GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1921, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

After more than three years of experiments, says the New York special correspondent of The Times Trade Supplement, the General Food Products Company announces that Dr. A. W. Smith and Mr. ,S. P. Evans, of Baltimore, have invented a process by which, white sugar may be obtained from maize and manufactured for less than 4 cents, per lb. It is said that the sugar is 89 per cent as sweet as cane sugar, and should sell at 8 cents per lb. It is claimed that one bushel of maize will produce about 101 b of the syrup, and that with an annual maize crop of more than three billion bushels about 7 per cent of the crop will produce all the sugar the United States can use.

“Deep Sea,” the London prophet (who has many correct predictions to his credit), issues the following bulletin for home and. workshop consumption:-^A great engineering and railway strike will take place between January Ist and Ist of March next year. A sensational event, which will stir the world, deeply, will take place in London early in December. Politicians in particular will be affected by it. The earthquake of the century will occur to the west of America on or about 23th July next year. Damage to the extent of forty millions will be caused, and very great loss of life, too. Great trade slump, in the , Midlands of England particularly, fcegini ning about the end of December next. Watch cotton and leather then.

Mr. Dwight C. Wheeler, president of the Acme Shear Company. New York, wishing to trap an anonymous gang of blackmailers, constructed a box. that would spring open and emit a flare of light the moment it was touched. Containing £4OOO, the sum demanded by the blackmailers, the box was placed in a dark field near Boston, and, in the presence of two detectives, Mr. Wheeler waited results. Soon a huge flare showed the figures of two men and the detectives rushed in to arrest them. The men had letters in their pockets similar to the pne sent to Mr. Wheeler, and also papers implicit ng six others, wanted for blackmailing wealthy residents in New York States. These men, including James di Profio, wanted for dynamite outrages, were arrested, anl have been sent for trial.

Paticulars of the immigration of youths for farm work in New Zealand were received at a meeting of the Canterbury Farmers’ Union last week. A letter was received from the Department of Immigration, stating that the High I Commissioner had been instructed that I the Government would accept, in the first | instance, 200 boys, of a minimum age of seventeen years, preference being | given to boys with farming j experience and from rural districts. | “These lads will be under Government j supervision, but not neces-sarily appreni ticed. They will, however, be required I to enter into an agreement that they > I will on arrival in New Zealand accept I engagements as farm laborers for throe ■ years.” As far as wages were concerned, i the letter stated that it had been de- ■ • cided that the lads should receive, the ; rates current during their period of ! engagement. The lads would arrive in ■New Zealand in parties of twenty at a ! time, so that they would readily be ■ absorbed. They 'would be allotted to various districts. The opinion of the union was that a total of fifty per month for the next year could be absorbed in the Dominion. A week's wages (New Zealand scale) couy very easily be spent on a couple 1 of meals obtained’ at a high-class res- . taurant in America. The Evening Post , has received from a correspondent the menu card of one of the first-class hotels in Los Angeles. In the breakfast card fruit dishes are prominent. Strawberries or raspberries cost just over 2s a dish, baked peas about Is Cd Cereals such as oatmeal, cracked wheat, or boiled rice, cost about Is 4d a dish. . j Rolls, calces, and toast run’from Is to ■ls fid; tea, coffee, and the like from •Is to 2s 2d; eggs, about.2s 3d; bacon and eggs, 3s fid; omelettes, up to 4s; i fish from 2s 9d to 3s fid. For luncheon, i oysters can be had for 2s fid; soup for I 2s fid, roast stuffed chicken for fis, vege- ■ tables (one variety only) for 2s, salads j run up to 4s Cd a dish, and desserts , i are priced at anything from Is to 2s Cd. , I If the customer is thirsty he pays Is 3d ‘for a pot of tea, or the same price for a glass of “certified” milk. The dinner seems to be the most expensive meal. ■ The entrees are priced at anything from 5s Cd to 12s Cd. Lamb with mint sauce costs 4s, and roast pheasant 255. If potatoes are ordered there is an additional charge up to 2s, dependent on the style of preparation. Other vegetables run, about 2s for each variety. Plain i lemonade costs about Is 7d, various punches about Is 3d s cider upf to 3s, and L there is a “white sparkling Rennett, a , non-alcoholic substitute for champagne,” ; at Gs for a pint bottle.