GENERAL CABLES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 16 March 1909, Page 3

GENERAL CABLES.

London, March 13. The presiding magistrate decided that no jury would convict Mr Horatio Bottomley, Liberal M.P., charged with three others with conspiracy and fraudulent dealing in connection with the Joint Stock Trust Finance Corporation. The summons was dismissed.

In the past nineteen months Mr H. Bottomley, M.P., estimates that the expenses of his defence in the action brought against him are ,£6OOO, and the Government’s expenses have been £20,000. Lord James, of Hereford, acting as independent chairman of the Coal Conciliatory Board, decided on a reduction of 5 per cent, in the miners’ wages ruling in England and North Wales. Vienna, March 12. An express train fom Vienna to Cannes was snowbound for six days. The passengers had great difficulty in procuring food. Sydnx?y, March 13. Wearu, the brother of the plague victim whose case was reported on Friday, is suffering from the plague. Perth, March 14. Two cases of plague have occurred among the crew of the steamer Zoroaster, which is loading timber at Bunbury for Suakim. London, March 13. Obituary: The Right Hon. H. O. Arnold-Forster, Unionist M.P. for Croydons and formerly Secretary for War ; setat 54. Ottawa, March 13. The Canadian Government will lend the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway two million sterling at 4 per cent, for a period of ten years, for the purpose of completing the Winuipeg-Wolf Creek sectionSydney, March 14. The men employed at the Broken Hill Junction North mine struck as a protest against working with non-unionists. The combined unions have issued a notice warning the men not to return to work in the Proprietory and Block X mines until the Proprietary Company announces what it intends doing. A meeting of directors in the Block X. discussed Mr Justice Higgins’ award, and decided to resume work as soon as is practicable.

The romantic reunion of an aged couple was brought about in a singular manner at Ballarat, Victoria, recently. Mr and Mrs Murphy are inmates of the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum. They had lost sight of each other for seven years, and were united at a picnic of the inmates at the Botanical Gardens. They had been living for some time under the one roof without being aware of it. The reunion was a pathetic one. Mrs Murphy, who is 82 years of age, was in the institution under another name for nearly seven years. Her husband is 76. Seven years ago they were living at Lancefield, and this separation was caused by Mrs Murphy taking offence at something her husband had done. She left him, and eventually found her way to the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum. Some time afterwards her husband, by a strange coincidence, became an inmate of the asylum, but remained in ignorance of his wife’s whereabouts until their chance meeting. She had never been absent from his mind, and he had 3 made enquiries about her in | several places. At the picnic jj they recognised each other, and a touching reconciliation took place. The asylum authorities have given the old couple a cottage in the asylum grounds, and they hope fof many happy (lays together.