MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 363, 5 November 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

A Victorian delegate told the Presbyterian Federal Assembly in Sydney that' a minister in Victoria travelled one day a distance of 30 miles preached three times, and received in offertories the munificent sum of Is 1-Jd. Three Blenheim Chinamen are the latest applicants for relief from the Labour Bureau. One of them has set; forth that the applicants are naturalised, have married and are contributors to the revenue, through the taxes on the necessaries af life. They desire employment cm the co-operative works to keep the wolf from the door, " allee samee Eulopeau."

A tine story is told in the " United Service Magazine " of the exploit of an American officer named Gillis, who, perceiving a half-expended Spanish torpedo making for his ship, jumped overboard, swam to the torpedo, screwed up the firming pin, and heading water, saluted his superior officer with the remark, "Sir, I have to report I have captured a torpedo."

Out of 34 cities with a population over half a million, China, has no less than 13, Pekiu with 1,650,000 heading her list. Englaud has 3, London with 5,633,000, being the largest city in the world.. The Tfnited States has 5 cities of over 500,000, New York with 2,000,000 being its chief city. Paris is the second largest city in the world, having nearly 2{i million inhabitants.

Raids have been made by the police at Opitonui and Whangapona in connection with suspected jsly grogselling. Constables Law and Eraser, accompanied by a plain-clothes man. discovered liquor in two houses, one at Opitonui and otie at Whangapona. In consequence summonses have been issued, calling upon the parties to oppear befare the Magistrate on Thursday, to answer charges of breaches of the licensing laws. The Waipawa correspondent of the •' Hawke's Bay Herald" wrices that Mr Moora, a local chemist, has come in for a windfall very unexpectedly. It appears that lis sent£T to " Tattcrsall's" for a ticket, and received a letter back enquiring if he took a ticket a year ago, and if he still had it by him. If so, there was a sum lying to his credit on proving his identity. He succeeded in doing so satisfactorily, and on Friday last received a cheque for £SOO.

At a meeting ef ministers and elders of the Presbyterian Church, held in Dunedin on Tuesday (at which about GO were present), to consider the question of union with the Northern Church, a resolution was carried to the effect that any basiy of union likely to be adopted must provide articles making provision for a representative assembly, the retention of the OtagO Synod as an ecclesiastical cmrt, the control for a time by each church of its respective funds, together with provision for maintaining the historic doctrine of the .Southern Church, on the lines likely to be adopted in the union of the Free and United Presbyterian Churches of Scotland.

The Department of Agriculture has of late been distributing different varieties of seeds of forage and other useful plants amongst settlers in this district for experimental purposes. Amongst them samples of Carol) or Locust Bean, Rhea Crass, Opinum Poppy, etc. The Carob grows to a tree 30 to 40 feet high and bears fruit in about eight years. The fruit is a pod from six to eight inches in length, containing beans which are readily eaten by stock, and are said to have jiood fattening qualities. The seed should be steeped iu water for say three days before planting, changing the water each day. The young plants are susceptible to frost, and grow best in a climate in which orange trees thrive.

After the experience of the past 18 or 20 years it seems hard to believe that a new era has arrived in Ireland. Yet (writes a correspondent of the Fall Mall Gazette), strange as it may appear, such roally does seem to be the case. If you walk rouud the farms and traceruise with the people you soon realise that there is everywhere a-i intense desire to have done with politics, and to take up the last occupation of an Irishman—the minding of his own affairs. " Give us a rest from politics," is the cry on every hand, even in Tipperary, the hotbed of Nationalism, and the home of faction fights and agrarian outrages, In Neuaagl) itself, a very warm little corner in its day, there is a peaoe-which-passeth-understanding air, which some people would describe as duluess. In reality, it is one of the signs of the new era.

A not improbable result of the fall of Omdurman (writes a correspondent of the " Daily News "), is a slump in ivory. During the twelve years of iSlatin Bey's captivity in the city of straw huts, he was an eye-witness of the piling up of the spoils of tj ramiy in the palace. The wealth of great part of the Upper Soudan consists of slaves and ivory—or rather consisted, for the land had been swept bare by the Khalifa. Slaves were at times a drug in the market, and the Khalifa had a short way of reducing the number. Of the value of ivory he has always had a keen appreciation. He looks upon his ivory store as a species of sinking fund, and there is every reason to believe that his accumulation is intact. Besides, the Nile and Suakim trade routes have been effectually barred for many years. If Slatin is right, there ought to be ivory enough at Omdurman to Hood the market. As everyone knows, the demand for ivory in these days tar exceeds the supply. It will be curious if one of the first fruits of General Kitchener's success is the cheapening of kuife handles, billiard balls, inlaid work, and pianofore keys. Dieppe, which is now the chief ivory factory of Europe, should be interested in an inventory of the loot at Ourlurman.

Mr \V. Earnshaw, in an opon letter on the Old Age Pensions Bill, su ys:—"The measure is one that distinctly places a premium upon unthrift and improvidence and taxes witli a heavy burden the thrifty working man ami woman. Though there are special provisions that under certain conditions persona may not receive pensions, yet it distinctly provides that the improvident shall receive a pension ; while, on the other band, it iu set terms determines that the provident working man and woman who may by thrift and foresight by saving or by insurance, have made some slight provisions for old age shall be ptsiialised by being compelled to pay heavily throughout their lives by way of customs and other sources to make provision for the thriftless, while he or she will be denied the right of participating in such pennon fund which they have been compelled to subscribe to. It is a measure distinctly framed against the best traditions of our race and opposed to that altruistic spirit which has made our race and Empire the foremost and envied of the world." In conclusion be says: "I urge my fellow working men not to be gulled and deluded by this measure, which, if put on the Statute Hook, will be found in its practicable application to be and to contain all the vicious and degrading principles of the English work house, niiuus the brick walls."

A certain nobleman insisted on his head gardeuef taking on as an apprentice a young lad in whom his lordsuip was interested. He was generally regarded as somewhat lazy, and the gardener was not at all pleased at having such a youth thrust upon him. Some time afer Ids lordship, walking in the garden, came upon the gardener and said : " Well, my man, how is my youna friend getting on with you ?'' " Ohi he's doing fine." replied the gardener, with a sarcastic grin. "He is working away there at the very job that suits him." I'm glad to know that," said his lordship ; " what may that be?" Chasing snails off the walks," was the caustic reply.

It may not be generally known how it is that the residence of the President of the United States at "Washington is styled the White House. The reason is that when the British, 1814. took Washington they destroyed the President's mansion, which, like thy Capitol, was built of greyish sandstone. The burning of the woodwork smoked and discoloured the walls, the natural appearance of which could not be restored. Uniformity was secured by the application of white paint. The changed appearance from grey to white, however, attracted attention, and gave it the name of the White House, which it has ever since borne.

The motor-car (says the London Daily Telegraph) has not achieved the signal aud speedy triumph over all other forms of vehicles anticipated for it by its scientific admirers. The scare among cabmen has long since subsided, aad the gleam of hope which appeared for a moment in the eyes of the tired cabhorse has died out It has become evident that the vision of a metropolis in which the sound of hoofs should be as unheard as it is in the streets of Venice will have to be adjourned, at any rate, until the dawn of the naxt century, and that for some years to come there will still be a certaiu demand for horses as a source of locomotive power. With reference to the Khartoum victory General Gordon's sister (Mrs MotHt) writing to Mr Thomas Blackmail founder of the Gordon Boys' Orphanage at Dover, which was established in memory of Gordon at the time of his death, states :—" I like Sir Herbert Kitchener's motto, ' Remember Gordon,' but 1 dislike wdiat so mauy newspapers have added", ' Gordon at last revenged.' It was the last thiog Gordon would have, wished, indeed the idea would have been most repulsive to him. He felt most keenly the Government deserting the garrison, and what he wanted was help at the time, not vengeauce after. I think you will understand this from the character of my brother."

The health officer of Maryborough (Victoria) reports thus on a case of diphtheria :—" With regard to the recent outbreak of diphtheria, it is stated that the young woman Louisa Jose was treated for that disease in the Alfred Hospital in June. While convalescent she was sent back to her home, near Maryborough. It is alleged that she was not advised to use any antiseptic gargle, or warned of the dunged of kissing children. On July 9th she kissed a little girl named Alice Garde, who on the following day complained of sore throat, followed by a severe attack of diphtheria. On July 16th she kissed two children, Floris and Ivor Waugemaun. On July 18th both children complained of sore throat, and were found to be suffering from diphtheria. Floris Wangemaun died on July '26th. There has been uo other case here for a year." The growing town of Rushden, in Northamptonshire, furnishes a very amusing story. When the Independent Wesleyan Chapel was erected in the year 1873, the usual custom of depositing some current coins of the realm, the deeds of the chapel, and the local newspaper at the stone-laying was duly obssrved. Since then Rushden has grown so fast that the congregation has so in creased as to make it necessary to build a new tabernacle, and the old chapel was recently razed to the ground. Accordingly, several "elders" of the church assembled at the demolished building to remove the treasures placed iu the stonework a quarter of a century ago, but when the piece of slate with which the cavity was covered was raised with all due solemnity it was found to be empty. Some writing on the piece of slate", however, afforded an explanation of the fruitless search' Scratched on one side, evidently with a nail, was the following sentence:—''Oakes (Hoax) to the four foundation stones. Wc had no beer, and that made.all of us feel very queer." On the reverse side of the slate was the date 1573, and the signatures of rive men who were presumably engaged in the erection of the chapel.

The German law against unfair trade competition lias been in force for two years. The penalties for breaking the law have been strictly enforced by the judges. Some of the tases which have come before the courts have been very amusing. German judges appear to have a knack of" making the penalty fit the crime," as the following eases shows:—The result of making boots "manufacturers' prices," or hats "cost price," when a small profit was actually made, was a fine of CIO, and the publication of the sentence in the newspapers. Some shopkeepers had announced the sale of goods at " unheard of prises" and " without profit" and " below cost price." They were sentenced to sell at these prices until their stocks were exhausted. One firm posted the following notice on its windows :—" Fifty-two establishments in the largest towns of Germany." They did not speak of branch establishments. Yet the courts granted an injunction, in spite of the defence that the firm belonged to an association of traders who obtained their goods from the some sources, False announcements at sales have given rise lo a number of prosecutions. " Sale, retiring from business," resulted in a fine of £ls. " Sale on account of removal," and " sale after stock-taking." when not in accordance with the tacts, also led to lines.