NEWS AND NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 132, 4 June 1904, Page 12

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Hindu is reported to have exclaimed at the fo'.ly ot Bengalis who rejoiced at Japanese victories, because, "suppose Russia took India, how would these proJaps faro then." That (sajs iho London Chiomcic) is liko thu English scuootboy vho shnked his lessons on the giouiid that if England was couquciod by France, ho wou.d have to learn them all Over again m a, ditleiont language. Tho Tibetan peasants seem to have shown tho gioalust I'rienditnoss to the British troops enttuing then country, and have been amazed at being lnsutntiy paid for supplies, in most ca.sos at their own prices. This, however, iathur indicates the hard usage of tho Tibetans by their own Lanus than any piobabiuty thai tho latter wili consent to meet Colonel Younghusband or even allow tho Aiulwi. to dv so until their impotence has been demonstrated. A curious application of chemical skill has been curried out by a Fieneh chemist, numed Bunuei, who first oxtracled tlie iron from blood drawn fiom his own veins and those of members of his family, and ■ then, reducing tho iron to its metallic form, piorcvded to make it. into a itngerring. The idea has appealed intensely to the romantic French mind, and love is *re besieging M. Barrucl with orders for the manufacture of engagement rings from iron to bo exti acted irom the mingled streams of their opened veins. Tho whole of the iron in a human body, it has been pointed out, is just about sufficient to make n finger-ring, but love, it may bo supposed, is equal to the sacrifice. Is Niagara to be drained dry? If the Governor of New York State signs a Bill that has been passed by the State LogisIntuco there is every probability that tho falls will eventually be drained away to nothing. This measure gives to the Niagara Power Company extraordinary additional privileges. There is absolutely no restriction as to the amount of water which the company may take between North Tonawanda and Lasnlle for tho purpose, of developing power. In other words (says The Times), a private corporation is granted the privilege of draining tho Niagara Falls dry. Of couise, this eventuality is not to be feared at pie»ent, but there is little doubt that the factories and hvnche.s will destroy tho beauty of the falls on tho American side Tho Bill is described as the most shameless piece of political jobbery yet perpetrated iv America. A number of the best-known storywriters for the Paris press have banded themselves into a co-operative society, whoso treasurer will collect all tho fees earned by its members to bo annually distributed in equal shares. Ton per cent, will be sob asido for a widows' and orphans' fund, and ono membership will be rosorved for presentation to any genius who may make his * appearance in the ranks of French novelette The New York city authoutka havo decided to abolish the historic ol&cc of Coronor. This action has bcun dotormin*ed lupoa because the city incumbents are often incompetent, nnd the ollico has bccojno a useless ono as it is now administered. The Coroner will be succeeded by an officer knowv us the "Chief Medical Examiner," who will perform all tho duties pertaining to the Coroner's oflico. Ho will oe a physician, and will havo seventeen assistants, all of whom will bo medical men. The last time the Tsar and Kaiser met was in the Baltic, where each hud a fleet. As their boats drew away iiom each other, the Kaiser, from the Hohenzollein, 'semaphored to the Tsar : "The Admiral of the Atlantic salutes tho Admiral of tho Pacftic." The reply required tact. The Tsur did not want to offend tho British by expressing his belief tlutb tho Kaiser was right, neither did he wish to show discourtesy to the latter by making no reply. So he quietly rebuffed him by signalling "Farewoll," and steaming away. Osborac House was opened without ceremony in April as a convalescent home for officers of the Army and Navy. Accommodation lias been provided for thirty-eight single officers and for five married officers with their wives. The only charge made is one of half a crown & day for each officer or officer's wife, and the duration of a stay at Osborne is regulated by the Directors-General of tho Medical Departments of the Army or of the Navy, and depends solely upon the condition of health of the inmate. Each officer has his own apartmontß, but there is a common mess, and the accommodation is equally apportioned between the two services. The searching 'of The Times steamer by the Bayan calls to mind the rigorous methods which aro adopted in Russia with regard to their own press. The Rus- • sian Government expend more money on their press censors tnan on their schools. During 1903, the "seal" of tho censors extended to tho suspensin of eighty-three papers for various periods, while twentyaix were forbidden to accept all advertisements, and no fewer than 259 editors were informed that they would perforce bo compelled to take a short holiday in Siberia if tlicy continued their methods of championing certain public questions. A number of the most prominent merchants of Vancouver Jiavo been committed for trial before the Supremo Court on a 'charge of conspiiacy to interfere with the trade and commerce of Canada. The uccused aro alleged to have banded together to fight the trade unions with their own weapons, and to have issued black lists of strikers so that tho latter should not obtain employment. No longer (says the Westminster B,ud-. get) will budding pee'ra and millionaires have a Marquis to guide their steps through the maze of learning, for Lord Normunby's preparatory school for Eton and Harrow, which he has conducted with such success at MuJgrnve Custle, lias ceased to be. Happy the boys who w«re privileged to attend such a school, to have tho run of thome magnificent Mulgravo woods, 1500 ucies" in area, to look every day on that view from the lawn which made Dickens "dance with ecstasy," und to be made at homo in a castle hoary with history. At the Middlesex Sessions 'a few weeks ago an Enfield house-painter was sentenced to six years' penal servitude for having deliberately trained his fourteen-year-old son in the art of burglary. The boy was charged with burglary and housebreaking, and the father and mother with receiving and inciting. After one burglary, the lad said, hm father, who planned the "iob" and showed him how to carry it out, gave him twopence for himself. The mother was discharged, and the boy, who has an elder bt other nt present undergoing imprisonment for tobbery, was ■ent to t reformatory for four jcars. A striking indication of the mood of tho Ju;iaue-'.' nation is furnished by the solicitude shown for tjie wivest and families vi so.diers scut to tho front. .Omitting minor associations of limited cupacily and operation, no fewer than fourteen large foi'ietie'i have be<*n lurmed to collect funds for aiding tho-o rt-ndered licstilute or cmb i uiit serf by the death, maiming, or absence of the- bread-winner The funds wib'-ti ibed in answer to appeals made, I m promoters of mich chanties would not ' jvi.ami .aijjc in J'.ngiand, but to make v ' jit-t comparison between whut English- I me ilo in ."itch ci>.«e< and what Japanese di> i i*> necc.ssuiy to multiply the contiibiit ops of the hitter by about ten. In tie •u'-e of ono Bociety the lirst twentynij; Jiumcs mi tho list xUnd for sums ag/iic^utuic; ovei llftv thousand pounds gijijlini.', and although all Uie others havo not itemed snrh striking support, tlif contributions will Wlimutely represent » «Wal Huutp '