MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1675, 8 March 1886, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

There is now on vicvr at the Mf lbourne Exhibition Building for a few. days prior to its being forwarded to Europe, a giant topaz, snnpo«ed to be the largest in the world. The Argus say« it ban the perfect crystalline form, and weighs over 4fl> avoirdupois. It wan found by the owner in alluvial tin drift, at » dppth of Shi torn the smtfaep, on one of bis tin minesattheEast Coast,, Tasmania, in 1883. The name of this giant g^rn stone is? Kiteena Lienn^,' ihp Tasmania native namp for * Light of the sea." Accompanying it Is a photograph of tlie gpm, and also a photosrraph. taken l»y Mr WinM»% F.L' S. , of the Rp^t wlifrp it was found, with nif*n emjanred in tin mining operations, Beside it are several flmallf^r topazes, showing theßi'zc and form in which they are usually obtained. The Sydney Echo thinks that Australian cities might take a lesson from the sanitary customs of New Britian. Thf'i-e, we are told, •' the «trietp«t of sanitary la** prevail. All the offal is removed by the women, aud either thrown into the s^a, or, if in the bush, is buried somp distance away. All the tnarkpt places and cleared spaces in thf village are swppfc every day in order to clear them of dead leaves sticks, &<*., which might hnrt the feet of daucen, or b»rbor injects."

li Mr Chamberlain's story of the annual subsidy once paid to him by the " protected " screw manufacturers in v the United States not to disturb t! eir I monopoly of Sale has created no little excitement among American (. Protectionist"?, and equal ainwinont j among their opponent*. A Boston s Protectionist newspaper began by , affirming positively that there never had been a duty of 100 per cent on j screws. This state men is termed " the , centre of the fabrication" and " the j trunk lie," around which all the othe>- , li^s centred. The New York Evening » Post took np the challenge, and ascer- ( tamed at the custom-house what the y ad valorem duties on screws had been. Before July 1883 they ranged from 10 per cent on the smallest size, to 180 per cent, on the largest size, and the average duty on a general assortment ' such as a hardware-dea'er would keep m stock was 110 per cent. The amount ofthesubsidy Mr Chamberlain received is stated on good authority to have 'iP'-n €5 000 a year, and while that whs being paid the American Fcrew Company is declared to have paid a dividend of 20 per cent per month. Th« Lyttelton lime* states that it is likely that Mr W. While, jnn., member for Sydenharn, will resign his seat. Mr J. Joyce, late of Port Chalmers, and M r J. C> owet, who opposed Hir J. Yogel at the last general election, are spoken of as probable candidates. One of the funniest things ever done — according to Canterbury ideas, at all events — has just been perpetrated by the Lower Heathcote School Committe. That body (says the Lyttelton Times) required the services of an assistant lady teacher, and made its requirements known by the usual process of advertising in a newspaper. The advertisement, however, coitaiued a stipulation that applicants must " enclose photos." ThH reason for this does not appear. Perhaps the Committeeincludes among its members on learned in physiognomy, who can judge of the qualification of a teacher by gazing on •• the counterfeit presentment" of her features. Be that ns it miy, the advertisement of the Committe produced some astonishment, and not a little amusement, at the meeting of the B >ard of Education. The secretary informed the Board that several ladies, intending applicants, had complained to him of the very unusual requirement, and the chairman remarked that the Committee, had taken a course, which was somewhat objectionable. The members, though they laughed, were of the same opinion, and it was decided to write to the Committe informing them that the Board did not think it necessary that applicants for employment in its service should be required to forward their photographs for the inspection of rcliool cotnniitteemeu.