GENERAL NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 March 1913, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

THE POPE AND SMOKING. Pius X. has forbidden smoking in tho Vatican, and the guards, chamberlains. and attendants arc disconsolate (says an English paper). Not even in tin 1 privacy of their own chambers arc they allowed to puff their cigarettes or -pipes. The Pope, in of a severe cold, has himself abandoned smoking, and like Leo Xlir., contents liini.solf with snuff. American tobacco factories formerly sent the- Pope annual presents of tobacco. He has now requested them to stop sending cigars and pipo toha:'"o, but to .send snuff instead. NOT LOOKING AFTER THE PENNIES. The injunction to look after the pennies since the pounds will take care of tbemselvois, i« not always followed, ami an instance of this was furnished at Sydney last week, in the widencc-of a -master before the Kocd Commissioner (Mr T. R. Bavin). Ho stated that TOO of 'his euistomers wore living within 100 yards of his •shop, and yet not one of these, though ■he granted a reduction of -} in the price of the loaf when it jvax handed over the counter, would 'come to the shop for their bread. They all wanted it d olivered though they would, save Id on every four loaves if they called for them. "Is that a working man'.s district ?" queried the commissioner. "Yes," was the reply.

TMK RAILWAYS' MANAGER. Under date of February 1-lth, our London Correspondent writes: —"No fc.vo-' than eightY'-two roplios have been received to the adveiti-emnt for Grneral Manager for the New Zealr,ii(l railways. ' Application* have come from all ports of live. TTnitod Kingdom, ('anacH. South Africa, India. AustraI'a and New Zealand, and the task of ■•flection will necessarily (Ktiip)* .some Up'o. The New Zealand Government, v:it-1) whom the final decision will rest, will hj? advised I>v cable as to the merits of the he-st men. so that the actual appointment should not now he undiilv delayed." Our Wellington correspondent telegraphed In.st nif/ht (bat the Prime Minister stat?d that there were some particularly good men ammo; the applicants. In the ah-onc?' of the Mii»i.«tor of "Railways from Wellington, Mr Massey was unable to say definitely when the appointment would lie made. Font-ball DeGs ;sroiiI)F,TAOINTAO

I<T)OTT3ALL N l\ THE BALKANS. Surgeon Fisher, a New Zea lander, ono of the British Ecd Cross party attached to the .second Servian unit during the recent fighting in Turkey, took part in an international association football match at Uskub on Christmas Day The teams were Wales versus Scotland, and Mr Fisher playex! for the former,, in the forward line. The match was quite an unprecedented event in the Balkans (writes our London correspondent). The hall was manufactured in the hospital, from leather procured in the Bazaar at Uskuh, and bandages. The workmanship, however, was not •of the best for within two minutes the hall required first aid. This proved effectual and it afterwards stcod all the kicking with equanimity. The playing pitch was a. level .space on the. Convoy camping ground of the 'Danube Division of the Servian Army. The goalposts were obtained by cutting down four trees and stretching a bandage between each pair at the requisite height. The corner flags were Geneva crosse s and Servian banners from the sleeping marquee, and the heavy ground was as well marked out as possible. In the mess-room,s the game wa-a placarded as "the first grand inteniationnl football match to take plnco in Turkey." The rowilfc was ft draw of twio goals all. The natives of Servia and Macedonia departed with a great respect for the "Dober Kenglis" (Servian, meaning "Brave Englishmen") after seeing the way in which officers and men worked the ball through most fiercely-contested .scrimmages. A keener game could not have been seen.