THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 10

THE EMPIRE.

MLftTfiST NEWS BY; THE AMERICAN r"" : :./;.>v. ■..;/,.mmail. ■'■. /../ ;; ;":: : .; /:;Uniwd: Klngticm. '',"''■■: : "/: .'>;£:-.'.■'■;■;'• '. Lbndon, January 6. ' ~■,;JiiatLqndon,is the healthiest city in the : : world is tka cliiof fact which presents' itßolf. , in;,thß'.nnn«ttl return bf tho Public Health i .iConitoifteo-.'of.'tho London County Council 1 , : (says;;'thb,'.'"'Standnrd: of the Dur- !■ iiig > the;'past'three ■ years! improved;mothbds 1 of;sanitation 7. hayV gradually. brought the aoatl&ato-clmvA' tdtlid-, record figurb of 14 > Comparing .'these years With the progress of te'n'-years.p'revious, tho Ueb sav-Wg-In'^iitoCSpititlV.'is.estimated. W y,000,t)00 ■years of llfei./i'he birth-rate, however, contiliueS:'tb:declirib| 'thb rate,'-25.6, being the . lowest recorded since' the Of birth ! registration.-.-..The-papulation of the admin-' istr^tive'County ol'.'ijoildou is Sbt dO\Vtt' ht 4,788,218,'"but those figures exclude a number of suburbs which are outside tho County • Council's*ken..bubrwithin' that of the Metfb- ■ ; politan Mice area., With these included the ■ i)Oi)J)Atiort,ife-Considerably..mt)re than, 6,000,.!^%.:i : ,..;,,^^, ; : .--,;.V.; ..'■•..': ~ ':..■. •' \:' ■ ■^-^Mma J ri{iovmafriage'-fe)bk place this, week botween.t'no Hon.. Uaroline Alary Elizabeth, Urenville aiorgan-GrrenviUe, of btbwe Houso, only ...daughter bf : ;,tko-late Major 'Cb'urthbpe Aibrgah,. the last .survivor of. the 'family: tnat 'oncoVheld, the. dukeab'in: of Buck•luguam' and-Ohanrios, -and Mr: ■ Thoulas.Close : 'bmith,'o'iiiy, : Boii;of itfr.. Henry i<V Snritn,. of ISoycbti' Jlianor, Btowe, an Australian .inii' : Übiiaire.- : .' Many years ago' Boycott Alauor was"part ofithe.estate belonging to thoduketioin Of.Buckingham;and Chaimos,-but itwas soidj with btuei\ ; portions of the estate,.during, the •life of 'the Jato duke's'father, Two -years.'ngo,Air. .Henry; M'. Smith '-.bbught tho 'uiandryjwhich :is situated on'.the, border of iNorthampDonshife, : his native', county. . lir. H.- i'-. 'Smith • made ;-his. fortune on an Aus-'frahWstiecp-rau'bli.',-';.:-.': •■..'-.;> : :.... :.' An:©strabfdniary scene which took place on the .consecrated -ground ot a jjivbf'pdol oemetery.:ha's :, giVell:rlse to much ihdigliatibn: iamoiig'/thb resldbhts : of that.'toivhi. Acbdfdlug to'-an'official report presented to' the Uurials.Coninlittee, '■it appeared: .that, the "rites-: "of i ahoestoi'-wbfship were' earned: .oUt abbvb-the'grave Of a Uilnanran' Wilo. %as i.buried in;the;Church' of■ England: sbctidn;6f thb'Aniieid'Cemetery i .A: vast cohcoursb of: Chinese;attended; .tile, ceremony) -a. large crowd, ttfriving bn'foot, While forty: cabs were feqUis'itibried : rdr ; tho : rdSt*' ':Prdceediht;3 were cotiinieheed by the - buttling of a papet. bofl" hre,; .a'hd'wliea. it had died but tapers Wbrb; lit;- : and bhibkeilb and pork,;.which had been previously:cobktd'ajid dressed, ; were placed :brt->thd-grounds-I'o'inbredfie the tastineSs bf AvhisSy Was pouted over them, an'd I tne:-ceremony.,tiOnciuded with tile letting .off.;br:f:nmMflrs;;X:; v l : .'■;;;;,;.,>;' ;.■■;/:}'/. ■■■ ■ .'-A'jiew'.'typo of torpedo, :tho construction bf'whicbhaa been kept secret, has becn;hiys;tetlbusly.: lost:, in the 'English: ChaUnelj and cU7ers'.';'arb''-;.sefti'chihg . tiie.sea-bbttqm oil tm-tlaiid'-in an>.effbrt;to.recover it. ;''■ The - torpedo is the- Invention of 'Enginebf-LieUteu-aii.&.vHardcastle. ■ ,lt : .is; of; the 21rilitili .

Hjbe£withthe .'enormous r'ango of 7000 yards existence—and it' has an, average speed of ; thirty-one -knots, .which.is; sufficient ,to /upset 'ati'"ordinary i: 'giiniiery_caltiulationa. and 'jjrac-' ' ■;"'."•. ■The' r mystery-Of the disappeai'ailce of Mias Vioiofc Gordon'. Charleswortn.,is still iines- ; plained, and- lip additional facts, have' fconie ■tb'liglit'ih Connection- with hfer supposed fall Over the cliffs in/North -Wales,.' The.difficult ..ties ..surrounding ..the report; of the . alleged .toishnptare!; I Mri'':ul»solved;^.-.■•'The . Original story, 'as cirouiastaatiftllv told ; by her sistfer ; andtheir chauffeur, iß,that Miss Violet Was hurled front her motor car through the glass wind'shield,."over .the. rocks./ intOj the sea," ■fibft. below,;' the press 'has.published ■fragments 6i . the lady's biographVj".which.have:deepened tho interest i,i.hor wWea'oOutsi' '-Jh.6; family solicitors of. .thß^Gh!iHesffbrills liave issued- a sthteraeht to "tho' effect' that,.after an exhaustive ei'amihation',;'th% 'see ho' 'reason.', to doUbt that tho'acoideht' ;; a3 v ;descl'ibed ; by the. chaliffeiii' i and Miss'Lilian 1 Charlesworth/did in • fact ' happen; and- that the statements made word, .hot inconsistent. With tho blldgbtioil;. that :Miss'.Ohftrlqß'wbrth met; hpr death as a result ■off.'the accident difficulties surrflundihg the: story- arc! Miss. Charles Worth' b ' body has 1 never'been found; no marks of blood were' r |6uird' on, therbroken or onthe water at- the foot, of'the rocks, -so tho waves could 'not have washed the" body. away j It 'is iitexplicab)o.'hotv theibody.CcoUld have beelt• thrown' Oyer the-steering.wheel;- tho car) ./though found: to he slightly dainaged, does not boar jsuoh : one would expect to result'frbih a 'collision sufficiently violent to ..cause"'..as'person in ■& motor car to.' be li' Mod -such;.a;dist'aiice, ..that tha- family, . a [though jioonvincpd'that Miss • Violet ■ is, dead, hav'e. ; n'ot gone.'into .ffiotlrning, and that froni her .relatives; ivith regardvtbi.niaiiyj'details connected with the missing *lady has :: been' steadfastly With-;heldvy:V';-M«i'-.v;-v.'-v-' ;.v.-- : .-;\.;:- ■

: ; 'facts ■•.' concerning'.' the tramway, systems in Great Britain; aro given lira Board 01/ Trade return ;Which : :has been issued.': In thirty-years; the tramway mile-, age Iri theNUhited Kihgdom-has grown from -269-t0'2464,;.Whi1e;;i70,725,408 more'paSsen'gers Weroo(irried in i907-B,than.iii.the previous year,;':tho' iiiimbei' for the yeaV.; being .2,625-532,895/,.; So; trapidlyAv.have: : eleotricdriven/'cars displabed. the horse-drawn typo ;that;;'the flatter.are',, now on less thrift,a-hundred ihilds of rail. .'.■■■■'.-'.

, : ;V.A grave;and formal warning has been is* 'sued offl6lally;i'to,: : th6;'-Brd-Battalion of the •Grenadier Guards' (iiow'statibrted . at. the Tower-of London) that they. - must refrain ;frpm. ; cmighing;-ih'church;,.'Any-man eough-' 'irig'.'uhnecessarily in ' future will bo reportod-; i ;and men iwh'o" think. that' .thoy . cannot help |. coughing are!required : to-report to.:,tbe sergeant beforehand,' .wlien they will beexaniV med 'by thOj: sergeant-major, who in turn may hand ithehi. over- to; the surgeon. •' -,-; The; Post. Office has sanctioned a series, of high-speed telegraphy . beParis ;on the Pobak-Virag -System,-.'by. Which is possible to transmit .40,000'WOrds. per hour, arid for,a'short period, .50,000 per'hour. ' Under the present ..Wlieatston system' tho maximum speed is about"4oo"words per minute.'.-. ; : For ; the first time ih history, a great international . conference of aeronauts has been-hold in- London, ■ forty delegates attend-ing'tfrOm.vaHous-.pai'ts of tho world.' Prince Roland Bonaparte, is -president of the conier.ehce;''but ■ Was Uiiable through illness, to attend, and' Mr. If. Wallace, K.C., took -his■-place.--- 1 -The'.conference • decided to' foitnd a: prizo fund of r £60,000 ' for dirigible balloon ; ; . arid. . aeroplano•'. competitions.' The.,;appeal iby-/;. England . against the;-decision ;of -*he German Aero.'Olub in tho Gordon: Bonriett rice last year, wboli the balloon ..of'the. wiunOr, Colonel Sdhaeck, of Switzerland,:came down in this sea, was decided in favour of Colonel Schaeek. V The first : telewriter exchange has just beehinstalled in the oity, while others are to-be operiqd Shortly. The instrument is a •most ingenious onOjWd servos the ÜBOful purppso of; recording in. writing, as its name suggests,- messages glveuvover".; tho . telephone.'"The'Sender of the message, as Boon as- ■ telephone ebrhjnunicatiou'. is established, Can, if ho so desires, inscribe the message on a; roll Of'paper with,, a pencil in tho Centre joint of certain horizontal. rodß. Tho" movement of these rods is reproduced exactly by a corresponding set. of rods, which operate'a pbn : ;iri: th'b: cabinet at"- the. other end of the .wire..•',; '.'. Tho week has witnessed tho firat flight of the. new : army aeroplane which has been built, at ■.; Alderahot. Tlio distance accomplished was-barely'twenty' yards, 'a pair of heavy radiators at the back of the machine bringing it to .earth again by the tail as sobn.as tho got; underway..; Tho error; willlbe .rectified.. ■' Tho'//Bishop .of made a notable speech this; week' in favour of compulsory military training,' 'Which .ho declared would have;a benoficiaf effect bri national physique arid'eharacter','which,' lie added, "is in much [ need "of discipline." Compulsion had lived on in a very mild and suspended ohnpe in [tho Militia ballot and we could not regard

compuisoly sorvice as un-English unless wo disowned olir forefathers. ■ 'Extraordinary particulars are published regarding the eccentricities of tin artist, George Mote, of Ewhurst, Surrey, who was found dead at the age of seventy-eight. In the summer ho lived in caves, which he had dug out. pf, the saildstono,'andin the .'win* ter Mouths he occupied a studio. At all seasons he- was-clothed in-furs in subh a way that the villagers, regarded him as. a modorti; Robinson. Crusoe. Years ago ho attended the Irviiigite Church at AlNury, puton ono ocoasibn expressed his disbelief in the doctrine, and alarmed the congregation by drawing from under his clothes a onf; .sword whloh. ho brandished. ■ Latterly he is said to have befibmo a sun-WOrShipper. At _tho inquest Dr. Napper stated that ho professionally attended . the deceased man, and-on several-occasions. Mote had threatened to shoot him.. Death was duo to congestion of 'the lungs and heart failure. .A .sum of' ilOJO()0 has been 'allocated: to found a Professorship of-Gas Engineering at I*eds_ University, as a memorial to the '«« Sir George Livesoy; while Mr. Alexander Elder, of Southport, • formerly c partner in the shipowniiig firm of Elder, DenlpStor, and Ob-j^llas-intimated his intention Of givihg fW ' ot tll6 establishment of a' Chair of Marifle Architecture in the University of Liverpool. •■... , At,Moulton; in South Lincolnshire, a remarkable experiment has been made in-the letting of small holdings, with the condition .attached, that all applicants : must marry within a reasonable time. The phrase "Within a.reasonable time," .in the case of the .yoiing; tenant without a fiancee, has been held-by the parish bouncil to cover a period of twelve months,. hVifc as a matter of faot in no caSo has such a lonft period elapsed between, the,-entry of the tenant and hiY marriage, Snarriagos boiiig generally brought about within the first six months of occupation?"* .-.': The plan of the Shakespeare, Memorial Committee for a national theatre in' London is shortly to be mado public. It is understood that State aid will 'not be asked, but public, subscription lists will be opened to raise £500,000 ■ with Which io • endow and equip the theatre. It is estimated that the cost of-erecting the building will be at least £200,000.. If sufficient funds can-be raised nrtihie, it is .proposed to ofiOn the' theatre. In ttfflevfof-the Shakespeare tercentenary in 1916.!at-will bo a condition/of.the foundation: of 'the) theatre that a certain number, of Shakespeare's plays shall bo given- each year,'while plays by classical dramatists Will bo Revived at frequent intervals. The remainder of■'.,the repertoire ; will be made dp' pfueW-plays by the fest contemporary English, dramatists. ■•" ■:

"/v'V:^';'^:.:';':/ 'Cahada./ ..:.;.:. vl"he; returns of Assessment Commissioners of:,several of .the; Canadian .'cities for .1909 show' a!afge;inbrea&B .'oh previous totals.: In, the ougß of Tdrohto; for example, the total tesepßment: is; placed at ..223,207,413dd1;' (£45.864,536),, an.-■ increase of 16 1 822 ) 160ddl. {£3,456,606) i ..The assessment -lhflt yeat-ipfls' p.SSSj&SSdoIr (£42,200,760), which' Was an Inprcaseon the preceding year of 22,054,607 dol. ; {£4,531,748)... From 1906 to 1009, blusivei ;the total increase was 77,1d0,002d01. (£15,841493),; of which 20 i is'B466doL (£i-,y jepresbhts the;,increase in land Values. The population is estimated at 287,201,; on mdrea'se of. 14,601, dr 5 pel' odiit,, bompal-ed .with' an, increase of 7 per'dciit. last year,■- The assessment of Hamilton, Ohtario, for-1909, is 40,092,810d0ii (£8',288 ) 2e0), oh. ihofease of 'nearly 3,000,000d01, ■ (£616,* .438)..:-.;: :..;.;-; :';";:':-:' ; > -",;.- ■ :.;V';:v::

: . llecbhtly the EdUbatibn Dbtiartrhbnt of- Oii-tafio's-Proviflekl GkiVernrnerit gaVB ilistfUo-tions.-that: words :likb' : "labour"'and ;''libh-. bur," hitherto .pretty; generally spelt m::tho..United"Statbs tlie

"uV—should': in futUre.-.be' spelt .ill 'the, orthodox English wayi .- Mr. Jj Seath, rtha iSuporintendeiit .bf .Education' for this ProVinqe, is among.tho6e .who say .that the logical argumbnt is-all in favout bf a revlsiohof tbe British spelling, but.that thisKhouiu be brought'-abo'Ut .-in the -British Isles... Until then, ho says, Ontario should fdllew , thb English, system, and not that of. the United States.br of any other .country.; -. >; ../'■, ;r. '..■..

'News has just been rceeivedfroifl the' Yukon of a most heroic feat by a yOu'rig Newfoundlander, Jack O'Drielii. Mfß. Cofbo, wifoof a mine owner, Of. GranvilleY; Was : 60 ill that her' life WdS despaired of unless Soke fresh milk' could :bd procured for'her. ■ .Tlieie was rid fresh milk nearer than Dawson, fifty nriles'.away.' The terra NoVlhn.volunteered, arid'arOvo through tho Arct'io : niglit frith-thdithoraOrnetei' 70deg'.-.below.-,zero. ;He got back;- lh-;tllb rmorhiftg ...with' tho iftVedioUs Bupply;6f ; -niilk,: ! ari'd saved' thd 'Woman's life.. When:-. O'Brien, reached the' damp; ha.-was; in a terrible>''state, Of exhaustion, dud' Speechless, ,: W.ith' ;obre.-however, he,; finally v;re'cover6d,:'arid.the horses.tferfe'ndne the wOi'fie for theiriterriblG.journoj'i V ' ;'.'■ ".-.'.■• .-.;-;. ! - "• The .story"; of ' IT Wild, man in the'forests, of Vancouver Island is revived at brief intervals. \ ' Mi',; William/' Btiss, ...a;;: well-known ;the' last to report .having. seen hifii< ',All-who diaim to have done so describe him';iir similar'. terniS-rriarhely, afe. tall, covered With liali', and of a terrifying appoarftflCo.i All ac<;dUnts agree, in-saying -that,he ,Is. timid, arid.rurisaway. from men with ex-. traOfdiriaryspeed. ..-,.; .;;,:./'.,,■-.-".-.,'■■»• ■-.- ■•-'Tholjflon'.,'Walter Scott, Prime Minister .;for Saskatchewan, and the (Hon. A. ,C. Rutlier-ford,-Prime Minister of Albeita,' visited -Wih--hipeg'to discuss with the Hon. R, I'/llopliil, ' l?rime- Mlilistei 1 ; Of Manitoba, the question.- of public ovr-hership of .elevators. It is ■■likely.' that arraiiljeliients will. be. mado. by-tlie three Premiers to- hold, aiiother mcetiuu, probably iii Wihiiij>62i This is considered advisable by . thoso coticeriied,- as the Legislature ■•of Manitoba is Oil the eve of opdhiiigi : ,; :. ..'. : . More than 2,000,0001b. of butteriwero pro-' durin'E the,summer.. .The'averags price was 25i'"'oeiitB, : yield' ing altogether 670,000 dols.- (£117,122). '■. The British Association, which meets' -in Winnipeg .next : August, will take a trip' through to the Coast, spehdinß. some time in AlEerttt en route. . i'he hew Liberal Club; to bo organised in Toronto will be known as the Sydeuiiaiu Club; it will succeed the ltefoi'm Oluoj which dlosed its doors fifteen years. ago. Sines' that tiitlo tho Liberal party has had no social hoadquarters in Toronto. ••''■■'■: 'Nowfoundlahders' are the Only..men. in North- Ahierlcd: able to hunt thOhair seals On the ice floes. - Their dariiig'and hurdihobd in this dangerous Occupation is Well khotfh.' Pearyj on all his Polar expeditious", lias wisely Belected a. Newfouiidlana master; arid crew for his Vessel. • The federal Railway Comnlission has' piist issued' an .order to compel, tho railways to elevate their tracks along the, water front in Toronto, : The order provides for,-a foUr-traok viaduct, one-third Of the cost of. whioh will 1 be bol-ne by tho city and two-thirds by:tho railways, The estimated cost to the oity is about 700,000 dols. (£143,835), and to the railways 1,600,000 dols. (£308,218),

South Africa. 'A first shipment ofMnahganese ling 25 tons—for testing' purposes/ hasVbeSU made from Northern Natal. It is' hoped that this is the beginning of a big industry, for South.Afrioa. . The Government.of Natal contemplate the appointment 'of a Commission to inquire Into tllo: education systetri. The Inspector of native schools strongly* urges the erection of training colleges for native students, in arder to\increase the.efficiency of native education. An eminont mining engineer. has been ,ciigaged to make .a report on the mining resources of Natal, and ho is due to /arrive at thoouddf 1 March. He Will remain for six months.;- : : ,' ■■'■ i ■;.-.',. .The Veterinary Conference! whioli opened at Pretoria reColitly, la the; inost'important congress of the kind yet held in South Africa. It was attended by delegates from all parta of the subcontinent. Even Madagascar and Belgian Congo Were represented. The inaugural ' address, Whioli was delivered by the Hon. Jaoob De Villiers, the Attorney-Gene-ral/ reiterated the necessity ;for united action in fighting diseases among animals. Dr. •Thaller,- dealing with the spread of 'East Coast fever among cattle In Natal,* said that combined effort should be made to assist Natal financially. in. her task ot attempting to stamp out the disease. A resolution to this effect was carried. Great damage has been done to property in the Pretoria district by floods caused by. the

River Aapios bvorfiowing.its banks. Tlio floods were a sequel to four days' continuous rain, The. drainage scheme and tho newer bridges are said to have stood tho strain well. Three deaths from drowning occurred. As a part of its propaganda, the Taal Bond has held an examination in Dutch throughout Capo Colony. There were 3383 entries, and 75 per cent, of tho candidates secured averago passes in all tho classes, and only thirteen Used the old Dutch form of spoiling. India and tlio East. Figures.dealing with tlie rioe-crop prospects for 1008-9 show that the ,area Under rice cultivation in tho fifteen principal producing districts was reported to be 7,659,(555 acres, an increase of 307,627 acres over last year's actual, realisation. Harvesting prospects are said to be excellent, ;. Steps are being taken, by the United Provinces Government with-the object of bringing the sugar industry Uprto-dato.. Steam crushing, mills: are at work at.Amethi and Gailfigahj stations on the Oudh and Roliil Klland railway at Aural; as Well as at Barabn.on thoEast Indian Railway. Certain manufacturing processes have been established by the Assistant Director of. Agriculture. * Taking advantage of the sympathy felt by tho Mohammedans nt Lahoro with the Turks in their indignation at the . annexation of Bosnia, and Herzegovina, a resident of Lahoro has floated a joint stock company for tho manufacture of fezes, thousands of • which have hitherto been imported from Austria every year. .. In consequence of the abandonment. of Trincomali as-a naval port, it bias been de-. dided i to strengthen the defences of Colombo, and, in accordance with arrangements agreed to with the Imperial Government, estimates have been submitted by the War Office for works amounting to £54,000. .It has,.been estimated that the Somali Mullah Has recently looted more than 20.000 camels, and that his people hhvo killed a largo number of friendlies. The British force in the .Protectorate is being strengthened in view, of a possible attack by tho' Mullah.