BY THE ENGLISH MAIL

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1276, 3 November 1911, Page 3

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL

LONDON SUMMARY. FORTUNE FROM AUSTRALIA, ~ , , London, September 22. Airs. Staniord, the wife of a labourer living at a cottage in ThornlliU Place, Maidstone, has received from her sister, Mrs. Hemmott, of Salisbury Road, Lipson, Plymouth, a letter to the effect that a rich uncle, who died recently in Australia, has leit them a largo sum of money, stated to bo ,£30,000. The undo vrcis a native of Yaldiug, near Maidstone. He went abroad many years ago, when a young mail, and married an Australian woman, but had no children. His nieccs have never corresponded with him, and did not even know in u'hat part of Australia ho lived. He is supposed to havo made his money in the brewing trade, and Mrs. Stanford now understands that, unknown to them, he had in rcceat years made inquiries as to the whereabouts of his nieces with a view to leaving them his iortuno. NEW KXIGHT. The Kin» has conferred the honour of knighthood upon Mr. G. E. Askwith, and invested him with the insignia of a Anight Commander of the Order of the Bath. Sir G. Askwith, who is head of tho Commercial, Labour, and Statistical Department of the Board of Trade, has earned tho name of "strike settlor," owing to his successful intervention during recent years in a large number of labour disputes. Altogether ho has taken part in about fifty arbitrations. Ho became a h.C. in 1908, Previously ho acted as counsel for the Commissioner of Works and for the Crown in peerage claims, and tho Venezuela arbitration. Ho was also chairman of tho Commission oa tho Fair Wages Clauses in Government Contracts. ARMY AIRMAN KILLED. Lieutenant R. A. Camanell, of the Royal Engineers, a.ad the Military Aviation School at Farnborough, is the latest English victim to ho claimed bv tho aeroplane. He was flying a Valkyrie machine at Hendou, at a height of about 00ft., when tho machino tilted and fell to tho ground with a tcrrific crash. Officials I'fifl a motor-car to tho spot, and on extricating Lieutenant Cammell from the smashed machine saw that he was dying. He was immediately removed in tho car to tho Central London Sick Asylum, which adjoins tho aviation grounds", and there, on examination, was found to havo died on the way from terrible injuries. It is stated that the aviator had been attempting to do too much with a machine which was new to him, and apparently he lost control.

SPECIAL POLICE FORCE. It is officially announced that a national force of spccial constables is to bo organised immediately. The force will le a permanent institution in every town. Its chief objects will b© to safeguard the public in tho case of such an emergency as war, and to avoid recourso to tho use of soldiers in the event of a great strike. Two classcs will bo included—a First Police Reserve, composed of specially qualiiied men; a second Police Reserve. Payment will lie made to all members of the first class and to some members of the second. ANNIVERSARY OF ALMA. Wednesday, September 20, was tho fiftyseventh anniversary of a famous victory. For on the heights overlooking the left bank of tho Alma on September 20, 1854, the allied armies of England and France gained ono of tho most notable victories which have ever fallen to the arms of either nation. Not until ten days after the great battle did news of it reach this country, a late edition of the "London Gazette" for September 30 giving a copy of a telegraphic dispatch received by tho Duke of Newcastle from Lord Raglan. Written on the day after the victory, and transmitted through Belgrade, it read as follows:—"The allied armies yesterday attacked the position of tho enemy on tho heights above Alma, and carried it, after a desperato battle, about an hour and a half before sunset. Nothing could surpass tho bravery and conduct of tho troops. Tho position was very formidable, and defended by a numerous artillery of heavy calibre, but no general oflioer has been wounded. The main body of the army of the enemy was estimated from 45,000 to 50,000 infantry."

REGISTRATION OF LETTERS. The Postmaster-General will shortly introduce postal reform to meet the requirements of persons who do not wish to go to the expense of registering a letter at a cost of id., but who desire merely to have proof of the posting of a letter to a particular person, which may be produced in the event of a dispute. Arrangements have been made whereby a certilicato of posting may be obtained for i-d. on application at any post office. The letter must not be posted in a letterbox, but must be handed to the countcr clerk, and the person posting it must fill in the form which will be given to him, and affix a half-penny stamp. The clerk will then date-stamp and sign or initial the form. A letter in respect of which ono of these certificates is issued will not receive the special treatment afforded to registered correspondence. In the event of loss, damage, or delay the certificate will confer no title to compensation, and will furnish no proof of the nature of the contents. EAST END VENDETTA. A number of men were remanded at the Old Street Police Court on chargcs of taking part in an extraordinary East End vendetta in which revolvers and knives were freely used. .The trouble began in llackncy Road on Sunday, when a riot occurred. Knives were used, fifteen revolver shots were fired, and a passer-by was shot in the leg. The combatants are said to have been rival gangs of Shorediteh and Bethual Green hooligans. Two men named King and Bogard were arrested, and were bound over at the police court. As they were leaving the court an organised attack was made on them, in spite of the fact that they were escorted by policemen, and botli were injured. Eight men wero arrested in connection with the affair. GREAT BRITAIN'S ACCOUNTS. Some instructive figures are given in a Blue-Book just issued on the question of Imperial revenue and expenditure. The period covered ia the last fifteen voars to March 31. In 1896-7 the total Imperial revenue was ,£U2,1!)5,547, whereas the amount for 1310-11 was JC203,550,558, while the expenditure chargeable against revenue for the same years was <£109,726,331 and ,£171,095,007 respectively. Fifteen years ago our Army and Navy cost .£lB,270,000 and .£22,170,000 respectively, whereas last year the amounts wore .£27,149,000 and .£-10,380,000. The expenditure in the various civil services has grown from ,£20,045,000 to .£43,098,000, the Customs and Inland Revenue from X2,7JG,000 to £3,919,000, while the amount required last year for the postal services was .£19,081,000, against .£10,834,000 in IS9G-7.

A GREAT LAW SUIT DECIDED. The Supreme Court, tho People, have decidcd that Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery wins against Coughs and Colds. I'rioo. 10. Cd. and 2s,*