bill was displayed beside the sign. Some enterprising person believed he would have to do much liguring. He hurled a rock through the window and took the 10 dollars. A LITTLE SIESTA FOR DROWSY CUSTOMERS The tired Berlin business man will soon be able to have a nap included with his luncheon. In the busiest! section of the city a lunch room will be opened In the spring, in which every table will be equipped with a black velvet curtain which can be drawn around the guest. The seat can be converted into an easy chair and a ventilator will provide cool air. An alarm clock will warn the guest when It is time to return to his office. Attractive waitresses, clad in black silk knickers and blouses, will wait on him. The management of the new enterprise is convinced that the innovation will be a great success because of the traditional German habit of following ’the noon meal with a nap. HENPECKED UNION AN INTIMIDATED PRESIDENT The inaugural meeting of the Hen- I pecked Husbands’ Union of Liverpool proved disappointing recently as the wives of more than 300 of the members had evidently forbidden them to attend. Only 40 made an appearance. Mr. William McElroy, who took the chair, rose to open the meeting with a firm and determined air. "You have got to elect me president,” he said. “It you do not I dare not go home. My wife said: ‘lf you are going to be in this silly secret society you must either get yourself made head man or you need not come home.” Two other “brothers” who had been nominated for the presidency at once j withdrew, and Mr. McElroy was j elected president amid hearty cheers ; agd to the singing of the union’s I anthem: “We’ll show the women what we can do.” It is proposed to conciliate wive 3 who object to their husbands’ membership of the union by giving them outings next summer. , ELEGANT POSTMEN THE SAVILE ROW TOUCH Tha London Post Office Workers’ Union recently sent a deputation to tlie Postmaster-General, urging that postmen’s trousers should be creased in the normal position in front, instead of at the sides as they are at present received from the manufacturers. It was also asked that there should be four pockets in the waistcoats, four outside pockets in the coats, and a more fashionable cut in overcoats. The Postmaster-General promised to consider the requests.

BOY JUDGE SENTENCES MAN IN COURT A 14-year-old American boy passed sentence recently on a 49-year-old man in Winston-Salem Municipal Court. In the observance of Boy Scout Week, Earl Clowers was allowed to occupy the Bench with the judge for an hour. A man, who had been tried earlier in the day for drunkenness, was brought back in court for resentence. He had been unable to pay a fine. “You sentence him,” said the judge to Clowers. “Sixty days on the chain gang if convicted of drunkenness again,” announced the boy without hesitation. CANNIBALS TURN SCOUTS £6,000 IN BANK Cannibals who a few years ago were eating human beings in the tropical Jungles of the Papuan mountains, In Xew Guinea, now have Boy Scouts among them who do a good deed a day. Sir Hubert Murray, Governor of the territory, reports that the Boy Scout movement has been a civilising influence and that education of ihe natives is following rapidly. In several centres branches of tlie Government Savings Bank have been established, in which 439 natives have invested mors than £6,000. VANISHING TURTLE SOUP REPLACED BY RUSSIAN BORTSCH. The traditional turtle soup at the Mansion House has been ousted in fav°ur of Russian bortsch. It appears that when the Court of Aldermen dined recently with the Lord Mayor [or the first time within a century at least there was no turtle soup, heretofore the usual prelude to a Mansion House banquet. The city banquet has been a last refuge of the genuine turtle, but it now seems that the soup is going the way °t turtle fins, once one of the courses the Lord Mayor’s table. Nevertheless, the City Fathers are reported to oe quite pleased with the Russian Soup.

DISCOVERY OF NEW FLAME A flame has been discovered so hot that it will melt its way through steel, brass, or indeed any substance that is used in engineering. Finely powdered aluminium is blown through a blow-pipe and is met by a swift stream of oxygen as it leaves the pipe. The flame is lighted with a match and gives such a terrific heat that it will cut its way through a bar of metal with the greatest ease. STILL GOING STRONG AGED WOMAN’S WALKING TOUR “Oh, I have only been for a walking tour,” said 77-year-old Mrs. Mary Ann Gall, of South Wales, when she returned home recently after an absence of nine days that had alarmed her relatives. "I am as fit as a button,” she added, "and the walk has done me good.” She tramped over the Risca Mountain in a blinding snowstorm, and had been on the road the whole of the nine days. She looked none the worse for her experience. PRECOCIOUS DOG BUYS OWN LICENCE When an Airedale terrier walked unaccompanied into Fairlie (Ayrshire) Post Office, the postmaster was surprised to see him place on the counter three half-crowns, from his mouth. The dog then squatted suddenly, and, with lolling tongue, looked expectantly at the postmaster. The latter, in turn, looked at his intelligent customer, very much puzzled, whereat the dog gave a sharp, impatient bark and then squatted again. Then it dawned on the postmaster that 7s 6d was the price of a dog licence. This was made out and given to the Airedale, who immediately seized it in his teeth and trotted off home to his master.

RE-CHARTING THE OCEAN AREA OF 200 MILES The last earthquake off tho North American East Atlantic coast shook the ocean bed badly, and many of the submarine telegraph cables were broken in consequence. Cable steamers are now at work repairing the breaks, and they have found that the depth of the sea has been altered in places by as much as 300 ft. A huge area 200 miles long is to be re-charted. NOT FOR PUBLICATION * STRONG AND SILENT The ex-President of the United States, Mr. Calvin Coolidge, is noted for his taciturnity, and throughout liis long term of office no journalist ever succeeded in interviewing him. Recently, however, a reporter, thinking that as he was in retirement he might be induced to speak on the subject of the MacDonald-Hoover conversations, asked him if there was anything he would like to say. "No, there isn’t,” snapped Coolidge. “Well, about the Kellogg Pact, then?” urged he reporter. “No,” said the ex-President. “About prohibition, then, •or naval disarmament, perhaps?-” pleaded the reporter. “No,” thundered Coolidge, and as the discomfited newspaper man was turning resignedly away, he called after him, “Remember that what I haven’t told you is not for publication.” REJUVENATION SOUGHT BY WOMEN AND CRIMINALS Feminine vanity is largely to blame for the many requests which come to the fifth section of the justice court in Constantinople, to have identification papers revised so as to make the applicant appear younger. It Is presumed that some women desire this done in the hope of bettering their matrimonial prospects. Of the hundreds of applications received recently nearly all were from women. A few others were made by criminals, who sought to prove that they were younger than the age legally recorded for the purpose of escaping severe punishment for crimes. “TROPICAL” SCANDINAVIA FLOWERS WITH ELECTRICITY The cold countries of Scandinavia have discovered a way of competing with the warmer countries of the south, and by new applications of electric currents they hope to supply early flowers and fruit which will vie with the flowers of the Seilly Isles, the early fruit of the South of France, and the market garden vegetables of Algeria. Wires are laid in the ground and are heated by electricity. Onions have been made to sprout a w r eek earlier than usual iu this way, and seeds have been made to sprout several clays earlier. STEALS SOCKS WITH £625 IN POCKET Although he had £625 in his pocket at the time, Edmond Face, 49, engineer, could not resist the temptation to steal a pair of socks valued at 5s 6d. „ , Police evidence at a Sydney court was that Face was seen by a woman shop inspector to take a pair of socks from a display table in the shop. Face said that he had no intention of stealing the socks. He was waiting for his wife, he said. When he w'as searched at the police station he tvas found to have a roll of notes, cheques and other moneys valued at £625 14s 2d. Face was fined £o, in default 14 days’ imprisonment.