HOME NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 467, 27 March 1909, Page 10

HOME NEWS.

INTERESTING ITEMS BY MAIL. ' ; London, February 12. An extraordinary speech has been mado at West Hartlepool by Mr. J. Ramsay Macdonald, M.P.y the secretary,of. tho Parliamentary Labour party (says the "Standard of Empire"). He declared tho increase in armaments and battleships by tho great Powers was going to end in war. He described the competition in armaments as a game of "beggar my neighbour,", and said it was simply a question which country was going first into bankruptcy, and no country was going into the Bankruptcy Court without a tight. Evory British Army arid Naval officer, and especially every'naval, officer, ho said, felt that war was inevitable,. and : wanted it to come now because we wero best prepared for it. Judge Graham, at tho Colno (Lancashire) County Court, has given an important judgment on a question of railway travellers' rights. A local manufacturer claimed damages against a railway company for having his comfort as a . first-class , passenger interfered with by the company filling the compartment in which he was travelling ■ with third-class passengers. Tho Judge, in giving his reserved judgment, allowed 6s. as damages, and ordered the railway company to pay coats. Leave to appeal, it is understood, has been given. Nine lives were lost in a fire which broke out 'at a common lodging-house in Manchester:'-: Two hundred and fifty men had taken beds in the building, and.it was a» long time before those sleeping in distant parts of the building could bo awakened and got to realise their danger. Tho chief workof the firemen, who arrived shortly after tne outbreak, was to drag the inmates out of their teds, but several, unfortunately, were suffocated by tho smoke before help could bo brought. Two of the lodgers, in their, hurry to escape jumped from a third-floor window, with the result that one was badly hurt and the other killed.

A remarkable free fight, marked tho meeting of the Irish National Convention in Dublin.:" Mr. W. O'Brien, M.P., proposed an amendment in opposition to Mr. John Redmond's proposal that Mr. Birrell's Land Bill should be reintroduced, but was silenced by yells of "Traitor" and hooting.. Immediately a violent attack was made on tho platform, and stewards, priests, and tho members.of the rival factions wero embroiled in a terrific struggle, while the main body of the meeting rose to watch tho outbreak with interest, shrieking, and. cat-calling on behalf of their various parties. When silonce and 'order had been obtained at last, Mr. Redmond's tion was carried,by-a very large majority. ',; The ceremony of'demanding lord's dues at the manor house of Godolphin, in the parish of Breage (Cornwall), has been duly observed. The tradition is that long ago Mr. St. Aubyn (lord of the manor of Lambourne, Perranzabuloe) and ono of the famous Godolphins each put a snail on a table. St.' Aubyn bet Lambourne Manor against tho Godolphin estate that his snail would cross the table beforo the other. -St. Aubyn won, and since that time tho custom has, been_ perpetuated.of Lambourne's Reeve 'domanding'a t'as at" Godolphin House to show that Mr. St..Aubyn.has a lien on the property.' In carrying out the custom, tho'Reeve of the Manor of Lambourno knocked loudly with a stick at the front door of Godolphin House, and thrice repeated the following words: ' 'Oyez! Oyez I Oyez! Here cornel, the Reeve of the Manor of Lambourne, to demand my lord's dues, which are eight groats and a penny, a-loaf,-a cheese, a collar of brawn, and a "jack of the best aletin the house." . ■ . ; ;'• •■;;.'- The Basuto chiefs, with their native attendants, who are on a visit to'this country in order to see the King and discuss political matters with.the Colonial Office,' arrived' in" England from the Cape.by tho Kinfauns Castle. They ; ,wero met at Southampton by Mr. H. C: Stbley, C.M.G.,;'tho. British Com-, missioner in Basutoland. jThey'-have paid avisit to tho'.Tower of London,'..display'in'ggreat interest'in all they saw, especially the Crown jewels,' armour, old guns, and the largo store of weapons. As the chiefs are particularly interested in tho textile manufactures, an effort will be made to give them ,an opportunity of visiting some of tho large 'Lancashire and Yorkshire factories. >

Another Eton tradition has'been' broken flown by the issue of an; ordet'from-head-quarters that every boy is to wear a greatcoat in cold weather. Amongst many of the, old &oy4 a storm of indignation has been aroused, And one, writing to the college "Chronicle," wishes to know if Eton is "becoming a private school."' Ho continues:—"l learn with - that an-order has been issued enforcing the wearing of greatcoats'in school. Surely.by tho time a boy reaches Eton he is capable of determining whether he is hot or .fcold. _ In bur day - hardihood ■ and r.ot effeminacy was encouraged/ The order-is-de-grading. We shall soon hear of the head-, jnaster levying.;'«. subscription';•" to. Etonians with nurses and perambulators." It_is only possible to understand what-tho British Empire really means through the remarkable volume of Empire, statistics which .has just been issued by the Board of Trade. JFew people realise the vastness of our Imperial heritage—that tho British flag flies -over 11,332,000 square miles of territory and 396,000,000 people of. all colours and races, 'of whom only 44,538,000 live in tho United Kingdom. The Empire's world trade totalled :'£1,667,343,000 in 1907, of which 25.8 per cent. (£430,637,000) was inter-imperially. ;Every year the Empire produces vast masses of wealth in tho shape of minerals and agricultural products. The totals ior 1907 are ■*S follow :—••'• Coal, tons ... ... 304,722,000 . Iron ore, tons 17,029,000 Pig iron, tons ... 10,680-000 -' ; Whcat, bushels - ... 412,300,000 Barley; bushols ... 114,200,000 '> Oats, bushels... ... 372,500,000 Maize, bushols .... 33,800,000 ',- Coffee, pounds ... 45,106,000 ■ 'Tea, pounds ..: ... ; 430,913,000 Rubber, pounds ... 11,940,000 • Cotton, pounds - ... 1,235,124,000 During the year no fewer than 2,344,824 tons »f shipping classed ■ as , sailing vessels and 10,838,531 tons of steam vessels were on tho register as "flying the flag." An appendix gives interesting details of the growth in population and trade of the. British 'protectorates— the'. Federated Malay States,' State of North Borneo, Sarawak, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Zanzibar,' etc. ' The year has again opened badly so far os foreign trade is concerned. Tho figures for December seemed to indicate that there was a change for the better, but the January returns, which havo just been issued, have dissipated this hope. In January, 1908, .there was a fall of £4,166,448 in 'imports and £662.840 in British exports, or n total ,of £4,829,328, as compared with January , '1907. In January, 1909, the total drop as compared with January, 1908, has been £8,456,741, or nearly. double.

The Lord Chief Justice, speaking at a dinacr of the Sphinx Club, protested against the publication by tho Press of nauseous Divorce Court details, and appealed to the proprietors of newspapers, urging them not to publish any details beyond those which, jn tho interests of justico, should bo known. Speaking of the evils of public comment, Lord Alverstone instanced the discussions which ; aroso from the Luard case, and'said that General Luard had been brought to bis grave, by the letters which wero written .to him and the publicity given to his movements. A somewhat humorous episodo preceded Lord Alverstone's speech. Tho president, who sat boCveen the Lord Chief justice and Mr. Ploivdcn, the well-known police magistrate, remarked, amid .roars of. laughter, that ho was between tho devil and the deep sea. Lord Alvcrstono prefaced his speech with tho remark that ho had "ncvor been called the deep sea before," a hit at Mr. Plowden, which provoked such merriment :-tbat ho was unable to 1 proceed for tornn 'moments.

A myth concerning tho disappearance, of tho score of the overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream'' was dissipated by Sir Alexmder Mackenzie, Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, in tho course of an adjress on Mendelssohn at the Royal Institubion. The score was supposed to have been left in a cab, and afterwards rewritten from memory. Two years, ago, said. Sir Alex-

andor, it was discovered in tho library of tho" Royal Academy of Music. Tho handwriting was that of a German copyist, hut tho composer had penned on tho manuscript a note that it was "Presented to Sir George Smart, November 23, 1829." How it found its way to tho library of tho Royal Academy of Music, Sir Alexander said, was inexplicable.

Somo interesting experiments illustrating tho raluo of oxygen for athletes and others havo been shown by Dr. Leonard Ersltinc Hill, lecturer on physiology nt' tho London Hospital, at tho London Institute. Two studonts were set to box. Ono was a novjee and the other an experienced pugilist. Clad in light attire, they boxed until, at tho end of the second round, tho novico was completely "blown." Ho then inhaled oxygon from a bag, and, returning to tho amphitheatre with a fresh supply of energy, forced tho pace for the concluding round, and, in tho words of his opponent, "stayed much better than in tho preceding rounds." Dr. Hill also explained tho Flcuss apparatus for providing oxygen for those going into a fnme-cholsed mine, and for diving purposes.

Tho Rev. J. F. Jones, vicar of Burstwick, near Hull, told an interesting story at a recent church gathering held there. Ho said that ho had been personally investigating the state of the Loudon poor a short time previously. Ono night, on the Embankment, lie spoke to a woman, who told him her husband and several children had died of consumption. She got her baby into Brompton Hospital, whore it attracted the attention of tho Queen, who sent her a letter, saying: "I will savo the life of your baby, if possible, and am gobii to send it to the South.of France." The woman, added the vicar, showed him a letter from Miss Knollys thanking her for a'bunch, of primroses sho had sent to,tho Queen, and saying her Majesty trusted'the change, would savo tho child's life. Tho child is still in France. The vicar, who provided for the woman's immediate needs, said ho was convinced her story was genuine. ,'.'..■

Tho story of the progress of the largest city in tho world and the capital of the greatest Empire in tho world is brought up-to-date with the issue of tho London County Council's "Statistical Abstract for London." Nothing can actually show more vividly the amazing changes and fluctuations in tho life of the great city than these, apparently, dry figures :— ! 1901. 1907. Births ... „ ... 131,278 121,408 Deaths ... 78,058 69,300 1901. 1908. Indoor paupers 57,904 69,853 ,Insano in workhouses ... 6.0-12 7,041 Outdoor paupers . .*. 40,971 46,464 Paupers, all classes ... 123,421 142,878 Elementary schools ... 962 920 Scholars ... 902,528 882,834 Evening schools ... ... 395 311 Scholars ... ' ... ... 146,971 121,203 In 1901, 2834 persons wcro killed by accidents, but in 1907 only 2256; similarly, 97 lives were lost by fire in 1901, but 93 in 1907. Property in tho county council area in 1901 was insured for £975,014,285; in 1907 it had risen to the amazing total of £1,055,200,172. Yot another scientist, Mr. Harry W. Cos, has paid the heavy price of amputation for experimenting with X-rays for the benefit of humanity. Mr. Cos, who is one of the leading'manufacturers .of/.'X-rays, has been opei rated the drca.ded X-ray dermatitis, and has lost the larger portion of his right hand, including three fingers. The thumb and tho little finger ;were saved. He has had to undergo another operation also, having contracted the disease in the chin. Like Dr. Hall-Edwards, who lost both his hands, Mr. Cox has suffered from the early ignorance respecting the dangers of tho newlydiscovered rays...'-"- - '-.