HERE AND THERE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 238, 13 November 1909, Page 3

HERE AND THERE

CURBING THE SPENDTHRIFT'. In Germany there is an excellent law that if it can be proved that a man is raining enough to support those dcpaudcut on him and is squandering his earnings by vicious habits, ho can be declared a minor (enluiundigt). Instructions are then given to his employer to pay tlie wage not to the man himself but to a guardian appointed by the magistrate of* the district in which he lives, who employs it for the use of the wife and children. The police '.ce that the man does not refuse to work, 'there are ollicials in each district wn» i have to report to a head office all cases ' which ought to be dealt with in th's way. GOATS EMPLOYED AS ROADMAKERS. Three thousand Angora goats r nave been pressed into service by the j Forestry Bureau of the American Co-. vernnient to clear away the underbrush . in the Lassen National Forest, Call-1 fornia. The goats arc divided into two | squads, and arc eating trails through the bush within well-defined areas. After the trails have been opened, the goats will lie kept very busy : keeping them permanently free of sprout 6. The animals are very fond of the brush fodder, and are making no complaint about working overtime. The trails when opened will be specially valuable to the fireguards in fighting forest fires, that hitherto have done considerable damage to the trees.

I ANIMAL OF MYSTERY. An exhibition organised in celebration 'of the British Ornithological Unions jubilee will leave England next month for the hitherto uuexplored interior of Dnteh New Guinea. A zoological exploration of the interior of the island will be the chief object of the expeditioa, and, judging from the reports of members of previous expeditions, it is hoped that at least one quadruped, hitherto unknown to the pages of natural history books, will be discovered. The footprints of sonic large and unidentified animal have already been discovered; one who claims actually to have seen it describes it as a large striped Mac'* and white beast, with a nose like a tapir, and by the reports of the natives it has a face like their own devil. The , island is also expected to yield several more furred and feathered wonders, : more particularly new birds of paradise , and bower birds. The expedition will be under the command of Mr. Walter Goodfellow, and the Royal Geographical Society will be represented by Captain d. C: Rawling and Dr. Eric Marshall, who was one of the members of Lieutenant Shackleton's expedition. The geographical side of the venture will include the exploration of the great range of mountains which stretches cast and west across the island. Hitherto all attempts to reach the highest peaks oi these mountains liave failed, owing to the hostility of the natives, but as the Dutch Government have recently come to an understanding with the inhabitants, it is hoped that the coming venture may meet with success.

NEW CULLINAN STOKY*. The Cullinan diamond, the largest and most valuable gem the world has ever seen, has been the subject of many a fantastic story, the latest of which ; s | told in the Transvaal Leader. The Cullman stone was found, it will be rcinein- | bcred, about four years ago at the Pre- , mier Jline, but only a portion of it, according to the South African newspaper, reached England. There is said to remain from the Cullinan a stone j weighing 4323 carats, of loin in circuinU'crcncc and 3'/sin in diameter, though | the Transvaal Leader carefully refrains from vouching for the accuracy of the statement. The story continues:—"The liner and larger portion of the stone had been discovered by native workers, and removed to safe hiding in the Magato fastnesses of the Zoutpansberg. Several prominent Dutchmen in this part of the country secured knowledge of the district in which the gem was concealed, and negotiations were set on foot for the recovery of the stone. The chief to whom the diamond was originally entrusted has now, it is understood, travelled to Pretoria and handed over th/i 6tone to the rightful owners on payment of a sum of £IOOO and a guarantee of indemnity against prosecution under the illicit diamond-buying law, The no. gotiations were conducted by a Dutchspeaking Transvaaler, who received, it is said, a large sum for laving been instrumental in the restoration of the colossal gem." Nothing is known of the story in the London offices of the Piemier 'Mine, nor does the rumor seem to have reached the great diamond market of Hatton-gardcn.

LIFE AT THE VATICAN. Contrasting the simplicity observed at the Vatican under the present Pope with the rigid etiquette of his predecessor, M.A.P. says:—"Leo XIII. was an aristocrat to his finger-tips. Born of an aristocratic family; accustomed from early years to Courts—for he was 'Papal Nuncio at several of the Courts of Europe brought up in the ways and traditions of the Holy See at the time when it sti'l had large temporal possessions—and was one of the temporal as well as spiritual royalties of Europe, Leo XIII. was like the late Queen—he never relaxed the ceremonies of another age. When the pilgrim was brought in to have an audience he had to go through exactly the same rules and etiquette as if the Pope had belonged to the eighteenth instead of the nineteenth century. Throughout the entire interview, the visitor—whether man or woman—had to kneel down. Leo was gracious and kindly and spoke freely; but all the same, the visitor had to kneel; there was no relaxation of the old order.

WIIV THE DUKE RETIRED. In retiring from the army the Duke of Connaught has taken the advice that was unwittingly given him a few years ago (says U.A.P.). It was when his Royal Highness was iu India, and he had been for a walk one morning. 0« his way back to his quarters ho mm.? face to face with a veteran wearing the ribbon of the Mutiny. lie paused ami spoke to % man. Presently the voteran said: "Arc you in the army yourself, sir?" The Duke admitted that he was. "Getting on all right 1" was the next question. His Royal Highness replied that he seemed to be doing fairly well but perhaps not quito so well as he should wish. "No, and you ne v »r will, my boy,'' was the unexpected -e----tort of the veteran. "There are too many swells iu the army, nowadays, and you want a powerful lot of inllu'ence to get on at all; you take advice and chuck it as soon as you mu."

BARONESS MUNCHAUSEN. Baroness von Munchausen, who has been arrested in Dresden, lias hail a career whieh can rank will! that of h"r celebrated name-sake (savs the St James Budget). Jy, Wi she married a strolling nuvsifiun 23 years of aye, who r.ossc§s,od the title of Baron Koucu von Munchausen. Two vears Inter mudamc posed as the wife uf a rich Uovernment official in Hanover. Later on slh_«migrated to Berlin, and during the summer seasons of 1901-1007 she was one of the most fashionable visitors at the Herman summer resorts at the Baltic wateringplace*. Sixty witnesses appeared in court at Dresden to give evidence that Baroness von Munchausen had traded on their credulity, and owed them a total sum of £-20,000. Dresden commercial m ; n tailors from Paris, and a motor car manufacturer from Elbefcld appeared ii> weary succession to witness Baroness yon Munchausen's successful attempts in maintaining Uov assumed position borne of her aristocratic acquaintance-, also appeared In cour.t.

HOTEL-KEEPING NATION.

Profcsov Wasserfallen, spoakin" at Neuehatel on the Swiss hotel industry stated that the capital in this Dus'mess amounts to £32,000, which gives- an nmm] revenue of £1,400,000. The number of persons directly engSgeff in hotels number 35,000, Hie average inc«mi<! being £OO, to whieh must ha added ["tips," which increased the income to £IBO. , The hotel industry brings to Switzerland about £5,000,000 "every year, and both the capital and profits are- increasing annually. Professor Wasscvfallen's figures arc below tho estimates of other experts.