NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR

Evening Star, Issue 12982, 19 June 1908, Page 1

NEWS FROM NEAR AND FAR

The No-license Convention at Wellington yesterday decided thai the question of.torn, perance instruction in the public echools was left- in the bands of the Alliance Executive. Mr G. B. Nicholls moved, on behalf of the Awarna electorate, that the Affiance approach Parliament asking that the provision for the half poB necessary in contested elections bo deleted from the Statute Book. The thimble wa6 originally cafied a thumb bell by the English (because worn on the thumb), then a thumble, and finally its present name. It was a Dutch invention , and was first glass and pearl. In China beautiful carved pearl thimbles are seen, 'brought to England in 1695. Thimbles were formerly made only of iron and brass, Jwit in comparatively late years they have been made of gold, silver, steel, horn, ivory; and even gloss and pearl thiinbies are seen, bound with, gold and with the end of gold. The first thimble introduced into Siani was a bridal gift from the King to the Queen; it is shaped like a lotus bud, made of geld and thickly studded with diamonds arranged to spell the Queen's natne. A Melbourne lady lost in (the city a bag containing about 30s in cash, some'private papers, and half a dozen cigars, which sho was taking home to her husband. The loss was duly advertised in the newspapore, and the finder was requested to return the bag to the address given. Two or throe days later the postenan detivemd at the house a letter bearing the address cHy. The lady opened the letter .and read: " Dear madam, —I am returning you the purse which you lost on Monday eveninc. My companion found it, but I persuaded him to let me return it to you. I hope you will Tcceive it safely, except for the cash, which we kept. Of course, you will not mind that, as your purse seems—or, I should say, bag seems—a very nice one. My comipanion remarked if you provided your husband with smokes similar to those which you had in your bag, your choice wis perfect, as he said they were uncommonly good, and I can second him on it. Never mind, I am very pleased to return it to you.—Albert." An Empowering Bill will be submitted to Parliament during the coming session by* the Wellington Harbor Board. The objects of the measure are to enable the Board to purchase or take compulsorily the patent slip, and to purchase or take oompulsorily land at Evans Bay for reclamation .purposes, and to enable the Board to borrow £1,000,000 for the above purposes, equipment of patent slip, installation of workplant, and machinery in connection with itine graving docks and slips, construction of quays, extension of wharves, purchase of cranes, etc London is about ifco try pengmns' eggs as a new breakfast dainty. The first consignment of these eggs has been received from Cape Colony. Sixpence each will be charged for the eggs, 4,800 of which have been placed on the market. Mr C. Du 1\ Chiappini, the Cape Government's Trades Commissioner, has been laTgely instrumental in introducing penguins' eggs to Great Britain. The eggs are obtained from the islands surrounding the south-east coast of Africa. Thp industry of collecting and selling the eggs is owned and controlled by the Government of Cape Colony, and in Caps Town the eggs are more general J y eaten tfiin hens' eggs. The penguin's egg is nearly twice ttie size of the average hen's egg. The shell is pure white, while the only peculiarity of the " meat" of the egg is that the "white" is a bright sea-green color. The yolk is large, and a rich yellowin color. The eggs are slightly "fishy" in taste. Mr A. S. Adams presided at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Alliance, held in Wellington yesterday. Mr Wesley Spragg, of Auckland, was elected president. The following resolutions were passed: " That this annual meeting of the New Zealand Alliance, assembled in Wellington, expresses deep regret and indignation that, in response to the request of the British Government for information respecting tlio working of Local Opt Son in the Dominion, the Minister of- Justice failed to give any adequate response to that request." It is understood that the Edison machine which a syndicate composed of Wellington and Taranaki speculators is about to put to a test for working the black sand beaches on the West Coast of this island for the recovery of gold has been operated with great success in the recovery of gold from beaches and rivers in America. The syndicate is an influential one, and tie members are undeterred by previous failure.-, such as the ordinary suction and bucket dredges, which were unable to contend wIUi the hardened substrata where the gold is "located. The Edison machine separate l -the black from the grey sand, br-t it has ytt to be proved whettier it is successful in saving the fine gold, and its efficiency in lifting and disposing tailings has to be Mr J Carter, an American expert, is at piosent on the West Coast preparing for a trial of the machine. It- is understood that a second syndicate wfll bo formed soon in Wellington to acquire a machine for lifting and saving 'beach gold which has been planned by a West Coast inventor who has had many years' experience there. Three bieaoh of promise cases «re likely to occupy the ettitention of the Court ;ii Paknerton North in the near future. In one of jthe cases a claim for £5Ol is made. The faithless young man had been engaged for eight years, and during a weekla boiidav in another part of the Dominion be transferred his affections to another vounc kwdv whom he married forthwith, "beiice the claim. At the inquest in connection with t:>o death of Mr J. Gilroy, chief engineer of the Kaituna, a verdict of "Accidental deafch" was returned, no blame being attachable to anybody. A rider was idd;l that the Railway Department should be recommended to station a man on the wharf side of the railway crossing to wain pedestrians and others of the danger of sbaiuv.i;; operations. Tfae Coroner said he agree. 1 with the rider, and would forwaed i: ta the General Manager of Railway*.