HERE AND THERE.

Evening Star, Issue 10399, 21 August 1897, Page 1

HERE AND THERE.

The life of an editor is considered dirt cheap in Arkansas (U.S.). ‘Newspaperdom ’ says that a second-rate politician there attempted to murder the editor'of the ‘ Little Rock Guardian ’ because of the attitude of that paper towards him, and all but succeeded. His punishment was only one minute’s detention in custody and the minimum fine permitted by law, which merely expressed the displeasure of the Court at his failure to complete the job. Arkansas, which is the Stale that recently passed in record time a law to practically extinguish editors, is a good place—to live outside of.

Considerable disappointment was felt at Home that British journalism was represented by only two names —Mr J. A. Willox, M.P., of the Liverpool ‘Courier,’ and Mr H. G. Burdett, editor of the ‘ Hospital ’ —who were made knights, while a similar honor was on Mr Bemrose, head of the Derby publishing house, and who,- it will be recollected, ousted Sir W. Y. Harcourt from the representation of Derby at the General Election. On the subject of journalistic honors the ‘ Echo ’ had this caustic note : Among those who are sent empty away are the proprietors of two or three morning papers who have been profuse in their adulations and flattering of Royalty. One in particular has day after day offered up so much incehse to the Queen, and the Pnnce, and the Princess of Wales, as to defeat his object. He has swung the censer to a degree as to excite ridicule and amusement, and instead of blossoming into a Peer he has tarnished the baronetcy he had formerly won by effusive bowing and walking backwards.

The sorely disappointed one controls one of the London dailies with a big circulation, and is said to be envious of Lord Glenesk’s “elevation.”

Speaking on the subject of “will-o’-the-wisps” at the last meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, Mr R. C. Harding, of Napier, narrated an interesting personal experience which befell him last February on the Ruataniwha Plains, Hawked Bay. He had been walking until between three and four o’clock in the mornmg in a drizzling rain, and, getting on to a very bad thoroughfare, he retraced his steps, remembering that he had seen what he thought to be a light in a house. He presently saw two lights some distance in front, and soon noticed that they were not fixtures. When he stopped they stopped, and when he moved they did. He then realised what they were, and, happening to look down at his feet, saw a third light, which, after about fifteen seconds, released itself from the earth and darted into the air so quickly that the sight couidn’t follow it. He was then accompanied by three lights instead of two. On reaching a gate he resolved to turn back, and the luminous globules, which were really alongside him, though they appeared a distance away, were once again in front as before. They afterwards disappeared. They were cylindrical in shape, and about the size of a bean. The habit of the will-o’-the-wisp in accompanying travellers in this fashion had often proved fatal to many an unsuspecting wayfarer who had got lost in marshes or fallen over cliffs or quarries.

Ten thousand pounds for a mosquito bite seems at first sight a somewhat disproportionate sum. This, however, has been awarded, in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeals of Louisville (Kentucky) in an action brought by Mrs Amberg against the United States Mutual Accident Insurance Company, the death of whose husband was cause by the mosquito bite in question. The law court which first tried the cuae decided that a mosquito bite is not an accident in the ordinary acceptance of the term as used by insurance companies, but Mrs Amberg appealed, and the superior court has just decided in her favor.

The Scotland Yard police, as the result of a raid upon the promises of a convicted felon, have just taken possession of a number of burglar’s tools, .which for strength, beauty, ingenuity, and finish have, it is believed, no equals in Europe, The tools mainly consisted of appliances for boring end breaking open safes. Among them was an _ implement made of the finest steel, designed to bo worked by means of an electric battery, the latter being contained in a leathern case slung round the shoulder after the fashion of an opera glass. The battery, in addition to providing power for drilling, furnishes a small electric light, which is really a miniature bull’s-eye, by means of which the operator can guide his drill and note the effect of bis work without fear of being seen himself from the outside.

Quite a new departure is being made by the Furness Railway Company. They have decided to abolish second class carriages, but to introduce a “reserved third class.” Tickets for the new class will be issued at a small extra charge above the ordinary third class, varying according to distance. The extra charge on a journey of 100 miles will be 15d. The Great Eastern Railway Company are now running a “supper” train to Clacton on Saturdays, starting at midnight. A half-hour service all through the night between Liverpool and Woodstreet, Walthamstow, in each direction, is to be started shortly.

From Geneva comes the announcement that Professor Dussaud, of that University, has invented an apparatus that will enable the deaf to hear. The microphonograph, as it is called, magnifies the human voice in the same way that a lens magnifies;. It is simply a telephone connected electrically with a phonograph, but a far more sensitive phonograph than Edison’s ordinary model. A battery of one cell to sixty, according to the degree of deafness on the part of the patient, is used. Of course, the apparatus is useless in the case of absolute deafness, but such an infirmity is far rarer than is suspected. The Loudon correspondent of the New \ork ‘Sun,’ who describes the invention, says that 95 per cent, of socalled stone-deaf persons can be made to hear and understand by Dussaud’s invention. The professor is preparing for exhibition to be held in Paris in 1900 an apparatus that will enable 100,000 people, who may ail be deaf in the common acceptance of the term, to follow a lecture.

“ If a man chooses to advertise a ‘ height heightener,’ and people are foolish enough to buy his wares, it is no fraud on his part to advertise also that he will charge 5s 6J, or even a guinea, for a wedge of cork fitting in the heel of one’s boot, which contrivance costs him in fact only three shillings a week.” Such is the comment of a London paper on the ease of Regina v. Arthur Louis Pointing, a druggist, better known as the Invisible Elevator man, who was charged at the Old Bailey with obtaining money by means of false pretences. The Common Serjeant directed the jury that the prisoner “ obviously had not been guilty of any criminal offence,” and he was then and there discharged.

, A curious legal point came before Judge Martineau, of the Arundel County Court. Mr S. Miles, of the Library, Littlehampton, sued a Mrs Lamport (formerly a Mrs Fitzgerald) for two guineas, goods supplied—namely Bibles , and prayer books—to her order. From the facta it appeared that the goods were supplied to Mrs Lamport during her first husband’s lifetime, and booked to her, although she had no estate and was de-

pendent on her husband until his death, when she became possessed of £5,000, which he left her. His Honor said that Bibles and prayer books, although purchased by the wife, were necessaries, and Mr Fitzgerald, having participated in the benefits, was liable, not the wife; but the fact of the goods having been booked to the wife prevented the husband being sued or the tradesman claiming from the estate. He gave judgment for the defendant, but made no order as to costs.

The struggle oyer the Works Department of the London County Council has advanced another point. When we last referred to it, it had reached an acute stage, the parties being evenly balanced and the chairman (Dr Collins) refusing to aid his Progressive colleagues, but maintaining the slalus quo,, as every impartial chairman should. At the meeting of the Council on June 29 one of the Moderates, speaking with the authority of his leader (Earl Onslow,, who was absent on important State duties elsewhere], suggested that the whole controversy should .be referred sub sikniio to the General Purposes Committee; steps to be taken meanwhile so that the business of the department should be carried on with as little loss-as possible to the ratepayers pending their pronouncing upon it at the ensuing elections. The Progressives, however, were averse to.the question being shelved in that manner, and Sir Arthur Arnold twitted his opponents with desiring to .shirk their responsibility. Then there was some tall talk, and the air became electrically charged. Eventually, one of the Moderates (Mr White) sought,to throw oil on the troubled waters by moving as an alternative amendment— That all works ordered by the Council to be carried out without the intervention of a contractor shall in future be carried out by the manager of the Works Department, who shall be responsible ta the Spending Committee in the same way as a contractor would be, and that the Finance Committee shall have control of the finances of the department.

In the at times sultry debate which followed the Progressives did moat of the talking. .

Mr Freak ridiculed the idea of a compromise. He said the Moderate party were the arch-enemies of labor, and had persistently attempted to assassinate the department, from the day of its birth. Were they to come here week after week to listen to this utter twaddle? Sir T. Arnold—he knew nothing about titles, or sirs, or lords—might palter with the enemy, but he, speaking for the laboring classes, would declare unhesitatingly that he intended to fight for the'department in its entirety through thick and thin. Mr J. Burns, M.P., vigorously opposed the amendment. He regarded it as indicating a change of front and subterfuges to which men who wanted to make retribution occasionally resorted. He was glad to see that Mr White was sorry be had gone so far on the path of evil-doing against the department, and was anxious to build a bridge of a temporary character over which he and his party could go at the election to prevent the annihilation of that party, which they saw would happen unless they brought up some other issue than opposition to direct employment. But he warned the Progressives that Mr White’s amendment was not a workable compromise. It opened the door to all sorts of jobbery, for it took the management of a great undertaking from the hands of a representative committee and placed it with an official.

Mr Costelloe hoped it was yet possible to arrive at some plan by which the work of the department might be allowed to go on. It was quite impossible for the department to go on with a divided committee, as at present. He could only say that if an arrangement could be come to which would prevent the Moderates from pursuing further their wrecking policy he should heartily accept it.

Ultimately the amendment was carried without a division.

The Conservative papers accept the vote as an indication of the beginning of the end of, “ municipal, works” in London. Com* promise it is not, for neither side is willing to allow things to remain in their present hybrid position. There is now neither a Works Committee nor a Works Board, which does not satisfy the Progressives; while the department will still undertake works with* out the intervention of the contractor, which is displeasing to the Moderates, who had hoped to restore the contract system. One of the Moderate journals thus sums up the position:—

In the present state of the Council, which Is equally divided, no decided policy can be carried out. The Moderates have not the voting power to restore a businesslike arrangement in place of what has b-en built up by the collectivist fad* mats: and the Progressives, on the other hand, have been unable to resist the obvious criticism made against an uneconomical and corrupt system, which has gradually been exposed by the most practical of all tests. What the Moderates have been able to do is to show that the department has been a thorough failure. Having done that, they have cut the claws of the collectivists: they could do no more.

The resignation of Herrßodiker is in some ways a more serious political event in Germany than the retirement of either Chancellor Hobenloe or the Home Secretary (Baron Mareschal). Dr Bddiker was the official at the Home Department who was entrusted with the working of the law of insurance against accidents. For thirteen years he has administered this law ; and though opinions differ as to the success of the law itself, there seems to ho no question whatever of the popularity of Dr Bodiker’s administration. Since he resigned he has been overwhelmed with telegrams and letters, both from employers and from workmen, thanking him for what he had done and regretting his retirement. His resignation is due to the refusal of the Government to consult him with regard to the amendments they propose to make in the law. That is not a circumstance which is likely to add to the popularity of the Government or of the amended law.

Some curious evidence on June 5 was given before the Committee of the House of Commons who are inquiring into the methods of the usurers. Isaac Gordon, a professional money lender of Birmingham and elsewhere, told the Committee that he traded under various names—at Bristol in the name of Williamson, at Manchester as Elliot, at Liverpool as Spencer, at one place as Cook, at Oxford as Edwards, Hylands at Birmingham, and as Wallace in London. Asked his reason for trading in so many different names, the witness said it was a good check on borrowers. They often “ skedaddled ” and forgot to leave their names and addresses, and it enabled him to find them out. For instance, a man might borrow in Loudon and then go to Liverpool when he would borrow again. *