NEWS IN BRIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2884, 16 May 1925, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

According lo the figures supplied by the Life Underwriters' Association of Canada, there are 4,442,000 policy holders in that Dominion, an increase of 2,(504,398 since 1914.

While watching a. fight at the Liverpool Stadium Hugh Sutherland Davies, aged (53, a ship's rigger, died. Death was stated to bo due to excitement after a hearty meal. Umbrellas are now being sold in brighter colours than ever; scarlet and emerald are both favourite shades. Handles are also being adorned with china beads.

A Bank of England White Paper states that the amount of money issued for payment of dividends which were clue but not demanded on .January 3 last was .£202,129.

A poll taken in Newport (Mon.) on a proposed Parliamentery Bill for street improvement, at an estimated expenditure of £250,000, was overwhelmingly against the Bill. For stealing a 31ft. ash tree, which he dragged a quarter of a mile over fields to use as a wireless mast, Whyman Hopper, aged 18, was lined £1 recently at Northampton.

The largest British Jewish synagogue is being built at St. John's Wood, at a cost of £40.01)0, designs having been accepted for a fine building to hold about. 14,000 people.

For damage caused hv pit ponies which broke into his garden and ate his vegetables and (lowers, £SO was awarded Mr. TTolrovd, of Northolt, al the Uxbridge County Court.

The planet Venus is 782(5 miles in diameter, and its mass, or weight, compared with that of the earth, reckoned as one, is 0.82, ils volume 0.89 and ils surface 0.93. To celebrate the coming of ago of West Ham tramways system, the council are inviting essays from the children. Winners will he entitled to one year's free travel on the trams.

A second attempt in a fortnight in. the States of Jersey to pass the law giving the right to accused persons to demand that their trial he conducted in England was defeated.

A “Repentant Citizen" lately wrote to the Exter tramways manager, enclosing Is. "its restitution for tram rides I have had without paying. As a Christian I want to put that right.”

The Rochdale coroner reprimanded Mrs Griffin for leaving a three-year-old hoy whom she nursed unattended with out a guard in front of a tire. The hoy’s clothing caught fire and he died.

After breaking into a house at Tonbridge and stealing soma silver, Walter King helped him self lipuor brandy and fell asleep in tile draw-ing-romn. IIV was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

A Davenport- (England) -hopkeeper was robbed nj. £29 h\ a stranger who, posing as a Scotland Yard officer engaged in tracing spurious notes, took away the notes in the shop “for further examination.” Admiral Sueter, M.P. For Hertford Division, has been presented with a cheque for £823 from supporters ill the constituency in recognition of his service.-' in <on 'testing four elections in -HI months. While playing with an air-gun at Soulhwirk-on-Wear a hoy destroyed the sight of a playmate's eye. The Sunderland county magistrates appealed to parents to cease making gifts of toy pistols to I heir children. The iron age, when iron was used for edged tools and weapons, occurred at different periods in different parts of the world. The earliest known iron weapon was found in Egypt, and dates hack to at least ”2099 B.C. While excavations were being carried out recently on the site of the (treat West Road at Brent lord, a huge hone was discovered 15ft. below the surface. It was forwardt„l 10 the Natural History Museum, where it was identified as the thigh of a hippopotamus. The Bejar law courts, in Spain, have condemned a municipal official to imprisonment for periods which .i„„re<’uU* about 399 years 21 senimmes each of 14 years, 8 months 3 day —for false book-keeping. They arc “periods of temporary seclusion, to run consecutively. After serving since the days of Queen Elizabeth, the Turf lock gates ,|f the sea end of the Exeter Ship Canal, the oldest canal in England, are to he removed. It ,S slated that the old gutos will probably be proi-crvcd at Kxeter Museum after they have been replaced by modern ones. The Rev. S. C. Spurgeon, curate at Christ Church, Walthamstow, who was appointed vicar of Holy Trinity, West Bromwich, hut died before taking up the duties, was formerly an auctioneer at Mahhm, Essex. He was (59 years of age when lie took Holy Orders lout years ago. Bogus invitations, issued by some unknown person, brought a number of unexpected guests to a paiQ held hv Mr. and Mrs J. Brewilt, at Brentwood. Letters which arrived lhe day before the party was to have been held first revealed the hoax. In all, it is believed that about 59 false cards were issued.

tn St. Albans Abbey the lick of a watch can he heard from one end of the building to the other. In Gloucester Cathedral the gallery o.L octagonal form conveys a whispei 75ft. across the nave.