LATE CABLE NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 March 1931, Page 6

LATE CABLE NEWS

BRIGHTER BRITAIN. FLOODLIGHT DISPLAY. LONDON, March 19. One of ho world’s spectacles is tlie Capitol Building, in Washington, which when tiond-liglited i;ach night, dominates the city. .Many equally magic impressions will In; obtainable in llril tin '.luring the summer session ol the hiteilnattonal 'lllumination Congress. London’s chief buildings will be floodlighted to an extent suggesting to citizens that they belong to a dream oil y. dais and electricity companies arc to 'defray the cost of the programme, including th,» illumination of Buckingham Palace, the Tower ol London. Big Ben, St. .Paul’s, and the Thames waterfront. In Kdinburgh they will illuminate the castle on its majestic rock. It is hoped thus to stimulate a deni ami 'for better lighting of the larger towns.

COMMONS TRIBUTE. PIT BOY TO PRIVY SEAL. LONDON, .March 20. National honours were paid by the House of Commons to the memory of the late Mr Vernon Hartshorn, who began life as a pit-bov and died as Lord Privy Seal in the Cabinet. The Prime Minister, Mr MacDonald described him as one of those men o' humble origin who in this geenration had stepped into high office and had done their work with signal devotion and success.

On behalf of the Opposition. Mr Baldwin said that Mr Hartshorn had set an example of duty plainly and simply done. Mr Lloyd George said that he had known .Mr Hartshorn for flO years, and latterly had frequently conform! wit ldiim on unemployment problems which he approached broadmindedly and with exceptional independence of judgment. Sir .John Simon on the Indian Statutory Com mission { said that he brought to that task energy and sympathy. and the fact that, the commission had produced a unanimous report was largely due to his influence.

TRADITION PASSES SOCIETY COES POLITICAL. LONDON, March 19. \Vi(th duchesses, countesses, and baronets’ wives tearing down social harriers in the party cause what will be the ('fleet upon their traditional relationship with butlers, footmen, chauffeurs, parlourmaids and cooks? The point was raised by the political correspondent of the •‘Ncws-Clmmi-rlc" in relation to the St. George rjyelection.

'i he inside of great West Knd houses can never by. cjuite the same after Jeames and her ladyship have had long mt'imate, and sometimes embittered discussions on the merits of Mr Laldwin. the significance of Gandhi, and the sinister intentions of the two wick- •'<-< tmo-'os —Lords Rothernmre and Heaverbrook—-lie says, in semi-hum-orous comment. A certain Lady X.. finding the Honoiirable Mrs Y. canvassing her parlour, maid, addressed her in language employed only in the jazziest modern novels .A young man about town distributing Sir Finest Fetter pamphlets to a ducal household was ignomiiiiouslv ejected. .Drawing-room meetings for domestics were so numerous as to seem to preclude tin* servants performing their duties. Vigorous efforts were made' to influence dot) members of the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace wlio are voters in this constituenev.

MAGIC RODS. RHABDOMANCY CONGRESS. LONDON. March 19. Four hundred diviners. including professors, physicians, priests, workmen, and several women, attended the first congress of rhahdomancy (divining of water, precious metals, etc.,) at Verona. In order to test the delegates’ capacities. a commission of engineers dug holes 10 leet deep in the municipal stadium, and huried in them metals and pipes containing running water, reports the Milan correspondent of “The Times.” Armed with rods, willow of metal, the diviners discovered all the spots. Professor Mercati, of Rome I'nivers*tv. declared that he was so sensitive that lie was obliged to wear rub-bei'-'-o!ed shoes to avoid disturbing * 1 1 ions when he was walking about.