News From All Quarters

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 240, 7 October 1916, Page 15

News From All Quarters

BEER AND NERVES. < j In London, ainee the beginning of the! war, there had been a steady drain of thej 1 beer drinking population, said the chairman;' of Barclay, Perkins' meeting, in London,! * alluding to the decrease In sales. Out of r every £1 profit made by the company last , year, he added, the Government took 16/6 jj In direct taxation. ("Shame!") A shareholder, amid laughter, said that when he read the annual report he could not go to church; it made his nerves so bad. WAR'S ROY BABIES. ——— ? The theory that more boys than girls are ■ born under war conditions seems to be I borne out by the report of the medical officer for the City of Westminster for 1915. The report states that in 1913 for every 1000 girls born In bis area there were 100*J boys; in 1914, 10SO boya; and in 1915, Joß3> boys. The total number of births was fewer than in preceding years. The death- : rate of boys is much greater than that of • girls, but with the greater proportion of boys born in the last two years the number . of boys alive at the end of the first year was still in excess of the girls. SHOT THROUGH A KEYHOLE. A remarkable tragedy occurred at Lisacul, about nine miles from Cast'ereagh. It is alleged that Patrick McDonagb, the owner of the licensed premises at Lisacul, heard knocks at the door after closing time, and not getting a satisfactory answer, took a loaded gun and fired a shot through the keyhole of the door, with the result that a man named Thomas Boyle received the contents of the gun in the groin, and fell to the ground mortally I wounded. Two other men who were at | the door escaped uninjured. McDonagli has been arrested. . ' ~ THE SPEEDIEST DEATH. Extraordinary medical evidence about the effects of a lightning stroke was given at the inquest at Erfljugton, Birmingham, on Frederick Wiltshire, who was killed by lightning. A doctor stated that there was only one mark on the body, and that was on the sple of the foot. It was about the size of a threepenny piece, and was probably the point of exit; no point of entrance was to be seen. Death was due- to shock caused by the passage of electric fluid through the body, and the duration of the shock would be a millionth part of a second. "INJUSTICE" TO IRELAND. The London "Spectator" publishes interesting figures to show that the Irish people not only have their full share in the control of the Parliament of the United Kingdom", and of the Ministry which emerges from that Parliament, but that they have much more than their full share. Here are the figures:— Representation Population in in Parliament. 1011. Aβ it is. As it should be. England. 34,039,004 465 DOS Wales .. 2,0301588 30 30 Scotland 4,743,224 72 71 Ireland 4,390,219 103 6(3 ....... ,~670>-~. -670 ' Thus, on the basis of the census of 1911, Ireland is over-represented in the common Parliament to the extent of thirty-seven members, and England, which Lord Hosebery once ventured to describe as "the predominant partner," Is under-represented to the extent of thirty-eight members. SMILE THAT COMES OFF. A remarkable development in photography, which spares one the anguish of ■the wooden look of the average portrait, and gives not one but many natural expressions, is being shown at the demonstration studio at 25, Oxford* Street, London, of Pyke's Animated Photographs. It Is an Improvement on an American patent by Mr Montague A. Pyke, the pioneer oE modern kineuia theatres de luxe. Three photographs of the face are taken in lees than a minute, and different expressions are all recorded In one portrait. This is placed in a transparent celluloid case of pocket size, and by the pulling of a flap the face becomes animated, the eyes move, the lips part, and show the teeth, the lines of the face change, and there Iβ a variety of familiar expressions just as in a kinema picture. A smile is, turned out to order from the beginning to the end. Tommies delight in sending home these lifelike pictures of their cheeriness. SPECIAL COW STABLE'S PRANKS. A special constable and his wife were prisoners at Tottenham. They were charged with being, drunk and disorderly, and the wife charged her husband with iaesault, but she said she didn't wish to proceed with this charge.. Three uniformed constables said the special first threw his wife down In the street. He and his wife were induced to bo indoors, -but almost Immediately the special, according to a constable, threw his wife out "as though be was throwing a brick." He followed her to the street and was arrested. His plen was that he was endeavouring to carry out the duties of a special in the ease of liis wife, to make her keep the peace, when he was arrested.. He complained that the police would not let him go Indoors and get his hat and coat. The' constables replied that had they let him go in they might not have got him again. The special spoke of his arrest ac the reward one got for "a long night'of duty. The couple were fined 21/ each. , • . . UNIFORMED IMPUDENCE. When Edward Laxton sued the Gas ■Light and -Coke Company in Shoreditch County Court for ilO 10/, as damages for trespass to his property at 148, Tottenham Bond, it was stated that an inspector In order to collect from the gas meter forced the window. Mrs haxton tola aim fcefore that he could have the key, and when she challenged Us right to enter he said he ■had a right to go anywhere where the company's money was. Pruden, the collector, said that be thought Mrs' iLaxton woe "an Impertinent old lady." Judge Cluer: Yon thought In your high and mightiness that she was an Impertinent old lady. iHer action was most proper. Have you got such an impertinent mother? Pruden: I do not put it so strong as that. Judge Cluer: You do, because you had officialdom written all over you. You thought you mustn't lie epoken to 'because, you were In uniform. The impudence and impertinence wae entirely youre.. '-It' -was the natural expression of an official 'who tli inks too much of himself. Pruden then said he rang, the Laxtons" bell to get the key, tout Mrs Laxton said there had teen no .bell for fifteen years! In giving judgment. Judge Cluer ' said this was an unjustifiable and unwarranted trespass >by an impudent and Insolent servant of the .company, -whom h« iinil- no doubt they would retain. Judgment was entered > for the plaintiff for. tio 10/ damages and sostt. ■ —

[ DRUNKENNESS DECREASING. According to statistics compiled by the Liquor Control Board, the average weekly ; number of convictions for drunkenness from January to June laet was 833 in England, and 451 in Scotland, as compared yritu 11,558 and 734 respectively in tlie same period last year. Here is the table, showing the weekly average for London and the big towns:— . .; 1915. 1916. Greater London IOTT 5G9 Liverpool 207 - 107 Manchester 80 ■ • 4!> Newcastle .-. <J3 37 Birmingham 3T si - I .Leeds 24 10 ■ Sheffield 22 11 Middlesbrough, 27 Iβ I Edinburgh 120 70. Glasgow 522 299 i *f WOMAN FIGHTS A SOLDIER. A Canadian soldier. Private* Arthur"Brl- ' zard, of the Ontario Military- 'Hospital, Orpington, was committed for trial at Bromley Police Court on a charge of assaulting May Maud Dewberry, a married, woman living with her mother. She eald that at half-past nine at sight prisoner met her in the street and asked her tf he could walk along with her. He seemed to be very respectable, and they iwent along very quietly; then he ieked her to go upa lane, and when she refused he tried to force her to go.' She told him she would tell Ms colonel, but he said lie didn't trouble about the colonel. Sne drew , a hatpin and said she Would stick. It through him, but he twisted her left arm under her back and took the hatpm away. She hit Tiini with her Tight band, and eventually got away and went home. Brizard Isaid the woman spoke to him first, and lie emphatically denied that he, ■violently; assaulted her. - ■ ■■■■■■■ • -.-. KLEPTOMANIAC FINED. ' A lady of independent means—lrene ■Burke, 64, of Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington—was fined £20 at Westminster for thefts at the Army and .Navy and the Auxiliary Stores, Westminster. It <was said she had a banking account and her daughter had a deposit account at the Stores. On Friday- defendant went from one of the Stores to another and to-different connters, appropriating.. small .articles,!., including, a bottle of perfume,.a.. tin_.o£. tobacco, a tin of cream, a pound of chocolate, an egg-box and three .peaches. -;On arrest accused said she was tempted to take the things "for the wounded soldiers and prisoners of war.'.' It was urged that she had sustained an injury to her head by a fall. Mr (Francis: "I suppose she knows the difference between right and wrong. It is amazing to find a woman, pt this position playing the-same,of_a... com-mon-thief." The £20-fine-was paid at once. INHUMAN SPECTATORS OF A DROWNING TRAGEDY. 'Mr. Peter Byrne held an inquiry at St. Pancras into the death.of Alexander White, aged six years,' eon of a fishmonger, of-.New ' North Road, Shoreditch. It was stated.that the boy got on to the bank.of .the: ,New River -by-squeezing himself between ;_the , railings. In throwing a stone at some fish i he overbalanced himself and fell into the i water. He managed to keep himself "afloat ■ for a few minutes, lads'," named ' Gray and Brooke,: climbed -the railings ana ■ went to his assistance. - They seized him by. ' the hand, but found his weight too much, and were compelled to let go. A carman, and a cyclist whom they called" to* their -assistance refused to help/;-and;, replteci . "Let him etop in the water; we-'have-our , business to attend to." A city constable. who lives close by, on hearing tne cries for assistance, went on to the bank and rescued the boy, who was- then almost moribund. Artificial respiration wae applied by Dr. Madden, but without avail. The~-jury re? turned a verdict of accidental death; '■- " WOMAN'S FIGHT WITH * \ burglar. ,r: ~ ir " r."j William, autchell-WO), a discharged-?soi-dier, was committed for trial at- Oauskivii, charged with, burglary at the. residence., at Maghull of Mrs. Burton, wife it Captain Burton, X.A.-M.C., af presentabroad.. Early, one morning, Mrs: Burton's mother-lii-iaw, who was staying In the house, awdke ana i found a masked man in her bedrodui.""Sha screamed and aroused her daughter-ln-law« Describing 'how she'tackled the-man; Mrs. Burton, jun., said, as soon as she saw-him. on the landing she "went" for.lUm;" Itr'tha struggle he pushed her oS and dropped the stick he was carrying. She "went for , ' the man again, and lie then knocked (her down, striking her a violent blow- on. the : head. When she got up she heard the Tmaids screaming, and she said to the man~""For God's sake, go." He then took a .flying leap from the landing on to.tne window sill, and went down thespout just like a.cat., She had no. doubt whatever the prisoner ;yas;jtlie man wno was In nernonse.- -He was-wear» Ing a black mask and carrying-a-, red -Bash- . light. Prisoner admitted the charge, out denied that he had struck the lady. >■-<".- SCHEME TO AVOID STRIKES. i Since the Prime Micrster'e casual reference to consultations with •Labour leaders regarding the after-war problem of securing ; a' fair distribution of the products ofindustry, there ihas been much specuiatloa as-to '", what was in his mind.' it'is'etated'oii the ' authority of a 'Labour leader who" oughtVto know what is going on, says the London correspondent of the "Yorkshire Post," that the position is this:—Upon inquiries.begue before the war, Ministers had already con- ! eluded that labour disputes ought to be . > avoided, or reduced to a minimum. This • will now..be more ..than ever,, necessary. 1 Therefore, the.Government are anxious to 1 devise machinery lor securing', to ..the ' workers an Increased share of Industrial ' prosperity without the waste of strikes or j stoppages. 'No cut-and-drlecL scheme has I been prepared. - 'Labour-leaders have,been consulted from time to time. and. the tenor , of the questions put suggeste such things as . legislation against sweated labour,. statutory minimum wages, ■ compulsory arbitration, unemployment insurance, lUnitatloa of employers' profits, and encouragement of schemes of profit-sharing. :The trade union leaders themselves are lnclinea to try to strike a bargain. They see quite- well that a restoration oi-the old conditions, festrtc--1 tion' of output, and all the rest o£ It. roust 1 carry a restoration or the old rates of pay,. '- and that they will not be In such, a strong I position to resist' redaction after- the ivar ' as they Tiave been to raise prices during the war. '"If the trade union leaders could get . two things; they would be inclined— some' of j them at least—to recommend the abolition ;' of restriction on output. The erst -'is -a. I living wage as minimum, and tic second is I some regulation of piece-work prices VV? ci > ■- would prevent an employer from reducing o prices when the men are earning too much, s Peace will find the Government more pre. / pared for.dealing with, these and-other . Jniaglnter