LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 140, 9 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Hubert Congreve, chief engineer of the Manchester Ship Canal, committed suicide last month in a determined manner. He mounted a bridge crossing the canal at a height of 90ft, shot himself in the left breast with a Mauser revolver, and then dropped into the canal, which is 28ft deep. He had complained of having lost his nerve through excessive worry over Ship Canal affairs and recent strikes. At the inquest a verdict was returned of "Suicide during temporary insanity." The first wedding present conveyed by aeroplane was recently taken to Princess Zita of Parma, of Vienna, who is to be married to, the future Emperor, Archduke Carl Franz Josef. The Princess' home in Austria is near the Wienerneustadt aviation ground, which she visited frequently. In recognition of her interest, the engineer, Warchalowski, flew to Schwaraiu. and alighting in front of the chateau, handed the Princess a silver model of a flying machine as a present from himself and other pilots. At Budapest in October a Hungarian named Hoecst made an attempt to murder his sweetheart in a suburb of Budapest while he was seneranding her. They had been engaged for some time, but she had transferred her affections to a violinist, and no longer even looked out of her window when Hoochst came to sing her songs in the. evening. Hoechst, determined, therefore, to commit suicide before her eyes. He engaged a band of gipsy musicians to come with him to her house, and, as ho expected, when they struck up she immediately appeared at the window. Instead of shooting himself, however, as he intended, the sight of her made him so furious that he fired at her and seriously wounded her in the head. The gipsies told the story, and he has been arrested. The banking world is endeavoring to stop a practice which menaces the security of the crossed cheque. For some time past thefts from letter-boxes have been taking place in London, the object of the thieves apparently being to obtain any cheques the letters might contain. When the cheques were crossed the words "Pay cash" were, written over the crossing, and the cheque was then cashed by the thieves. Of late years a practice "has grown up in tho Old Country for customers of bankers to cancel the crossing on cheques by writing across it "Pay cash." and initialling or signing the alteration, and the bankers themselves have acquiesced in this proceeding. Tho effect has negatived the protection afforded (o the public and to bankers by tho Bills of Exchange Act. 1882, which enacts that "A crossing authorised by this Act is a material part of the cheque; it shall not be lawful for any person to obliterate, or, except as authorised by this Act, to add to or alter the crossing." To-morrow (Sunday) tho anniversary services in connection with the New Plymouth Baptist Sunday School will take place. Eev. Hales ( l'nvercargil'l) will conduct the service*. Special singing by the scholars. —Advt. The services in Whiteley Memorial Church to-morrow will be conducted by the. resident minister. The morning subject will be. "The Conditions of Ownership," and in the livening Mr. Burton will preach on "Why Christ Must Reign." We recommend Roslyn suits for style and lasting wear; from 32s 6d. All clothiers.-—Advt.

Wo acknowledge with thanks receipt from Messrs. Borthwick and Sons of a handy little note book.

Messrs. it Griffiths and Co. yesterday received cable advice from Messrs. Mills and Sparrow, London, that Ijest New Zealand butter was firm at 132s per cwt. Yesterday, for the first time in ten or twelve weeks, there was meteorological tranquility. ].t may oe ad< j ed thafc the election campaign, so far as Taranaki is concerned, came to a conclusion on the same day.

Yesterday's News, containing the full election news, was rushed throughout laranaki, and though the largest edition turned out of the office was issued papers were soon at a premium, and thousands more would have, found a ready sa:e.

A South Australia, who has resided for several years at Vancouver City,- in a letter to a friend in Adelaide, by the latest American mail, observes:—"Things on this side are wonderfully prosperous. In this city a.bout £3,000,000 has been expended in new buildings this year, and yet you cannot rent a house. "The harvest of wheat will be a round 200,000,000 bushels, and other cereals and flax in proportion. When I was away a few weeks since a friend I was chatting with remarked, 'Yes, the. West is just bursting with prosperity.' And he is right."