NEWS & NOTES

Waikato Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1592, 26 June 1903, Page 4

NEWS & NOTES

The coldest time of the day, at all seasons of the year, is at five o'clock in the morning.

A process for making artificial hair has heen invented by a chemist in Frankfort, Germany.

Some of the caterpillars found in in the vicinity of the Darling River (Australia) are over six inches in length. One of the sheep slaughtered recently at the Mataura Frozen Meat Works (a crossbred ewe) turned the scale, when dressed, at 1321 b. Dr. Hutchinson, an eminent physician in London, asserts that in cases leprosy is caused by the frequent eating of badly-cured salt fish.

In Jewish marriages the woman is always placed on the right of her mate. With every other nation of the world her place in the ceremony is on the left. i A money-lender in Palmerston North sued for certain promissory notes, on which he charged 20 per cent, interest, which he said he had been in the habit of charging the defendant. The Court allowed 8 per cent, interest.

' One of my oldest comrades, and essentially one of the bravest of the brave,' was Sir Archibald Hunter's tribute to the late Sir Hector Macdonald at Perth. Sir Archibald strongly supported the provision of a fund for the education of young Hector Macdonald.

' Many of the frequenters of our gaols are there during the winter months for the comfortable'lodgings afforded at a time of the year when work is scarce. They are better off than many of our settlers in the back blocks.'—Mr Hogg, M.H.R., at the Salvation Army social in Masterton.

The Otaki Mail reports that when straightening up the house of a well known ■ resident, two ladies came across a little box which had evidently been carefully stowed away, and on opening it found ib contained forty sovereigns. The money was banded to the owner of the premises, who, of course, was delighted at the unexpected find. An Invercargill lady met with a grave misfortune recently in a very simple way. According to the local paper, she was visiting in a northern town, and, in leaving a house, stumbled at the doorstep and fell forward upon the stalk of a dahlia, which broke, and the jagged end pierced her eye and destroyed the sight. It is reported that Mr Martin Johnson, formerly a dairyman at Eketahuna, has been employed by a well-known firm of North Island auctioneers to proceed to Denmark and other dairying parts of the Continent, to purchase stud dairy stock for this colony. This is a very important enterprise, and it will be interesting to watch its development. The safe deposit lockers recently fitted up in the Public Trust Office, Wellington, are now in fnll working order. Anyone by the payment of a small annual fee, may rent a locker, in which he may deposit his deeds, jewellery, plate or other valuables. The system is as simple as that of post-office private boxes, and the safes are fire and thief proof. During the discussion of an objection to leading questions to experts in the Supreme Court, Wellington, the Chief Justice remarked that they had an extraordinary way of examining experts in Scotland. Tho expert was asked one or two informal questions, such as: ' Have you come to any conclusion about this matter ?' and then the Judge said: ' State your conclusions.' The witness proceeded to do so, and was asked no questions whatever by counsel.' How different here ! Wellington Post.

A Melbourne drapery firm has just had a losing experience. The shopwajker saw a quietly-dressed woman coming out with a parcel properly tied up, bub which she seemed to be carrying in a very suspicious way. He challenged her right to it, and demanded that she should produce her receipt. She said it was in the parcel, and refused to open the same. He took her to tho police station, her husband was telegraphed for, and the package was opened. The receipt Was there, and now the firm has just paid £SOO rather than go to court.

The boy cigarette smoker (says the Post) is in danger of interference in Wellington. On the suggestion of Councillor Devine, the City Council is going to ask the City Solicitor if there is any bylaw under which the sale of cigarettes to boys under 16 or 17 years of age could be prevented. Speaking on the subject ab the Council meeting, Councillor Devine referred to the bad moral effects of the evil in question, and expressed the opinion that if there was no power to deal with it, the Municipal Conference might well make a recommendation to the Government on the subject. Ib is stated that some time back two prospectors were despatched to a northern district on half wages and a fourth of the result of their funds. They drew their wages regularly, but always reported that their operations to discover a decent reef had resnlted in failure. Becoming dissatisfied, representatives of tho syndicate proceeded to the prospector's but, which was found well stocked withgum. They had drawn their half wage: "Jb had forsaken prospecting' ' at which tfcp -V Toges ! r*V • ' the