The Smallest People in the World.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2913, 1 June 1888, Page 3

The Smallest People in the World.

At the last meeting of the Anthropological Institute, Professor Flower, G. 8., Director of the Natural History Museum, gave a description of the two skeletons of Altkas, lately obtained in the Monbuttu country, Central Africa, by Emm Paslia. They are those of fully grown-up people, a male and a female. The evidence they afford cntiA corroborates the view previously derived from external measure-

ments that the Akkas are among A Uw smallest, if not actually tlio smaljj lest, people upon the earth. The height ot neither of them exceeds 1-219 metres, or 4ft, while a living female Akka, of whom Emin Pasha has sent careful measurements, is only 1*064 metres, or barely 3ft lOin. The results previously obtained from the measurements of about half-a-dozen liajK Akkas arc not quite so low as tl™, varying from 1-21G to 1-420

metres, and giving an average for both sexes of 1-85G, or 4ft 51 inches. But the numbers measured are not sufficient for establishing tlio true average of the race, especially as it is not certain that they were all pure-bred examples. According to Topinard's list, there are only two known races which have a mean height below 1-500 metres, viz., the Negriter of the Andaman Islands (1-478), and the Bushmen of South Africa (1-404), Of the real height of

the former, we have abundant and

ewct evidence, both from living BA, -viduals and from skeletons, which proves that they considerably exceed the Akkas in stature. It is to the "Negrillo" race of the great Negroid branch that the Akkas belong.

The Career of a Company Promoter,

The annals of the London Bankl'teft'V Court (says Stubbs' Weekly Crf&tte) are not always dull and uninteresting. At times they furnish information which, if carefully studied, would be productive of useful results to many persons other than tlioso directly concerned. The recent examination of a bankrupt who had been a promoter of joint stock companies presents some curious features of more than passing interest, He commenced business in London as an accountant in 1882, with a rather limited capital, and in 1885 he promoted a public company, According to the published evidence he took £50,000 worth of shares, paid for by /bill, which he received back from the company. The memorandum of association was signed by the promoter and six of his friends for one share each, A meeting of the subscribers was held, directors elected,

and an agreement entered into for the

■purchase of the bankrupt's business as a ®moter, of the various securities, and contracts which he had had at the x time, for the sum of .£140,000. At ' . the same meeting the promoter was appointed perpetual Chairman of the Company at a salary of £SOOO a year. Shares to the amount of £120,000 were practically allotted to himself and his nominees, for which they gave bills, which were returned by the Company. His own bill was £50,000, What had become of these bills he did not know, but most likely they had been torn up. The Company was now in liquidation, and most of the papers which were in the safe at his office had been sent over to the liqui-

dator. The business for which the

bills were given to liirn included a jijarge number of debentures and Shares in various companies, some of which are now in process of being liquidated, Apart from ,£120,000 worth of shares in the Company, the promoter received 120,000 in cash, £20,4G8 in dividends, and £SOOO per year by monthly instalments. tliteen months ago the Company : carrying on a very large business, and a dividend of £150,000 per share became payable. It lias since gone into liquidation, and the banker's. balance at that time to the credit of the Company did not amount to more than £l. After payment of the dividend the Company contracted debts to the amount of 115,000, but it had previously been a prosperous concern, and made LIOO,OOO profit in two years. In his examination in bankruptcy the promoter virtually admitted that his appointment as perpetual manager at the enormous salary referred to was made by the directors, who were his own nominees, and that lie received the dividends on the shares held by himself and his nominocs. He likewise gave some interesting and instructive details as to the formation and promotion of companies, He Ibis reported to have said that it cost L3OOO to LIOOO to bring out a comgjpv. and that special fees were paid m brokers for putting their names on prospectuses. Being interrogated on this subject he said that lie had paid 250 guineas to a broker for adding his name to a prospectus. The bankrupt " itlded that lie paid brokerage on these tractions as well. His accounts of L 2771 for postage stamps on pro^tuses ftntl circulars, L 5092 for printing stationary, and L 1778 for advertisement r4>ut. ikey did not include all the payments .made for those purposes by the company, because the printing amounted to LIO.OOO altogether. The company collapsed in the early part of last year, in consequence of the non-success of the companies which were last floated. The market was dull through so many companies having been Jirought out, and adverse comments in the financial

newspapers contributed to the collapse. farther examination it was elicited fpbat the company had ordered L2OO worth of postage stamps, and had sent out 100,000 circulars at a time. It is unnecessary to offer any comments on i these statements, beyond intimating & tliat their publication may be useful in some reform in connection with the law as to Limited Liability (jompanieSi