HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 118, 4 October 1912, Page 6

HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS.

SUFFRAGETTES' LONG WALK.

I lie suffragettes have arranged a big walking tour. Starting about the middle of October they will march from Trafalgar Square, London, to Edinburgh, holding meetings at different townß on the route north. They expect to take live weeks to cover the distance.

THE BOERS' DESIRE,

Mr. F. S. Malan, the South African 'Minister for Education, speaking at a meeting at the South African Academy of Art, at which General Hertzog was present, asked the Administrator of Rhodesia to give odicial recognition to the Dutch language as a qualification for the franchise. The reply was that it was not intended to make any change from the present system, which prescribes .knowledge of the English language as the qualification.

ALCOHOLISM I\ T FRANCE.

France is much alarmed at the rate at which deaths from the excessive use of alcoholic liquors are increasing. Statistics that have just been published reveal that alcoholism kills 150,000 people a year, consumption being the disease lor which it is chiefly responsible.

AX AWFUL TRAFFIC.

A report that has been submitted to an International Congress now being held in Washington, makes the startling disclosure that £000,000,000 goes annually towards the maintenance of the white slave traffic in the United States.

STRANGE MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

Mrs. Carleton Washburne, wlio was married at Los Angeles, made an unusual contract with her husband. The arrangement that the couple made was that each should provide half the family expenses unless incapacitated by sickness. The contract also provided that both parties should follow the dictate* of their consciences in their relations with persons of the opposite sex. She is working as a stenographer.

STEALING FOR EDUCATION.

I Humber Davis, a New York youth, | stole 200 Harriman National Bank £ shares, with the intention of selling them J and paying for a college education with j the money. He was apprehended, however, and, pleading guilty, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. The judge J promised that he would try to get the ] President's pardon for Davis at the end lof a year. The sentence was too heavy i in Davis' case, as he was a hard-working ] young man, struggling desperately for an j education.

LOSES A FORTUNE OF PEARLS,

Two Hindoo diamond merchants at Paris, agents for an Indian nationalist society, handed £10;000 worth of Persian Gulf pearls to a fellow revolutionary to keep in safety. The man, however, sold the jewels for. half their value, and' then Jost the money gambling in the casinos. Wlien he was asked by his countrymen to give back the pearls he committed, suicide.

YOUNG PRINCES' PRANKS.

A story is being circulated that Prince Albert and Prince Henry; two of the younger sons of King George, are responsible for the alleged "suffragette" outrage which was perpetrated at Balmoral. Mr. Winston Churchill was staying at Balmoral Palace, and one day, when ;he went on to the golf links with the Royal party, it was found that there were red flags with the inscription "Votes for Women." Next day a placard with the same inscription was found pasted on the door of the bedroom which Mr. Churchill occupied, and also on all the motor cars in the Royal .garage. King George took the matter philosophically, but Queen Mary 'was. furious. She suspected the women, servants, and each had to undergo a stiff crossexamination. It was only after a week of hard detective work that tha culprits> were found. The youtig Princes confessed, said they had done it only for fun, and, begged to be,.forgiven. - The Queen made them both apologise to Mr. Churchill in person.. Albert is 17 years old and Henry 12. '•

DEARTH OF FARM LABOR.

Th-e shortness of farm labor is becoming ~a)i acute problem in: Manitoba. Earners are offering as.muqh. as 16s a. ■, da %i ;

OPENING PANAMA CANAL.

formal opening of. the Panama' Canal ; will take.place in, January; 1015; All 'the navies in the world will be i®Vited :to take part. . PriicticaHv,. the vvjh'ole , of_ the United States .Navy will, be mobilised at; the gates' between..tlie two oceans. ..The-total amonnt'expended ■on jthe canal so far is £34,774.800!, .

LEARNING KHI'KRANTO.

The French Labor Congress: at. the; Havre, has decided encourage riltest?4y ,of Esperanto, so : that (; workmen ■ of different nationalities may exchange their views more readily. , ■, . .

IMONO-RAIL. IN, PRUSSIA. '• '

. Mr. Louis Brennau, inventor, of the' celebrated torpedo bearing 'his name, is now. in Breslau, Prussia, engaged in the construction of a line of railway ? on ; 'his'own gyroscopic mono-rail system, : Thi : ■line is | intended only as a trial,' and r in-' the construction of'the work- Mr.'Bre.ni nai isi being backed by a" : welPkrii#ri ! German magnate.

POSITION IN PORTUGAL.

. P° rtu o a l is in a parlous: plight, yher.e is general decay in commerce and a marked slackness of business. The rjeli people are leaving the country and the poorer glasses are emigrating in large numbers. _ The penitentiaries are over-, ciowded with people accused of conspiring against the Republic, and in one district 1000 prisoners are in the gaols awaiting trial. Terrorism and violence, in matters of administration are rampant. !

A COSTLY RACEHORSE.

An offer of £50,000 has been refused for the racehorse Prince Palatine, a four-year-old, by Persimmon-Lady Lightfoot. Prince Palantine's sire, wliich was bred and owned by King Edward VII., earned £127,000 at the stud in ten years.

NEW YORK POLICE SCANDAL.

Mr. Rhineknder Waldo, New York's Police Commissioner, lias resigned his position. Several police magistrates also sent in their resignations. The Mayor of New York, Mr. Gaynor, remarked to-day that siitive and able crooks were placed in high positions at the Detective Bureau.

MAN'S NEW STOMACH.

A patient named Farzr was take* U *

hospital at Agen, in. France, suffering from an internal complaint. The surgeon removed tk« man's stomach, and completely replaced it with a part of the intestines. In 30 days the patient loft the hospital quite cured, and celebrated his recovery by getting drunk. He was found in a gutter in an incapable stale.