BY THE ENGLISH MAIL

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 883, 1 August 1910, Page 8

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL

LONDON SUMMARY. MR. HALDANE ON HOME DEFENCE., VETERANS' RESERVE. London,' July 24. .Mr. Haldane inspected ttio" "Surrey Veterans" on the Horso Guards Parade recently. Addressing them afterwards, he hinted at a scheme he has in'mind for tho formation of a Veterans' Re- . serve. "It may bo that in, the future," said Mr. Haldane, "a way may be found to got the veterans together in a. fashion which'has not been dreamt of. ■ Men under fifty might form'a.second reserve of. the strength for home defence: The "regulations which • havu been put forward go only a very little way. -They are only a beginning; it remains to be Been how the authorities can turn your patriotism to 'the greatest advantage to the nation. We have not .half known how to use the military strength uf the country.. Tho custom has been that when the Regular Jeaves the Army after serving, twelve years he is considered no more ono of ; tho Army. I cannot tell you what will ho the'next step forward in the policy ol the nation ;■ but tho first stop.lias been taken by your coming" forward in your numbers to-day," concluded Mr. jlaldanu. More'light is.shodmpon thoiWar Minister's plan when it is remembered that the "Surroy Veterans" ■ are men who,' having finished their, period ,' of sorvice as Regulars or Volunteers, have responded to an-appeal for a reserve corps in order that some uso.may'bo mado of the material which has betn properly trained during 'the past 'fifteen or "twenty years. The.'corps'; was formed about eight months ago; and includes men Who ha,ve served in'any regiment in any part of the country, but aro now-resident in the county of Surrey. Their; present, strength ..numbers '2045. ' '.'•".'.■•"■■' -''' : 'v'

AEROPLANE SMASH.' .-;,' : . Lady Abdy, who paid 120 guineas foi the right to the first trip as passenger with Mi-: Gr;thaiiio White on tils bipla'no •' at Brooklaricls, had 'an exciting adventure for her 'money; The right to the trips was soldby ;auction,''and after Lady Abdy had securod the first'"lob," she and .Mr. Grahame White started for a flight. The.; biplane,' however, failed; to fly properly. It .flew round the track for about a quarter of ■ a : mile, \ at' a height of from ten'to twelve feet, and then headed for the River Wey_, which flows near the ; track., Hardly, however, had it. reached the: further shoro when the machine stopped -in its flight arid fell to .the ground-, beyond 1 , the water's edge. The machine was badly damaged, but the-two occupants were; fortunately, uninjured. ■■ ■■•.■'.'.•.■'■■■ '' '■

. LABOUR EXCHANGES.'- ' j-' The total number, of', applications- for employment 'received''■'.- at the j Labour Exchanges' during .May was 100,392 (of, which-, 72,860 were .from men), as com';apred.with -116,523/(men 83,422)'.. durin- April; .While.-the"number'of. applications ; has fallen, (the .'number-.', of vacancies filled has increased.' slightly, , fr0m'23,858 m-April to 24,025 in-May. The proportion of,- vacancies filled to' vacancies' notified ; ;ha's /also risen, froni 75 per cent.: in April to. 78 per-cent.iu May (men,; 82 per-,' ceritr,. hoys- 76. per, cent., women. '68 -.- nor .'cent.',- - and; girls 71 per cent'.). At the Women's' Employment Bureaux - during . May'.' 733. fresh applications' for work '-were, 'registered by - eleven , bureaux, furnishing : returns', l and 690/situations' we're ,6jfered by■'• employers ; 'work was found for ''.195' pertsons! of ,wh0m : ,,134 wero domestic .ser-; yants'.; ;■' '. ''-.. : >;. . ■-■", ■' . .'•■..'. ''.-.''.■'

GREAT METHODIST FESTIVAL,

. ;More than a hundred thousand peopio gathered together, on Sunday,, Juno 10, oh-Mow. Cop, near-Hahley,. the historic hill which'-saw the birth of Primitive Methodism, to take ; part. in the festival- celebrating tho ■ centenary ot the; first class meeting.' . A number or canvas -tents, which had been erected the day - before,' sheltered many overnight. The festival, opened, at: seven o'clock-in-the morning with a prayer meeting. -Thenceforward' throughout the day: the people continued to arrive.; Six': stands, were erected: at .various points ''on the . camping-ground, and from these tho preachers : held forth, while the congregations stood or sat on the grass around, joining alternately in song' and prayer. The celebrations lasted until the close of the day. ■ .-

•'.' CAPTAIN COOK MEMORIAL. - '"' A. national committee 1 has been formed, under the auspices of the .British. Empire' League ,to secure the' erection in London of a memorial to Captain t Cook.: In an appeal for funds issued, by them, tho' committee, .'among, whom are Lord. Brassey.'Lord'Blyth, Sir John; Cockburn,' Admiral Sir E. R. Fremantle, and' Mr. :W. P. -Reeves.' state ■..that "there is a widespread feeling that London ought :no longer ..to _a ■monument .to'the great navigator.^'lt is wrong that Australians: and New Zea-. landers visitine ; tlie.capital of .the Empire should find .there' no memorial to, the first founder of tlio present, greatness of their States'.; It is a reproach to the nation that,no recognition should' have been paid'to'the memory of a man. whose intreoid explorations resulted m such notable additions, to the British: Dominions, and whoso scientific work has been of the greatest vclue toi mankind.',';: , A 'fund .of at, least '.'£3ooo is. required.: .. '■•■ i •■'';■ KING'S CLEMENCY SEQUEL: . ; A strong argument in favour of .the indeterminate detention .of habitual, criminals is afforded by on cxt-faordm-,ary-sequel to the order under;.which the King's clemency,was extended to prisoners-on the occasion :of his..accession. -Under this order, hundred women were released from .Holloway' Prison -. on Saturday, June t, 18. Eighteen were sent back to prison the same dav, and eighty of'them are.now (June 24) in custody again-.

' WRIT OF EXTENT CASE. " Another'remarkablo development ■in the case of Mrs. Pridgeou, -the Tcddmg■ton shopkeeper whose goods were seized by the Treasury without trial, has occurred.. Mr. Justice Bray has ordered tho archaic writ'of" extent that was issued against Mrs." Pridgeon to be set aside, and the Crown to pay the costs. Buttho judge did noti hold that: this' leal weapon of the ,past was ineffective ill the twentieth'century.. H? set, the writ aside solely on the ground that the requirements of tho Act of Henry VIII, under which it was issued, had iliot been fulfilled, and thus the Treasury is. perfectly at liberty'to .adopt similar proceedings in tho future. ' -..■.'..,■;'

MINISTER'S SALARY. ~ The salary of Mr. John Burns, President of tho Local Government 'Board, has been increased by a vote of the House of 'Commons from £2000 a year to £5000. a year, only thirteen momIvers dissenting. It is stated that Mr. Burns intends'to devote tho extra £3000, a year to certain social and economic projects in which ho is interested. -.When the status of his office was raised to the rank of a first-class: department' along with the' Board of Trade, Mr. Buriis and Mr. Churchill agreed that the accruing increase in salary should not apply to thoit'i., The Prime Minister, referring in tho Commons to the assiduity, and simzle-mind-

edness withwhich Mr. Burns had administered' his Department, declared that ho should bo released from the jrledge by.' which 'ho was no longer ui honour hound.

AN ADVENTUROUS CAREER, Although' only 15, Stanley Condor, news of whoso death, by drowning has just been received from Winnipeg,, had bad a life full of excitement .and adventure. .When only four' years old ho began making trips from home, staying aiyay two or three days at a time, and later ho began, to journey to! Scotland and the South of England. For a time it was a- mystery how .he managed to make the trips, for ho had no money, but his secret was discovered ono day, when ho was captured riding on the buffer of a railway coach. His most famous journey was from '""Winnipeg to England.when he was only eleven years old.

,•' • ' FUTURE OF MAURITIUS. The report of tho Royal Commission which was appointed to inquire into the conditions and resources "of Mauritius has just been issued. Amongst the .recommendations are the following: The Colonial Government should borrow-a sum of about £100,000. Of this, ,£285,000 should be used to place the' Government railways-on a proper footingVi £100,000 should cither be lent to planters at 6 or 7 per cent. - for the improvement of cultivation, factory machinery, or mechanical traction, or devoted to a remunerative irrigation scheme, and the remaindor should- bo reserved for the judicious assistance of. small planters through 'the machinery of a co-operative credit bank or through • the agency and with the guarantee of responsible landowners. A policy of rigorous economy and reduction, of the ioxcessive Government establishments must \be inaugurated forthwith, and steadily pursued; at the stone time, additional revenue must be raised.

\: PARLIAMENT OF COMMERCE. . • At.the fourth International Congress of Chambers of Commerce and'. Commercial and Industrial Associations four hundred and ;fifty delegates were, present, including fifty-six from Great Britain and the Oversea States, and representatives; of the principal countries' of the'world.'lncluded among the subjects for discussion were the enforcement;of 'judgments and arbitration awards pronounced rin' foreign countries, and: the advisability of all countries adhering to the Convention of Madrid, which deals with the.suppression of false marts of origin on goods.- Among the papers w-as/one. read on the'advisability of establishing a. fixed date for Easter: By fixing, Easter Sunday on' April 7 it was explained that the difference-would be abolished ..between the Gregorian and the Julian calendars, which,would be of. immense, benefit to' tradej ■ A resolution in favour of the proposed change was passed;V:;" .'■"*." : •., '.'■;-'•.■

'■'/!':■ QUEBEC PAGEANT; :/",.' : AUilver'model of Champlain's famous 'vessel' Don de Dieu has been presented to. Mr. v Frank'Lascelle's on behalf of the National- Battlefields -,- Commission of Canada,- in recognition of.,his services as' orgahiser'of the Quebec pageant held •in connection with, the tercentenary of the foundation of the cityi The presentation was made by Lady Grey. at Lord.Strathcoha's.'residence, 28'"-,'Gros-yenor. Square.:: Earl Grey said that the pageant- had enabled- people to - learn history'in the most 1 delightful, manner, aiid.it showed that there., was ■. a new aud pleasant means by which future generations might, learn, history.:inore effectively than was ''the case with some of'ithose \presentjwhen-tliey tried to leanrit at school; Lord Strathconawas among those present. ' .'. y .;. .A TWENTY:YEiVRS'.MASQUERADE. .The remarkable discovery that: a wo-, 'man .-had masqueraded as a man 'for a quarter of a century was made atPondor's End, near Enfield Lock, '■ when "Harry Lloyd," aged seventy, died,at "his", residence in Alma Road. Investigations, and evidence given at the coroner's inquest go to ■ prove ' that Lloyd's name was really Marie Le Roy, the daughter of a distinguished officer in tlio Belgian Army. It appeared that "Harry Lloyd" had during the time "he" had posed as a man earned a living as a. newsagent' and teacher of languages. Previously "he" had been -a governess and lecturer. '."Harry. Lloyd" had brought up a' supposed daughter,'-who until the. time of "his" death had looked upon, "him" .as*; her father. It was stated that "he" knew John Stuart Mill and Bradlaugh,>the Freethinker. A -verdict of death from pleurisy was returned.—"Standard of Empire." : -..