NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 29 May 1908, Page 1

NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR

The indignant Inglewood residents did the Prime Minister an injustice when they charged him with passing their township on Wednesday, and with ignoring a request to receive a deputation which had assembled at the railway station to meet him. It seems that Sir Joseph Ward never received any intimation of an invitation to visit Inglewood, nor an intimation that any deputation desired to see him. The mayor of the borough disclaims responsibility for the statement in the Press, and expresses regret for its publication. Regarding the new fruit regulations, a leading Auckland importer says that the restrictions imposed will have a"vory serious effect on the supply. "In fact,"'he said, result is already being felt, and the Tongan orange trade with New Zealand has been settled. Our advice to shippers lias been not to consign, and we have little hope of any further shipments of fruit fiom the Islands being received. In the case of the mandarin fruit supply, the restrictions will have a dire effect. This fruit is much needed at present, and will be for some time to come yet. Sydney shippers write to us that it will be almost impossible to comply with the regulations in consigning this fruit. To the citrus fruit trade the regulations mean a very big blow, and the Cook Islands and California must now be relied upongto supply our wants as far as oranges are concerned. Mandarins, however, will be most missed. New South Wales growers simply cannot comply with the new regulations, and the Sydney citni6 fruit trade, which is just commencing, will be knocked on the. head. Fortunately the restrictions are not likely to affect the banana trade, as this variety of fruit is generally looked upon as being immune from the ravages of the fruit fly, and therefore not subject to the conditions of the new regulations." Our Auckland correspondent wires: —ln reviewing the Department of Education at Grey Lynn, the Hon. G. Fowlds said that teachers felt they suffered injustice particularly in relation to promotion, and he was st riving to provide some system whereby teachers would get some slight increment of salary for length of service apart from increased attendance at schools. Ho hoped in the next session to do something in that direction, but he was afraid it was not possible to do what the teachers required, for there were, so many cqnfiicting interests. In regard to uniformity of school the opinion of educationists was against one ?et book. He claimed that, the 'School Journal' had done something towards reducing the number of readers required. The syllabus provided for the teaching of hygiene'and temperance, and the reason so little had been done was the absence of suitable material for lessons, but from time to time as part of the hygiene system of the ' School Journal,' temperance lessons were provided, and he had no doubt that in a great many schools that teaching was now reaching 'the children. The. North Canterbury Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union was opened at Christchurch yesterday. A discussion took plaoe on a motion by a delegate—- " That, this branch consider that as strikes are practically impossible on farms, the farming industry should be exempt from the Arbitration Act." The mover said that any attempt to regulate the hours of labor on a farm was -unworkable. The position of farm laborers was better in New Zealand than elsewhere. The motion was carried, with an alteration to the effect that the motion should be a recommendation from the Conference, urging the Government to exempt the farming industry from the operation of the Arbitratioa Act. The following motion was carried:— "That if the Arbitration Act is to remain in operation, no disputes should be brought before the Conciliation Board or Arbitration Court until the majority of workers engaged in an industry vote in favor of it." "Our Own"' wires from Westport:During the hearing of the charge of murder against Halinen and Andereen, the excook of the barque Tacora said that the captain of the ship had 20Mb of tobacco and 501b of cigars aboard. Witness stated that he got tome 501b of tobacco from the captain, and sold the same at 2s 6d per lb. It will be remembered that the two ir.ert now charged with the murder of Bourke were, originally arrested for having a small quantity of un-Customed tobacco in their possession. The Tacora has sine© taken her departure for the Caroline Islands. Deer, wild pigs, and wild cattle a-bonnd in the Sound National Park, saysi the 'VTestern Star.' The deer seem to like their habitat., and are frequently to be seen on the open land skirting Te Waewao Bay. In a few years they should be exceedingly numerous and afford capital eport to lovers of deer-stalking. Tlje flesh of the pigs is reported to be very lean, fern root being their staple article* of diet. With such a wide range of country the cattle are in very good condition, but of inferior quality.Messrs P. M. Hansen and E. H. Morris, traffic inspectors, have been appointed representatives of the Auckland Electric Tramways , Company on the Board of Arbitration to settle the dispute between the company and their employees. Tho union' 6

representatives arc Mr Henry Carter (rootorman) and Mr George Sherry (conductor). These four will meet shortly to appoint an umpire before hearing evidence, and in the event of failure to come to an agreement as to -who shall act the appointment will bo made by the Governor. Tiie Lisbon correspondent of the 'Standard ' tells the following in connection with Senhora Julia Santos, a young woman who, at the risk of her own. life, saved several persons from a fire. She was in straitened financial circumstances, and Queen AmeUe, on the fact being brought to her notice, directed that she be brought to the Palace. The Queen, after affectionately kising the young heroine, promised she would secure her an appointment as a teacher in an elementary 6chool. Senhora Santos expressed her t.hank«, and then timidly gave utterance to her desire to sec King Manuel. The Queen acceded to the request, and the King, on being informed., went to the Queen's salon, where he heartily shook hands with Senhora Santos, and congratulated her on having secured, such a good protector as liis mother, whom His Majesty then affectionately embraced. American husbands ore no longer respon- , ; s-ible for the debts their wive 6 incur in gratifying a passion for extravagant "hats, writes the 'Mail's' New York correspondent. A jury composed of nine married ' men and three bachelors have dismissed a> ■ suit brought in Chicago against Mr L. W. Ferguson, who described himself as one anions thousands of yoang husbands who arc victimised by their wives" desire for the attractive things they see in shop windows. The jury decided that ten-guinea hats cannot be considered part of "the necessary 'liousehold expenses" in Illinois, and that the debt must be recovered from the wife. ~ Mr W. P. Hartley, the well-known Liverpool jam manufacturer, has sent the following letter to the Bishop of Liverpoo l :—"l regret to notice that your action in support of the Licensing Bill is likely to cause some falling off in subscriptions to the diocesan funds. I deeply sympathise with your ac-~" tion, and as a life-long Nonconformist I desire at this time to show my appreciation by enclosing a cheque for £SOO to be used by your lordship for such diocesan funds as may suffer from a lack of support." Mr Hartley is one of the bestknown Nonconformists in the North, and has generously contributed to tl»ir funds. Victor Salvator zu Isenburg-Birstein, son of the Imperial Austrian Grand Duchess Marie Louise, has, the 'Daily Mail' says, married at the registry office at Nuremberg. Fraulcin Anna RohreT, daughter of a hvmble country doctor residing in the neighborhood of his mother's castle near the village of Schlackenwerth, in Bohemia. The Prince has been employed at the motorcar works at Mannheim. He is thirty-six. and has the rank of lieutenant-colonel in (lie German Army. The new Prinoefs zu Isenburg-Birstein was brought up in quite a modest- style, and until a few days ago did all the housework for her family at home. The Prince has known her since she was a litlc girl, and tdicir affection for each other dates back many years. Through hie mother, who was a sister of the late Grand Duke of Tuscany, the Prince is first cousin to Signwa Toselli. the ex-Crown Princess of Saxony. Mr William K. Elliott is probably the only totally deaf telegraphist in the world. Although unable to distinguish any kind of sourM, he is able to perform all the duties required of an operator, and will likely hold his post for many years to come. When he entered the employ of the railway company he serves lie' was possesed of as good ears as any man, but about twenty years ago his hearing began to fail, and being unable to h'ncTa cure, he set about to experiment in order that he would not be thrown out of employment. An oJd horsewhip fell into h'ift hands oiy day. CuLing a piece about 2ft long from the butt end, he attached tc it a metal plate. The other end was placed under the telegraph sounder. Then, placing his forehead to the plate, he received the code through his frontal bone, and solved the problem. Judge Froidevaux, of Berne, a wellknown legal authority, was returning from an excursion, accompanied by two elderlv friends, when they lost their way in the darkness, and attempted to crawl" along a narrow ledge. The Judge, who was in front, lost his Hold and disappeared, with a cry of warning to his companions. He fell 4Coft, and was dashed to pieces. ': lie other men were afraid to proci-.-r] (aj,|.* the 'Express'), and they spent, the night on the ledge. They were vesjuc.il ltxt morning in a half-frozen condition ly villagers. Among the recent, applicants to Mr Fordham, at North London, was a *hort, thickset, middle-aged man. who asked for a summons against his wife for vssault, w,lh a view to a separation. Mr Fordham: Can you show that her brain has become so disordered through drink that she cannot perform her home duties properly?— Yes. Who cooks the dinner?— Well, when there is any cooking I do it. Who wakes the bed?—l do. Who scrubs the floor?—I do. Who di,es the washing?—l do. Summons granted. Mr and Mrs Humphry WaTd (savs the New York corespondent of ' The Times '1 are being shown a great deal of attention during their stay here. The Playground Association of America, in recognition of the splendid work which Mrs Ward has done in promoting play centres for London children, are giving a dinner in her honor on Tuesday at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Mr Richard Watson Gilder will presHn, and the Duchess of Marlborough, who leaves for England on Wednesday, and Miss Jane Addams, of Chicago, will be among the speakers. As a social movement, children's playgrounds have taken a strong hold on this country. Mr Roosevelt is honorary president of the society. In Manhattan nearly three millions sterling'as been spent on playgrounds, and £BOO,OOO in Chicago. It is more as a sociologist than a novelist that Mrs Wiri} is welcomed here, and it is that her work in this direction has inspired a greater interest than her writings, which have so greatly influenced American religious thought. During her visit Mrs WaTd will speak publicly here and in other cities for the purpose of raising funds for Loudon play centres. The return to his native land of Mr Ferdinand Pinney Earle, the wealthy artist-Socialist who astonished America last summer by the proclamation of the doctrine of " soul -mates," took place amid a chorus of derision and banter. Mr Earle was accompanied by his " twin-soul," vrho before their marriage in Italv recently was Miss Julia Kuttner, a Socialist settlemenff worker. The marriage was preceded by a divorce, which the former Mrs Earle a beautiful Frenchwoman, in obedience' to her husband's commands, obtained in France. Mr Earle and his affinity do not intend (the New York correspondent of the ' Mail' says) to return to the village where he formerly lived, for the villagers are still determined to tar and feather their wealthiest landowner if he shows his face in their midst. '