WHY BOER PROPERTY MUST BE DESTROYED.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 109, 16 February 1901, Page 4

WHY BOER PROPERTY MUST BE DESTROYED.

The Premier of Cape Colony received from Lord just before the latter’s departure for England a memorandom regarding i the reasons for burning homesteads. The Field Marshal says ; “On my first entering the enemy’s country I gave the strictest orders against the demolishing of property, and it was not until the destruction of railways, the derailing of trains, and the firing into trains containing, in some cases, non-combatants, had come so frequent that I felt it my duty on June 16 by proclamation to threaten punitive measures in strict accordance with the usages of civilised warfare against inhabitants wno acted in collusion with the destroying parties of the enemy ; and with the view to stopping the outrages I ordered the burning of the nearest house to the break, whether it was on the railway or telegraph line. I had previouslygiven permission for the destruction of any house, in event of treachery, and afterwards, by proclamation on September 28, I authorised the burning of the houses of any leader of one of the small parties of Boers who were engaged in sniping if they did not desist after being warned of consequence of persistence. The question of ascertaining, definitely whether the people whose houses were to be burned have or have not been accessory to breaking the line, is one which must be felt to general officers commanding to decide; but as it is essentially police work, I anticipate when police is established we shall find the necessity for burning less and less, that there will be less danger of innocent people suffering, and that my successor will be able to do away with punishment which is most distasteful to me to be obliged to inflict, but which in some districts has acted beneficially,” - RATHER AWKWARD.

There is a racy little story being told at the expeace of an attractive young lady who had been staying at a certain holiday resort and, in answer to an invitation from some friends at another holiday spot, packed up and left for their society and house. She says the label on her bag was not tied on strongly. That may be so. Anyhow, she arrived safely, left with her friends for their family roof, leaving a porter to bring along her bag. That night, as she prattled away to the two girls with whom she shared a room, she abstractedly drew the b'aclc bag with her label lon it towards her, and, still talking, undid the straps and prepared to unlock it. .But she didn't get a chance, for the bag fell open, revealing a suit of pyjamas, a razor-case, and other masculine attributes and effects. She gasped, and sat on the floor in stony amazement, and the dear girls in front of the mirror paused in brushing their hair and looked at each other with raised eyebrows, making in a minute or so the remark which the hostess made at breakfast: “And where w’as it you were stopping my dear ? How did you come to mistake the bag?” The victim of the mistake has made them understand things. But affairs looked awkward at first. The label, so says the victim, must have fa! len off Tier bag, and been tied on another like it, A CEOKER STORY.

John Wilson Croker, “ the gossiping Oroker,” onco made what is perhaps the most uncourtier-like speech recorded in history, although not recorded, we may be sure, by himself. As all the world knows, Croker was secretary to the Admiralty in the time of George IY. It happened one day that Croker found himself in conversation with His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, brother to the King, and afterwards William IY. The Duke criticised the naval administration, and finally said : “When I am king I will be my own First Lord, and you may depend upon it John Wilson Croker will not be my secretary.” This nettled Croker, so he replied rather smartly ; “ Does your Royal Highness remember who was the English King before who was his own Fust Lord ?” “ No, I don’t,” said his Royal Highness. “ Well, it was James II !” answered Croker. While the laughter at this retort could be heard, George IV. came in. “ What’s the joke ?” ha said. “ One of your good things, Croker ?” The latter worthy, apparently still smarting under the Duke’s words, made the extraordinary reply: “ No, indeed, your Majesty, but your Royal brother is giving the interesting information of what he will do when be gets to the throne.” The most heavily insured building in Groat Britain is St. Paul’s Cathedral, It is insured lor £95,000,000 in ten offices. The highest spot inhabited by human beings on this globe is the Buddhist iloister of xlanle, Tibet, where twenty-one monks live at an altitude of 16,000!t.