AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 98, 16 October 1911, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

A # STRIKE INCIDENT. \ Here is' a typical incident reported /' from Lithgow. A man went into a hairdresing saloon in the main street the other day for a shave. An assistant tucked him up in the chair, and proceeded to administer a copious lather. The conversation turned' on the strike. Somehow it came out that the customer was working at the 'blast furnace. The shaver immediately whipped the cloth off the unshaven, and, pointing to the door, said '"No shave here." The visitor, still lathered but unshaved, got' into the street. He made a bee-line for the next saloon. Here lie was followed by the assistant from No. 1 establishment, who explained that he was "a white wing." This was sufficient to again elicit the verdict, "N'o shave' here." Once more the man went into the street, but the story ends without explaining how or w.here he got rid of the lather and the stubble on his chin. IRRIGATION. The area artificially supplied with water for stock and domestic purposes iri Victoria is 11,000,000 acres, and the area under irrigation this season is 142,000' ' acres, showing an increase of 12,000: acres over last season. The loan liability of the State for these works is £6,805,657, and the annual interest on outstanding capital is £236,229. The revenue, of the Water Commission for the' financial year 1910-1911 is £143,-. 229, and the anticipated expenditure, exclusive of any provision for interest,' was £Si,l23. The anticipated revenue'' for 1911-ia is £143,300, and the antici-' pated expenditure, excluding interest and' special grant, is £96,500. The central channel of the main Winnnera supply system from Lake Lonsdale lias been connected with the old Dunmunkle Creek system, and Lonsdale water for domestic 1 and stock use can now be run through the Commission's districts in two sepa**' ate arteries, each 200 miles in length; lib ■' the north-east and north-west. Steps'!* are being taken to reticulate the exist- ' ing district*, and also to supply as fttf - a.s the available resources will permit the new country being opened up in Karka- : rooc, Sea Lake, Tyntynder and other dis- : tricts. The Whole scheme is described by: the Commission as sound financially. In ' the waterworks district under the cori- ' trol of the Commission, exclusive of Colk' ban, the length of channels for stock and ' domestic supply is now over 2500 milesj' It is proposed to expend £24,000 in connection with the supplies to the town-' ships of Beulah, Hopetoun, Jcparit, Mww ' yip, Rupanyup, Sea Lake and Wo'omo-"-'•' lang, and a sum of £29,000 is to be spent': in boring and drought reserve tanks ifo the Northern Ma-llee, these operations') l 1 having been taken over by the commis- j: L eion from the Department of Agriculture.' 1 CHEST MEASUREMENT. ,: [ The military section of the Medical ' Congress discussed various interesting' '• topics, but when it touched on the; physique of the Australian youth' and | 1 his chest measurement, and the means'] • for improving the Australian physically"! (.says the Sydney. Morning Herald) it! : dealt with a subject of paramount lin*'}' ' portance. But during the discussion!'*' Colonel Roth fired a shot into the locke^l of the physical eulturists. He said tWdt [ chest measurements were useless as' ! a 7 { guide. The firemen of Sydney—a 'fttte'l l body of men physically—could only exi-l) paild about 3in. He could get any man ! nnd in>a month add an inch or more to !•' his chest expansion. The colonel him± : self could expand 6in, but it was all' knack, and had no bearing on general i fitness. The best guide was height arid'' weight. The average Australian was not deep-chested, but long-chested. Ui h A GENTLEMANLY RUROLAR. ■ ' •■ The following message from Mellwurnft'i was published in the Sydney Morning' . Herald on September 25.—A wakening at 1 about half-past one o'clock yesterdayß .morning, Mr. Dvvvis Dowrick, pi'ivatje'WNlrelary to , the Minister of Agriculture.' ' 'pTiVfJra'h'iim'), saw a man examining the,' interior of a wardrobe by the, light) oL«! 'candle'which he held in his hand. IDffiW- i rick slipped out of bed, and grabbed the man-round the neck. They rolled on' the floor, and a struggle ensued, i The'i lamp globe was knocked down, and tKert was danger of injury from broken glass.' Mr. Dowrick left the room and held tUel! door fast, at the same time calling fbr.c •fiSSJ'Stimce:' The burglar tried to pilll/ the door open. Do wrick's mother, artdi 1 sisteT were aroused, and they came to the, dpor. in the dark. Suddenly, Mr. , Dowrick let go. bis grip on the' ! door •• handle, thinking the man on the Other side would fall. The burglar, however* kept his feet and came out, just mussing a swinging blow which Mr. Uowricjk di- j rected at his head. They were ill the passage, and it was dark.' Mrs. Dowrick,:, caught hold of the man and told l him' : to ,lcaye th.e house... She, then faijnted, . The burglar prevented her from falling ' to the floor, aiuj gently handed her .over, to her son. .He then .left by the bac£' taking with him lis 6d.' , . ", , ; '' ' I'. '.;•'' " ~,", .THE SLAUGHTER OP BIRDS. '„„,. It cannot be denied' that a vast amount? [. of unnecessary, destruction is wrongjij,, among various species of wild birds' and, . animals by the demands of fashior for; I heir- plumes and-pelts (says a Sylifcjif,, journal. This is particularly the case in regard to the white heron, whosq licafe plumage is obtained .at the annutU ■ cost 1 of hundreds of thousands of, death;} . by starvation among the young cgrets-j ' whose pai'tnts have been killed' for the. s ■ i sh'ke''rff the long sprays' known as "o's-!. preys." The Wild Life Preservation So-.', . ■ciety of Australia, in . the.. belief Jiat'jV 'iiothihg -but ignorance of the facts [can!.)' periiiit women to encourage, a fajdiioti of v 'so unjustifiable a nature, has ■addressed.] ah appeal to all the musical and drnina- | '■ tic artists at .present in Sydney, including.Madame MeJbii and' Mi!-s E ;hel ; Irving, to exercise their inlhieiice ind ■ example in 'discountenancing the waring of jilii.UMige entirely. t'onsidei ing •'the enonuoii- scope which lhc.dy.er ind.' pliinic-maker haw. in creating the n:asT beautSTul plumage from the feathers of : the commiui domestic roosters,'there cori tainiv s.peias (<• be litlle ji|..li:ii-ation fni'' the slanylitcr of wild bir.ls. The so'- ; ' oicty is .afraid that the present prohibt-. ' tion by the Customs (if the importation : of i.spreys and other plumage is not hji\'- ' ing iwv effect, whatever mum the trrfde. '.a'lid that thr-s,-. n.-Mids arc either be\ig : ..illegally introduced or supplied .by h'e ] ; :, sacrifice of lar°. t numbers <.f local hor ins' ' ami other birds than heretofore. Rexona is a reliable remedy for tall' eruptions and irritations of the skin, eczema, pimples, sores, chilblains, chip-' pod hands, sciatica, itching or bleeding' piles, cuts, burns, bruises, scalds, ljnd'' legs, stings of insects, and all kindsrof inflammation. Sold onlv in triangular' pot at Is fid and 3*. Obtainable at Bidlock and Johnston's. i FURNISH YOUR HOUSE j With a nottle of Dr. Sheldon's Magnetic Liniment, and next time one of the fa'|n- ! | ily is injured, your foresight will jbc ! | commended. No hou-ch.'.,! should [lie j without tlrs .;■ ,■■ ' eaiu-ive -viug, healing 5 > ( liniment. 1: i-- the most, useful mcfli- \ cine you could possibly keep for daily I emergencies. Absolutely guaranteed. ' Accept no substitute. Price, Is Gd and ' 3s. Obtainable everywhere. J