BRITISH AND FOREIGN

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 10

BRITISH AND FOREIGN

CURRENT TOPICS. \ BanKeron Cheques. i Itj scorns that oven banker lias- troubles —surrounded with..wealth,..he.still lacks re- : pose —even -about the size.of cheques 1 . And ■■■": Sir Felix Schuster, tho 'president of the In- •- - • stituto of Bankers, has, shown us why it is. ,• Speaking at tho London Institution, the ■ " Telegraph" reports him thus: , " Touching upon some of the practical diffi"cultieß wit-hVwhich bankers had to deal, Sir ■ Felix remarked that in great part ;.thoy wore difficulties which could bo solved with ease, : if only thero wore a little more, co-operation -and friendly consultation: botween bankers. • Timo after time thoir; presidents had insisted on t to. necessity or extreme " desirability intheir common interests: of such co-operation. Dangers ol • Typswrltten , Cheques. '' Take the case of; typewritten cheques and bills, in which, lio -was ' sorry.say, there was a oonsiderablo increase. The danger to bankers of such' typewritten- •• documents;', where tho'figures and .writing' could so easily : : be • obliterated /.or altered,... was ..obvious, guroly no reasonable ■' object - if: they one and., all sot .their-faces against this practice and' notified their .customers' that - they would in future deolir.o to pay typowiit-. ten. cheques.' ; As "matters .stod'd, .lie supposed; thero would have, to bo a very heavy loss ,to : soineono before any decisive measures were taken. » • "Tho disinclination to dp anything in : T •Thejre" v wa:s oven a tendency tq'iliayo signatures ■ im- ' pressed with rubber stamps. ; .How .would they guard against forgery in such cases? In tlio caso of public companies he doubted whether any of authorised by their ' . articles. to sign l ' cheques with a; rubber stamp.

The Slzo of Checiuss. v<: '"If only mconvenienco were caused, • there would perhaps not be much harm done, and I suppose the practice ;may always be Biid to give encouragement'to the engraver's »rt.-. But, as a matter of fact, these freak ' : chiraer'do occasion not - fanly . great, jncbrir ' venience, but also' loss of time,--and;risk: and surely it should be in . the 1 competence of V. the' Glaring. i.Hpiiße/.\W, w 3ecjde.;: vvbat;, sized, f: oli^^s'W^yiu-" r clqir; i ! vtheir'limits to be dealt with outside the Clearing House.'" , ' - •, A Pamphlet Country. Mr,. :Pomber: Reeves, -.late High Commisnionersfor Now Zealand, who has just become : head:', (if tlio London School , of Economics, uses a word "on tho first pago of his book on "New Zealand 1 '; which at once-carries us . away: from such-romantic ideas .as .the South Seas 'bonvey.- -: HeV. practically.;says that , New Zealand is a pamphlet-ridden country. One do'flß. : .not. assbciato;^he'rbmantio;'SouthvSea3 or Egypt with pamphlets. y : ■ "From the day of its annexation, so dis- . liked by Downing Street, to- tlio passing of; :';;V th6se:.'experirhenta.l.';laws so;frowned upon":by' orthodox economists (says Mr. Reoves) our (\ colony:: has: continued- to attract interest .and .'cause- controversy. . A. great ideal has been H: written ; about V New V.Zealand;;'lndeed',;.-' the books and.pamphlets upon it form, a respect- , able little library." ; ' , "y-; : j ■ '. ; Significant Aldsrshot Order. -v:.:': General: Smith-Dorrion' liaffissued. one.of the. :v.:,rniost((signifii»nt'. : since;. Aldershot.'baS been a garrison town each : regiment; iti-the ■ garrison has been obliged to provide apicques ' of six'ineii-' and a iion-commissioned officer to: patrol 'the streets 'in 1 the evening to keep soldieft in order. Tho general now discon r tinuej£;this, saying' that . the time, has :ar-jion-commissioncd officers and men fc canbo'; trusted tobehave themselves : iii the town the prcsenco'"of picquets; 7 ; :

Cermany and'.P.enns/: Post,

German -business men, delighted with tho announcement,of . tho'institution on January 1 next of a "penny-lottor rato between Gor- , many 'and tho United States, .fare promptly ■ begun an agitation for, scouring similar ad- • vantages 'with other European' countries, especially Great Britain. Tho announcement of tho American arrangement caine as a com- . plct-o surprise. German traders viewed tho establishment of the penny rate between Great Britain and the United States with onvy, and unceasingly urged the Government to mako a similar arrangement. Nobody was awaro, howovor,: that the negotiations were actually on foot, or wero likely- so soon to be' successful. It is stated by the German Imperial Post Office Department that further "penny-post'treaties aro not likely in the noar future'owiiig to the opposition of tho Treasury. Murder of a Turkish General. C" "Much speculation, has beencaused by the .mysterious assassination late last night (December .2), in ,!3tamboul of the disfin-•guished'.'.-Albanian--^'generalj Maliir Pasha !(writes..a';''Daily-'.Mail" correspondent).: A bbgus letter was delivered at the house of : the'officer;summohing'him;to the War Office. On his "way, near the Constantino column; ;hb was riddled ; with -revolver'-'bullets,''said two officers, who es-. caped.:' Since the victim was an. aide-de-enrnp and personal; friend of the Sultan, and liad' been heard .to express reactionary views, it is suggested' 'thattho' ■■'motives' of the : murder were possibly political. It is even .'h.inted.i.that ,the' ? assassihation was' the outof the discovery of . a' reactionary plot among ihfi painco trcops.but in political ■circle's'the''theory is. ridiculed..... _ Since the : ; victi'm ' iniido ' many enemies during the old ■regime of espionage, it is "much more likely ■that' it is a caso of private vengeance.". About Altering Cheques. " A further.danger lay in the alteration of cheques-from order to bearer under an authority given by initials only. The greatest: care was' needed to ascertain whether tho 'initials,';, were- tho'se : .of the party who was 'authorised to signitho. cheques themselves. A fraud -had;-he.'believed, recently been per-through-the removal of .the cancellation marks certain paid cheques which were then presented and paid : a second .time., 'A stamp perforating tho' cheque. seems _ to be the obvious remedy, and, as happily in this case co-operation was not necessary/and no honest client .could .object,': the remedy was open to any of them to adopt. Altogether, the system of surrendering paid vouchers, : which : contrary old practice, and, he believed, t<>' the: existing, practice of': the Scotch banks, was open to danger. f '.''-';li'inally, /.continued ! tho president, ' I chbnld like t-o, allude to tho size of cheques; : wiich.'now ssom; tb'vary: between that of a 1 "newspWper.iahd - that .of a .visiting l card. I cannot sco what value as an advertisement one. of these cheques can'be. to. tho party ■ issuing it ; for, ■of those persons through whose hands it passeti, he is'already in-busi-ness'-relations' with ' the. payee; while-'..the bank, clerk; -who,receives;it, and the .clearing olerkj who clears .it, are .certainly; nit' likely to'be. induoed ■byit to transfer their custom . to tho offending firm. .'/ V . '■

V« est African Natives. : .With regard .to-tho cabled news'this week •of the fierce attack by Munshis on tho. Anglo-; German Boundary Commission in Nigeria, it may -bo pointed out that: the: attitude, of Britain; to the. Munshis was referred to in tho;House of . Commons on . November .: 24. Colonel :Sbely,;:'Under>.Secfetary: for the Colonies, stated, that no/military-, operations against the,'Jlnnshis in Nigeria had been sug--sanctioned. In '. accordance - with settled policy; steps wero being taken to ex-. ..tend: the area .of our effective: control, with fcviow. ,_tb; securing the pcaco and good 'government : : of the country, bnt. thereThad of policy and there, was none in contemplation. Sir Gilbert Parker: Will ■the ;jexireditjon ,hp.yo -'. military : support? Colonel S^dyj.^rtainly,,,and if force is used iri ; reply. . 1 But instructions-have:,.been issued; to ..avoid, the uso.pf.fprco byroyeiy,possible means. ;

Reading in the Train. "Practically my only opportunity for reading is whilo travelling in the train," says a correspondent of tho "Mail." "Is it not possible for tho various railway companies to reserve compartments for - readers? .Why should _ a sedate individual have to tolerate the noisesome conversation of, his fellowtravellers and tho importunities of children? The smoker's comfort is considered—why not the reader's?" . - - •. ■ Tho Laws of Science. : Here is a wholesome thing to remember about man-made laws-'in science-and elsewhere. "Says the writer (Mr. Charles 11. Gibson): —"When we are quito satisfied that a theory is correct—that it explains all the facts which have boon observed—wo. then raise the theory to a higher platform, and call it a law of nature. "' ' "It is well to remember that with all cur knowledge these laws of nature are of man's own making. It it amusing how, some people think: that certain: things happen, and aro bound to happen, because of tho 'laws, of nature,' as if the universe were controlled by' these laws which man has constructed 1 The laws of "nature aro not theories which seem to bo correct; they are not facts,.but metely''our views or ideas of, facta." ; Political Congress for Egypt. • ; "A ■ stormy meeting of > the representative body which forms tho only- Parliamentary feature- Egypt possesses—namely, the Legislative 1 Council—has," a Cairo correspondent of tho '-"Westminster Gazette" reports, "broken >up without coming to aiiy definite conclusion on the momentous question: Should a formal national demand for Constitutional .Government. be made to the Khedive? The discussion was vehement and i acriniortious. In other words,'opinions on this' vital topic were, hopelessly, divided.- . : The Legislative Assembly feels tho pressure of outside influences, and the latest manifestation of those would affect a council of more solid politics than the Egyptian Assembly can lay claim to as yet. ■ This is nothing less than a movement ito unite : tho . three leading 'Egyptian parties in congress, under the presidency of throe distinguished Egyptian: jurisconsults. A"-' self-elected Parliament, |in short, would : . settle - the points on which all three parties '-'can join' forces to gain' the ultimate . ideal of independence. Sinking minor ; differences, their united pressuro would bo exerted in : the Legislative Assemblies and on the Palace." : :

King Alfonso's Marriags. I It.-is,ipretty ..well known ; that, ■■ notwithstanding liis steady application to its study, begun before his marriage, . tlio -King ■of Spain does not seem to mako the .headway I lie would: wish in the speaking;of English, n,D matter how, proficient lie has, becomo in his ability to write it. iAn amusing story has been going the rounds lately;of a visit which his Majesty paid toPrinco Louis ,of Battenberg's flagship, "Prince of Wales," at one"of: the Spanish ports: in the -Mediterranean: recently. King Alfonso was shown ovor'the. big battleship and took a keen interest in everything .he saw, as is his way. 1 When it was all over, and just before he took: his '.departure, th# entire ship's com-, pany. was mustered on! deck 'to. give him three cheers before ho left, for the visit being an informal one,- there was 110 saluting. Surveying the' solid" mass of brawny bluejackets; flanked by. both red audi blue marlhefe :drawh' up before felt suddenly inspired to address, them' in praise. " Holding. up his : 'hand, ,he exclaimed"'.in <v loud voice: .A'You ■: Marines'. are very.; bountiful!' ! it..was all the could .do to restrain .the laughter-• of. ::tho:-sailors," who of- ; course took it.. as a . special compliment., to : /the "Jollies"; but when it was .explained: that the king, had : - meant''-'Mariners, 1 ! ,'thoy.: wero quito'happy. .