BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 13

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

LONDON SUMMARY. *TEADE EECOBDS BEATEN. London, June 14. All trado records were beaten iast year, according to tho fizuros for tho 'United Kingdom just issued. A notable fact ia that while thore was a big increase in the export of manufactured goods there, was a marked declinoin the imports of raw materials. Tho comparative figures of the- total British trade (imports and exports) for tlie past five years, to the nearest million pounds, aro as follow.— 1907.1908.1909.1910.1911 With foreign countries SGI 785 811 883 891 With Great Britain SO3 265 283 830 343 Totals 116-1 1050 1031 1212 1237 Imports, exports, and re-exports may bo tabulated as follow:— 1907.1008.1909.1910,1911 Imports 646 593 625 678 OSO British exports ... 426 377 37b , 430 454 Re-exports 92 B0 91 104 1011 Tho exact figures for last year, (is compared with tho "previous best" of 1909, were:— / 1911. 1910. £' £ Imports ......... 680,157,527 678,257,024 British exports... 451,119,293 '430,384,772 Re-exports 102,759,131 103,761,045 .£20,000,000 CLAIM. Ono of the largest claims ever brought before 'a British Court of Arbitration— tho claim of the National Telephone Company to a sum of nearly .£21,000,000 tor the sale of tho business to the Post-master-General—has just come before the Railway Commissioners in the King's Bench Division. It is anticipated that the hearing will occupy two months. Sir A. Cripps, in his opening speech, said that whilst in 1891 the net income of tho company was in 1911 it was ,£1,229,000. The gross income betweon those dates had increased from .£738,1)00 to .£3,685,000. At the timo tho company's undertaking wns taken over at the end of 1911 tho company had a gross income of i£3,655,000, and employed upwards of 18,000 persons. Tho main point between tho company and tho Postmaster-General was wliat to be excluded 'from the total as "spare" plant or plant "not in use" on December 31, 1911. LUNATIC IN A PALACE. A lunatis managed to evade the sentries and polico guard ami broke into Marlbortugh House, (jueen Alexandra's residence, 'lit' other day. Hβ was found by a servant in an equerry's \ri\, and was removed in custody. The intruder was identified as William Woodley, wro escaped from Norwich Asylum about twelve months He scaled the wall from the Park and climbed down'the ten ace from wl.ich I.r.e jotng Prin.'es watched the processions passing St. James's Palace. After he had thus (KUMG'I an ontrauco to tho grouirl? at the hook of Marlborough House, ho had smashed a window and climbed in. When Ihs alarm was first raised it was thought that a burglar had' entered, but none of the. valuable frt treasures in the Royal apiutinents had been tovcted, BRANDED WITH "H." A remarkable story is now being investigated by tko police. Mr. ]?. J. Havoi ley, a missioner, . living in Kentish Town, was recently reported as missing. On the EDcbnd night of his disappearance he staggered into his home, covered with mud and winded with tho letter "II". on his forshead by means of some caustic acid. His wrists we're cut as if by lightly bcund ropes. Hβ stated that, being told his wife had boen run ever, he was induced to enter a mntor-car by two men near liig mission hall. Ho was drugged, rind awoko to find himself bound and in a collar. Afterwards' ho was taken upstairs and toTtured and- branded by hooded men. He fainted with pain, arui recovered to find himself in the porch of an empty house at South Mimuis . MOTOR-BUS AMOK. A bus belonging to the London General Omnibus Company, containing four "learners" in chairge of an instructor, who was at the wheel, became unmanogeabls at the top of Highgate Hill, owing to v brakes tailing to act. Tho bus ran downhill with gathering speed. By tho timo it was half-way down it was travelling at least forty miles an hour There was, very little traffic at tho time, and tho diiver was ablo to keep thooinnibus on tho road till it reached the spot where a nework of tramlines meets at tho junction of Archway Road and Junction Road. I'lio spot was crowdtd with tramcars, and, in trying to avoid one coming up-tho hill, the bus crashed into an overhead wire standard with terrific force, and ivas wrecked, the drhet, Lttxton, being killed, three of the- lexrners and two passers-by being injured. ,£10,500 REWARD. A romantic . will mystery,, involving a reward of .£10,500, and the hoard of wealth collected by a miser who lived in gloomy seclusion in the West-end, has been recalled by the following advertisement which appeared recently! ".£10,500 Reward will be paid by tho parties benefiting for tho production of a will which is believed to have been made in favour of his Paternal Relatives by the late Mr. Henry Thomas Coghlan, who died at 11, Hyde Park Gardens, London, November, 1892, leaving an estate valued at about ,£700,000. —Address H. A., etc." Mr. Coglilan had lived as a reoluse for fifty years; at the timo of his , death he had no regular legal adviser, and, despite minute search, no will could be found. His fortune, therefore, was divided iimong the next-of-kin—four relations on his mother's side. Various claims have been made by other peoplo from timo to time, nnd the advertisement abovo hints at yet auother attempt to obtain tho fortune.

WIRELESS AND WEATHER. It is understood that, as a result of tho meeting of the delegates to the International Radiographic Congress, a determined cfl'ort is to bo made to secure inteniitional action in making compulsory the reporting by wireless, of tllio weather cou ditions experienced "by vessels at sea. In this way, and by comparing and analysing the different reports received, it would be possible to trace the track of storms, and. to warn vessols in. the vicinity to prepare for rough weather. If joint ac tkm 'can be secured, it is proposed in th-e first instance to apply the scheme to the Atlantic. For instance, the wireless opem.toi's of steamers on tho eastward half o p tho ocean would be asked to relay thes) reports eastward to London, and those on tho westward half to Washington, and by a close comparison of the two by the respective meteorological exports it would be possible to estimate the track and speed of storms. ■ \

THE UNBEELLA TRAGEDY. At the Central Criminal Court William M'Namnra, alias Ward, wlio was arrested in Western Australia, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for t'ho man skui"liloT of lif. E. N. Smith at Cliisivick, in October, MOB, by striking him in tho evo with an uumbrclla. It was , stated that Mr. Smith had remonstrated with the accusad because of his conduct towards a woman. Tor tho defence it was urged that Jl'Namara had lind some drink on tho day of Hie tragedy. Tor three a.nd a half years he had lived in dread and fear of * immediate arrest, and had not dared to enter tho towns of Western Australia lost he should bo recognised. While in Brixion Prison Ira was Hie means of savins llio lifo of a warder who was attacked bv another prisoner.-- "Standard of 15 m pi re." _.