THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 437, 20 February 1909, Page 10

THE EMPIRE.

LATEST NEWS BY. THE ENGLISH MAIL. .THE UNITED KINGDOM. < London,-January 9. • An interesting: tnsk - has been. undertaken by Miss Charlotte Mansfield, who loft London this, week for Capo Town. Hor solo obicot. as she declares,, "is to seo-and criticise." First the. traveller will visit -Kimbcrley, and'thou, in her own words, "make for Broken Hill, and: hero my tram]) begins in earnest. Alone, oxpent for nativo attendants, I -shall set out for Abcrcorn, the most nortnerly outpost in North-West Rhodesia. l<>om Abercorn;!: cross Lake Tanganyika to Ujiji (tho meeting place, of Stanley and Livingstono),' and then,* having found my routo to Lako Victoria Nyanza, shall cross this, second largo inland sea to Entebbe, whero by caravan from Nairobi will: await me. At this point, and beforo commencing tho journey to the South Sudan,, I shall meet: ex-Prcsidont Roosevelt, Having loft Entebbe with my escort, we shall roach Gondokoro, m the Sudan, and thence I shall ■proceed'by Nile boat and train to civilisation 'oneo more, -Having traversed from' Capo Town to Cairo, by train, tramp, lako, and river boats some 8000 miles'." . v. vEvidehce of the growth ,of thrift in the United Kingdom, chiefly iii 1907, is provided .in ..ii-.ieport, tissued as a Blue-book, by Mr, Stuart; Sim, -tjhe chief. registrar of. friendly, various reacE the 'colossal. total of £426,809,890. Ah-, other remarkablo feature of tho report is the extraordinary advance of tho co-partnership ; -sooietto,; ''eight;-" of. them alono o«'6essing" land ,;and : Ijuildtngs worth £249,080, The' salea 'cf'' goods by the co-operative, so-, cieties, carrying on ordinary commercial bu?incss, 'amounted to £100,312,614. , Soven crayon .painters, who, as a tulo, Use tho pavements for their .canvas, oompeting for prizes at tho Pun City, Olympia, was, to say. the least ,ot it, a novel form of competition.' One ! of ; them " had: only ' one hand to work with; and another was a woman. Each Competitor was allowed 45 minutes to sketch , aV.pictUre, v'vThe . judge's ' awards Mrs,.' Alice.;, Geneyievo,:.Colnian; 2 Arthur Harris j J and 3 James Colman. Mrs. Colnian pass £ho Marble Arch Mrner' of 'Etlgwaro' R-oaa, and , she does, thisalcind:.of .work to help.to maintain her maimed husband, v who, strangely enough, took tho .third prize, jio; being tho competitor with only, one hand.',,- . • '. \j;-; •Tho Women's Franchise Bill which was 'slaughtflrCd'-With"other innofients'at tho close of last, session was ;tho stibjcct of ..a mock; funeral, tho undertakers and mourners being '.the : members-i of / the,\lV omen's Freedom League. „ The dead Bill was covered with a-white, sliroud' marked,"Votes for. Women," and driven m a hearse to Trafalgar Square, whero a resolution condemning tho Government : for., hp,tOpas?ing : . tho Bill : waV. carried •'witli a> foSv d.isschtiiilts., : . , -,i ; A remarkable romance -is recalled by the death ithis week of Lady Robert Montagu. This lady, whoso maiden name was Wade, was formerly , She was exceedingly, -attractive..in-appearance, and hor good .'ooks dreW.th'o attention of Lord Robert Montagii, who. was living closo by. .Lord Robert,.liavihg fallen in lovo with ,tno beautiful houiomaitT .duly„'ma*rriod her, and -the MisS . Wado that to some of the mojtV distihguislioS 'meml)Srs -. of - the; English ( t% »oh ; of sixth D.uk'fe of- Jloncheatof., ■. : ; ). ■); 'during the .WP.ek, t6..Jho,;list;_pf deaths of 'patients whilo iundor vtlidTinfluencbiOtianacstlictics.: A man named-Pitkin,.- a : carpenter, : aged ■ twenty'three/ -of i'D.unstablei"-was- being 'operated on at tho Central London Throat and-Ear Hospital for tho removal ; of oxerescences- at the liack of- the throat and. nose. Ho was subanladministratioii of, ethyl chloride, after' which' tlie 'cipcration was successfully pfcrformed, when ho showed signs of faint--tdu minutes', al- '- thTOgh» r was made to restore him. His death was due to syncope. No'-blamo.was-'attached to tho hospital authorities. ...

: In the.'wili ef the'late.-Mr, George Badham,'. .iyai deputy chairman of' tho . Goheral:-Reversionary c and -Investment : Company, limited,/ana director of Messrs. Cresoens,- Robinsom and Company, Limited, and of the Land and House Property Corporation, Limited;' ; who'. left' property worth ;£s,74s,thei'a;occuri'ed'thefQllowirig- remarkfable olauso:—"It .k my ! tv4ll; tlia't if - at- a,ny. ! ;time -within; two. years after. my. death any ! . of-my;clients; for .whom .1 have, made investrinchr''ahysloss upon s'ueh : invest-*ments,-oiitahy,6f suctf investm<jnts shall, iii tho opinion of my trustee; or trustees, be or appear to-be of ,insufficient security, then 1 desiro,-thorn to make up such loss or deficioney of 'such •security; -- The Arctic weather of laat week has given plaee_ to. a spring-like mildness/ tempered by occasional, heavy: fogs and Spasmodic showers of ..rain'.' Only on onomonving' has there been anytliing.^lilce /an .to a. frost,' and .once;mOre, , alli tli|,^^^kftting,ohampionshipß have been - aband6nod'.'.'-i Ther^tptal' damage arid ;los"s lof *.dp^-by;W^-lilligjfiina-.of^llwjt;-nr6dk.4B r eetuii&ted •at £6,ooo;ooo:- i'. : --i. .;Th©.; trejißuryvreitfirn'B\for thie thres quarters of the :: 'finahoialyeaVifrhich : havo-'n'ow-- expired show a' total-, fallirig-off in tho national revenue of: £6,029;505:',;a5.-, compared'-with >tho correspoWing perwff^of; the ..previous 'i year. /While - the returns ufidor ihcome ; tax vhave.' increased by'£loo,ooo/.Customs arid-Esoise between '-.'-them-.shoiv,,'o';decline of £4)250,000. The?-'- Budget : deficit; .'-■-■;is : ;-:Vestimated * at £22.000.000. ' ... :

Tho iongestiWilhonirecord has been proved during i the 'It'-was that of "the lato Mr. Edward Bush, -a: retired Gloucester : enIgiiieorji'.who- left r £lU,m. : The testator.-!left '£1000 -t'D provido i! ah annual sum for the distrib.utiorC of; relief to: the- poor, of ' Alveston, Gloucester, - on December >11) his' wife's' birthday. The''shortest will. on record is that of thelate ';Mr.-: Frederick- ..Charles William .Thome,-,. of" Streatham. v. The document 'eonsisted of three;,;words, "All to', mother.".-.

; -;- -Miss Carrie -BaVer; aii ,'attraoiive' woman of ta-cnty-two, ;has won apprize of'£so offered by. - Mr;. H,. -Woodley, a, sporting gentleman; to. any ; lady; who would danc© five minute's in .-the den.of BrUtus, a'n. African lion at the Fun City, Olympia. AVhen, in the presence of a large'aiidiehceV'-ishe;: first:-entered the' lion's den lttiss Baker, was & little nervous, but she nmckly. regttined. lier"courage and danced 'a Highland; flmc .for six minutes.

i; 'interest hasten caused: iri ; financial circles bJr...ftov«:imbtoicefiißlft' -rmader ftiw. -York' of what is bank amalgamation of \recent .times. '.An arrangement Stock JBank (Limited)'has entered into a proVisional agreeifieat uUritli the' directors of the York City and: County Bank: for' tho .arnal- , gamation of the two banks- as from January 1., .After;the' preliminaries' have been ■ coni- ; pleted' the; deposit-and 'orodit current ' accounts of the combined.banks wiir : amount. to tho Lmidon Xnt jStoeK.Bank :haa',not'been represented.in the province. ;

wrkiiigK of 'the AntiSuioide Bureau -iif the' Salvation Army proves the. value of ~the. institution, which -Beoks to :reclaiin'."t6 ; tlie4dy: 6'f.''lifo those who haVo attempted or ;who .Contemplate ' s6lf-murdor, Over 3000 persbus icillvthamselves every year in' Great; Britain,l.and-th'o number'of those' o'n.tlie verge, of'suioidoi-is, much larger. Last (year'over 1000 persons:. Sought tho assistance of the-bureau;-:.artd':in'the-'majority of cases % applicants-have been restored to a normal condition of mind.' .The chief factors "of contemplated • 6uicide are; Financial embrrrass iment and Jiopeless poverty,:.SO par cent;':'accidents,; sickness,''and, other, misfortunes >21 :pericent.'j''drinkj .drugs*and diseaso, li'per ■ cent.,J melancholia'and-loneliness, 9 not- cent • critte, 5 per cent. ' 1 nc '

The passengers and orow of tho Carron Llnp steamer-Grange,' bound from Grangemouth to .Jjpnao»rhad.a thrilling.escape from death in tho North Sea. when the ship foundered shortly after, they; had abandoned her: The fsteamor. had encountered a violent storm, and ! during ■ .the;, nightj'.the. fore-hatch was carried ?'ajf. Hcavy,_Beas ( w,ere shipped, and al- - thougn: the-pumps were' worked the seas cot' the upper, hand. . Finally another hatch was Carried away, and orders wero issued by. tho .captain, for, the. vessel to:be abandoned. Even when n.ll on board bad safely: embarked in the boats it seemed as if they, had merely run

from Scylla into Charybdis, as the position in tho, Bmall boats waß vory dangerous, huge seas tossing them hither and thither. It was only after a torrible experience in the open sea that a trawler was sighted and the castaways taken'aboard..

Much mystery surrounds tho fato of. a North . Wales lady named Charleswortli, for tho rccovc.ry of whoso body a reward of £20 has bfeen. offered. Motoring with her sister and a chauffeur on.the roesy heights above Penmaeiiniawr, Miss Charlesworth is said, through the ear. colliding with a wall, to hare been thrown from her .seat through a glass wind-shield . over the rooks into the sea,, fifty below. 1 The depth of the wator, at. the spot, where the body is supposed to have fallen was;so slight that it is not.easy to understand: that it could have been : washed away,'. Some other explanations of the affair bo, forthcoming, but' at present, tho lady s disappoaranco is regarded as a mystery of tho .cliff.

Canada. r. $.'?■ estimated that tho mineral output of British Columbia during 1008 is as follows:-Gold,-£1,227,434;- silver, £312,018; lead, £340,000 : copper, £1,190,304; coal; £1,22215? ' ■ £305,762; : building material, £246,574; total; . £4,844,203. Although "the grand total is . about £411,000 (£410,939) below. the output for. the previous, year, this is not aseribablo.to any real diminution of production. Tho deorease is chiefly due probably to the extraordinary fall in tho price of copper. ■ . . .. In-consequenco of tiio annexation of various suburbs, jt'Visy proposed to. establish three how-pblico divisions in Toronto, and to add sevonty-fivo'constables to the force. . Tho local option;vote in many of . the municipalities of Ontario; shows. a gathering, wave of public opinion ,in favour, of the abolition of the bar. Over one hundred: bars will be closed in May next. .'As a result of the vote, whero i there were 6100 licensed . places in Ontaho: thirty-five years ago, for the coming liconsing year there will not be many over 2000, ' with 200 municipalities under- tho Local Option law.. The city authorities', of Montreal, have .instituted prosecutions, against a number of theatre managers for diving performances on Sunday, jind prolonged litigation is in .prospect. Meantime, pending a decision on tlie issues, _ Sunday: performances continue to ; bo given in most of- the city playhouses. ... ■ A recent estimate makes tne number of Protestants in the city.of Quebec only 6000. Thirty -years ago -the number was 17,000.. Prince Edward Island has excellent Crops, over seven ;millioft bushels 1 of 'potatoes .and over; six million bushels of flits having been grown' last' veatf' ;This ,ui. a ..province of little over. I .two square miles and about 100,000 inhabitants/. ...

Vancouver is rejoicing in a 20 per cent, reduction in the oost of electric light. , Tho Census arid Statistics Office of Canada estimates 'tho total value' of- tho season's field crops •at 436|p00 ! 000dcl. . 'lhe Post Office Department reports tho biggest surplus in its history, .400,000,000; letters having been mailed, durifig the last fiscal year. : '! ;

.The total gram.crop of the Province'of ■♦il nn not'k ', ? bushels, as compared with 99,070,285 bushels in the' previous year. £®nnt?sn«^ a «® of , f ? rm buildings is given, at: 2,054,490 1 dollars' (£607,085), as against 1,730,820 dollars (£356,674) last year 6 The o a An a prc P al ' ed for .i® 6 or op of 1909 is 2,273,802- acres as against 1,843.016 aoi-e3 prepared -for. the crop of 1908. •■ < south Africa. llr. Randeria, the educated Indian who appoaled to the Supreme .Court of the Transvaal against a-magistrate's order for-his-de-portation, and who _ was subsequently deported aiid affcorward re-entered the Transvaal, has been ; fined. £25,', or two months' hard -labour., in default; He has gone to prison pending a Second appeal. I'rcceedlOgs against, twenty-eight other Indiana:- simiarly charged, have been postponed'pending the result of this appeal. . The trade returns of Natal for December show a marked improvement in all departments. 1 Especially is this ;tho case with the escorts of local products. Taxiiftbs will shortly make their, first appearance in Johannesburg. ■ • / / The stateof, business. in Johannesburg during the .closing days of 1908 gave, very strong , support. 'to;, the opinion of those who have t declaring, that the depression which has been for so long hanging l over Johannesburg and South Africa generally i lifting. Present conditions, justify, the firni ,hope that .the present year, will witness a manned and -progressive improvement all rotmd, ; The. Natal railway receipta. continuo to showman _moreaso. The Treasury returns ior the .first -foul' months of the - financial years show a total revenue of £1,091,308, as compared with £1,065,801 for the correspond--mg period -of - last - year. - The - expenditure was £1j177,587, compared with £1,219,240 last year. '.- The revenue of the Transvaal for October ■^punted.to £535,324, as compared '.with £387,386 for the same month in 1907;. The larger amount, howevor, included: £150,619, i; a, contribution froiti the railway administration, which- did not come' into the publio revenue m 1907, and this deducted brings the ; revenue for October to £374,705, a lessor amount than for October, 1907; ' > . ,\ India. . Tho conference of the All-India -Moslem League , held . at. Amritsar; resolved'that deputation .should . wait upon .Lofd Morley to explain the Berious disadvantages: which' wouU bo createdfor Mussulmans by 'tho reform scheme. It was alsq resolved to'present an-address Of protest to the, Viceroy; A serious riot has.taken pjace at Titagurh, near Calcutta, as the result of.the pblido,"-in deferenco to Hindu feeling, prohibiting the. sacrifice of-cows in a festival by Mohammedans. The police wero, mobbed, alid tlio military were called out. The rioters defied the troops, who fired, killing and wounding hiany of tho mob. Nearly threo huii-dred-arrcsts wore made. : It is estimated that tho increase/in' tile pay : and allowances of tho Indian Army will cost altogether 83 lakhs of ' rupees (about £420,000) per aftnum. This total- includes 14 lakhs (£93,000) for the British officers, and seven lakhs (£47,000) for the supply of 1 free firewood;