GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 66, 14 April 1909, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

The French expedition into unknown parts of North-eastern Japan has fient tho first authentic news of Hie Aiuus, a small tribe which is fact dying out'. TheAinus resemble Russians more than lie Japanese, but very little of their early history lias been "discovered so far. A peculiar custom is reported by Professor May, a member of the expedition. He says that among this strange tribe married women are easily distinguished, because custom wills that they wear a moustache.

A curious feature of the importation of bicycles to New Zealand, as brought out by the New Zealand Trade Review, is that while the machines imported fell from 12,400 in 1007, and from 13,873 ;n the previous year, the value of bicycle parts rose from £127,830 in 1007 to ,£140,908 ill 1908, showing that considerably more work was "being done in the assembling of parts in the past year than in 1007, whereas the whole machine passes at once into use, providing no labor except selling to those engaged in the trade. The latest move locally in the timber industry (says -liie Palmcrslon Standard) is oncwliii'ii will lie appreciated bv tlie n-eneral public. A meeting of merchants held there decided, after a long discussion, to substantially reduce the price of ordinary building timber. The average price per hundred feet lias been nliom. 15s. and the reduction do- ! cided on is cental to 2s Od all round. A 1 now price-list giving the full reductions is to be. issued shortly. The stop has been taken evidently with a view to creating a better demand for timber. The yards arc nearly all overstocked, and the demand has lately been slack. It is thought I hat the reduction will encourage owners of property to build new houses, as one of the reasons given for the slackness of the building trade is the high price demanded for material. A letter and a circular reaches vis from San Francisco, giving details in regard to the "California Boys," a San Fraucisco social club which is shortly to tour the Dominion. Tlie party numbers forty, representing one of tlie most sue ccss'l'ul organisations for boys in America. Tlie manager, Mr. Garnet Ifolme. states ihat ho will reach Wellington about 12tili May. and the main party will arrive in dune. According to the 'particulars supplied. Major Sidney S. PiexoWu organised the boys' club, which lias been in existence some fifteen years, and embraces to-day some four hundred members. The boys of the

party to tour New Zealand (tile first American club to visit this part of the world') give musical and dramatic entertainments of a high order, and have a band of forty performers, whose music is highly spoien of. In building a memorial house at Eomo to the memorv of the English poets Keats and Shelley the King of Italy attests the truth that genius does not belong onlv to the country that gives it (birth. There was a universal brother-

hood of literature more potent than any of the other bonds which join men of diverse tongues together. Keats, Shelley, and Italy are, of course, indissolublv associated by reason of the residence' of the great English poets in that homo of art and romance. Both lie buried in Rome, and both were cut off before their genius ripened. At the ago of thirty Shcllov was drowned at sea in the year 1822, and h'.s tomb bears the inscription "Heart of hearts," which well save w'nal all who aTe acquainted with "Prometheus Unbound." the "Ode to the West Wind," and "Adonais," the llieautiful lament for his friend Keats. I feel when limy think of him. John Keats lies near Shelley. Illness drove iUiin to the warm sunshine of Italy, and there, when lie had scarce begun to write, death took him from the loveliness he foved so well, leaving to posteritv an immortal legacy. His "Kndymion" and tlie greater "Hyperion" with the magnificent "Ode on a Grecian Urn," and the poems to the "Nightingale" ami "S't. Agnes' Eve." ensure for him an abiding place among the literary giants of the world.

Some very vivacious and entertaining observations by the Hon. J. Rigg on the '•congratulatory messages" that the Government received in connection with the Dreadnought offer appeared in a recent issue of "The Citizen." Mr. Rigg believes that sOme of these congratulations are (sincere, but as for the majority of them: "Tliey are the congratulations of those who desire some personal distinction or benefit at the hands of the Government, and who are prepared, therefore', at any 'time to praise and cajole them. They congratulate the Prime Minister or the Government on every possible! occasion and about anything The)- congratulate the Prime I Minfs'ter on 'attaining office. They congratulate him on the reconstruction of j the Ministry. They congratulate him 1 on the appointment of a certain Minis--1 ter; and -when that Minister ifi removed from office in order to make room for another (hey congratulate the Government on the change. When the Prune. Minister nails his colors to the mast in connection with a question of policy, they congratulate him; when he hauls those colors down they congratulate him again. They congratulate the Prime. Minister on the completion of his first year of office, and thereafter annually. The birthday of the Prime Minister is alwavs a subiect for congratulation, also the birth of a child or the marriage of a son or daughfer. When there in no o'Wi'er subject for congratulation thcy congrainlate both the Government and the'Priiiie 'Minister on his latest policy speech, which they describe as a statesmanlike utterance."