GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 189, 8 February 1912, Page 7

GENERAL NEWS.

The progressive and enterprising "paragraph writer" in the Otaki paper has the following: "Mr Archie Smith, of Otaki. has purchased a hearse, thus filling a long-felt want to the town and district." Here is an ingenious Customs fraud, which has been going on unperceived for ncr.rly two years. Customs officers, examining the cart of a man who has crossed the Italian frontier three times a week for the past 18 months, discovered that the axles of the wheels contained watches. Altogether 400 were found and confiscated.

Even in modern times there have been men's hats which cost far more than any I thing worn by the ladies. That, for in.1 stance, presented to General Grant when he was in Mexico cost £3OO, and justly claims to be the finest sombrero ever made. The admirers of Mr Seward, a member of President Lincoln's Cabinet, too, paid £2OO for the panama with which they presented him. The Portuguese Government has declared its intention of selling the jewels and valuables in the royal palaces, which are valued at over £500,000. The deposed royal family have presented a claim, stating that, with the exception of the crowns, the valuables, consisting ,of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, belts, and jewelled arms, are the private property of King Manuel and Queen Amelia. The Council of Ministers is considering the claim.

A new form of entertaining, started by Mrs Reginald C. Vanderbilt, is being taken up by Newport hostesses. It is a dinner and dance, with the dancing between the courses. As soon as one course is finished the orchestra strike up, and the guests leave their places and ! gin to dance. The dance finished, anoti. course is served. Eating and dancing ■.>>• on in this way until the dinner is finishL. By the time coffee is served the dinnerball has lasted two hours.

A sensational railway episode occurred between Perth and Fremantle one day last week. While a train was running at the rate of twenty miles an hour, the child of Mrs Duval, who was sitting at; an open window, sprang out of h*r arms and tumbled out. The distressed mother, could not signal the guard to stop the train, but when it reached Subiaco,- s[_ search party went back. The childf which was only two years old, was found uninjured playing between the, rails. .'".'■

. *The Earl of Dundonald has,had thef /satisfaction of seeing his improvements, iff; gun-traction, Adopted in German .army. The "Dundonald was ail. Sxapple of inventive genius or' the-gallant soldier wiio was the "first man in" at the' relief of Lady smith in 1906. Others 1 "of his line have mve'ntcd' new mechanical contrivances. Hisfam'bijS grandfather,' the; celebrated r Lord Cochrane,-might have ' a. great inventor if he had not been great sailor, and his great-grandfather .invented coal-tar..- ...,.• ! : . '.'

■ Plans have been prepared for the proposed Native Parliament House.at Nga-, ruawhia.-, If'erected, the structure' w'w be : l46ft long by 80ft. wide. The'-cbuncft' chamber, placed in the centre, will be 50ft long by 33ft., and will be finished off in. dignified style, embracing all the/'b'es'ff traditions of Maori art in carving,' in $, manner so as -to be representative oi the' different tribes.'The Maori style of de: corative art has been incorporated in the general design.. The) building will, be of :wood, resting, on!a brick foundation.'Tbtf! estimated cost is £7OOO. -'' : 'H

-," Edison claims to have invented a storage battery for use in submarine, boats,, which will .enable crews to live beneath, the water 1,000 days. The largest- per.-' .contagi: of deaths in submarine* ; u? .attributed to the crew breathing ..exhade.|l carbonic acid gas, so Edison uses a potash solution in the new submarine which it is stated, will absorb carbonic, acid gas, thereby purifying the atinos-.. phere. It will be necessary, of- course; for submarines to supply themselves with', fresh oxygen, but this may be accoin r ,' plished, it \i claimed, by carrying'.comy pressed'oxygen in tubes. [ ,;,ii I TheTErench dressmaking tradeywhwih) is stated to have last year lost £SO9,: 000 in wages, 20,000 workgirls .'being! thrown put, of employment through hob 1! ble' s^i^-'tb'"wßlcß only: require ha[f r thei , material formerly ' employed, is : up .in; arms against the kimono blouse. M. Loth president of the Textile Syndicate, in a, vigorous denunciation, take a square yard of fou,T ford, and cut a hole in the middle for the head, two slits ,at the sides for the wide sieey.es, and ypu make a pleat wais't. ; There is your blouse, but you have taken a square yard kss stuff thai} . was. formerly 'emploved." ' '' A Deautilully carved ivory crucifix,which was purchased for the sum of £2 at a rag fair in Reus, Catalonia (Spain) ( ■25 years ago, has been discovered, to be onti of the finest carvings of Leonardo jihy Vinci. Ten years ago the purchase* left this crucifix with her other tons to her daughter, wife of the Senor Mayner. No great value had ever been attached to-the object; except s?,a souvenir, until some weeks ago, when, a, person who was visiting the house offered, £IOO for it. Senora Mayner refused ,so' part with the crucifix, and she also,re-;, jectcd a further offer of £ISOO from tin,, antiquarian who had heard of the incident and examined the crucifix. A third offer of £25,000 is now said to , have; bien received from an American colleetori Success has attended the experiments of Commander Oliver Schwan, of the \ cruiser Hermione, assistant to Inspect ing Captain of Airships, with a hydroaeroplane. Some time ago Commander, Schwann purchased a biplane and had; floats fixed to it. He made a number of; experiments with the machine in the Cavendish Dock, Barrow, and on one. occasion, the floats being badly arranged, th« trip came to a sudden termination,, the aeroplane pitching down into the water. Improvements have been mace with the floats, and the Green engine has been made more effective. Recently, in the presence of a few officers and seamen, Commander Schwann took the machine out, and as soon as it had been released it ascended gracefully from the water. It had been in the air a short time when a sudden gust of wind brought it down to the water, slightly damaging it. If fine weather prevails the experiments will continue.

The recent Homeward voyage of the s.s. lonic was (writes a, London correspondent) somewhat marred by a tragedy which occurred shortly before Cape Horn was rounded. Among the passengers were Mrs Herdman, of Lewisham, and her married daughter, Mrs. Kate Hare. The latter went from England to New Zealand 15 months ago, after the death of her father. She married in tlie Do-

minion, and her husband died a few mouths later. While engaged in conversation on the deck, Mrs Hare suddenly (lung her mother aside, and, clambering on the ship's rail, threw herself into th"

sea. One of the crew grasped at her dress, but he could not secure sufficient hold, and Mrs Hare fell into the sea.

Without delay a lifebuoy was thrown to her. and >\ lifeboat was lowered; when picked up the lady was unconscious, and no effort was spared to revive her. But all efforts were fruitless. The body was buried at sea. Prior to going to New Zealand Mrs Hare had been in business in Fleet street.