According to the universal custom in Mohammedan countries, where the woman is reduced to the level of a beast of burden, Mr MacDiarmid said it was a very common sight to see an Egyptian family moving with the man lolling at ease on a donkey, while his wife and little children toiled behind him staggering under prodigious loads. Our soldiers somehow never became accustomed to this sight, and it always seemed to annoy them. They usually took in hand to teach the fellaheen proper Christian manners by making the man dismount, relieve the woman of her load, and give her the seat on the donkey. This became such a habit that the little native caravans got into the habit of always dodging along a side path when they saw our soldiers approaching.
Lethargic encaphalitis
The new disease, lethargic encephalitis, was referred to by the Minister of Public Health to-day. "This disease,'' said Mr Russell, "is clearly part of the aftermath of the influenza epidemic. Every case is now being carefully watched by the department. I am glad to be able to state that the infectivity of the disease is low, but at the same time it is a serious one, as it practically means laying a patient aside for at least six months. The disease bears some resemblance to phases of cerebro-spinal meningitis, but now that it has been definitely diagnosed the health officers are reporting on every case. As the disease has been made reportable, I should not be surprised if the immediate effect will be to show more cases existing than we were previously aware of.''
Big wages for rabbiters
Tales of the sensational wages earned by rabbiters in Southland are coming to hand (says our Invercargill correspondent). Two men in the Birchwood district are making from £4 to £5 a day. The catches in these cases average 150 per day, and the supply does not seem to be diminishing. Rabbits have multiplied rapidly in the province during the past year or two owing to the scarcity of labour, so that those engaged now have a rich harvest. Skins of good quality are worth 9d on an average, and it is understood that a rise of 25 per cent will take place before the season closes. However, the rabbiters have to work hard for their money, and the present weather conditions are anything but conducive to comfortable life. In many cases also they have to provide their own means of sending the rabbits to the market, and farmers have been known to ask bonuses.
Speeding motorists
Sir, I desire to call the attention of the Dunedin Motor Club to a practice which to my mind is very rash and dangerous. Returning from the Winter Show last Thursday, I was unfortunate enough to meet a very large number of motorists on the road to town from the races at Wingatui, and every now and then I met some reckless driver passing others at a pace that was really dangerous. Surely no one was in such a desperate hurry to reach Dunedin that it was necessary to have recourse to what seemed to me to be racing speed. I have had a talk with others who were in the same position as I was, and they agree with me as to the danger attending some of the driving. I am, etc., Colonial. - ODT, 11.6.1919
