NEAR AND FAR.

Evening Star, Issue 14633, 1 August 1911, Page 2

NEAR AND FAR.

The Kiwitea County Council passed ; resolution to the effect that the present cumbersome, expensive, and unfair method of electing representatives for combined districts to harbor boards was quite against the interests of ratepayers in counties and road districts. The council are asking the co-operation of other county councils. The Clutha Council have agreed to co-operate, and to communicate with Mr Malcolm, M.P., in regard to tho matter. A novel wedding took place of! Whitehaven, where Captain Scliraeder, of the Norwegian steamer Rum, was married on the high seas—in this case the Solway Firth, three miles from shore. The parties were unable to meet the requirement of the law of Scotland by residing in a place for 14 days, hence the marriage at sea. On the tug boat which put out wore the Whitehaven Presbyterian minister, the chairman of the Whitehaven Harbor Commissionero, and a magisrate. As soon as the boat got outside the three-mile limit the marriage ceremony was performed. A little incident which occurred recently shows how very particular the King ic with regaid to the training of his boys (says the Windsor correspondent of the ‘Daily Express’). Two of tho younger ones' were riding near His Majesty when the cavalcade passed some men who were working on the road. The men removed their hats, and the King at once doffed his own hat. His Majesty noticed that the hoys, in the enthusiasm of their gallop, had not followed his example. Ho immediately called a halt, took the Princes back to the workmen, and ordered them to remove their bats. This was, of course, done, and the Royal boys are not likely to forget their duty in this respect again. The Corporation of Hertford having asked the Marquess o? Salisbuiy if ho would be willing to sell Hertford Castle and its grounds for the public use of the inhabitants, His Lordship has replied that j he would not sell the property or; any consideration, but that he wovdd be quic willing to let it to the Corporation on a long lease at the nominal rental of half a crown a year. The Corporation have gratefully accepted this generous offer. The castle property, which is in tho centre of the town, has" been in tiio possession of the Cecil family for about 500 years. The present building is comparatively modern, but there are some interesting remains of the ancient castle and its surroundings. The grounds are about five and a-half acres in extent, and are very pretty, with the River Lea running through them. An extraordinary mistake was made at Werribce (Victoria) last week (says the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’). Patrick Boyhan, an elderly man. informed some friends at Mooneo Ponds that his wife had died during the morning at their residence at Werribce. He afterwards visited an undertaker. and ordered a coffin, and also gave infiructions that tho death notice was to be inserted in each cf the three metropolitan papers. The death was advertised in the evening paper, Tho undertaker was astounded in the evening when Boyhan rang him up, and informed him that on reaching home he found his wife alive, and sitting up in bed. Arrangements for the funeral were immediately stopped, and steps taken to prevent the insertion of tho death notices in tho morning newspapers, j A man, who says he has gone into the i subject carefully, estimates that a sea battle | would cost in ammunition alone at least j £1.200,000 an hour. A single shot from ! a 14in gun. such as the new American battleships New York and Texas and the | future Dreadnoughts will use, costs £l2O, and two or three shots may be fired every minute; while shots from lesser guns will be fired with greater rapidity. j Apropos of the question whether it is | correct for a private individual or a public ! institution to fly the Royal Standard in j honor of the King, an authoritative decision | has just been published at Home. This declares that His Majesty alone has the right to fly the Royal Standard, as ’neing his royal and personal flag. Its exclusive use by the King indicates His Majesty’* presence at one of the Royal residences, or on board ship, or in camp, therefore “ tho Jack” is the national flag that may*be used cn all occasions for public display. Mr Rodman Wanamakcr. the Philadelphia business man. and the son of All - John Wanamnker, is the most heavily insured man in the world iaccording to tho ‘New York Herald - ). He has just added another £IOO,OOO to his life insurance, making the total sum £900,000. A magnificent holograph letter by Katherine of Arragon to her nephew, tho Emperor Charles V.. relating to her divorce, at the sale in London recently, fetched £BOO after spirited bidding, and a letter by Katherine Parr to her brother, Ix>rd Parr, i referring to her marriage to Henrv, reached : £175. j The Glasgow- Corporation Amalgamation : Committee have recommended the corpora- i tion to proceed with a provisional order i for an extension of the city by the inclusion i of the burghs of Govau, Partick, Ruther- j glen, and Polloksliaws. and several- large ; county areas. The scheme, if sucessful. j will add 2,000 acres to Glasgow, with an j additional population of considerably over j one and a-half millions. Under the scheme Glasgow would again become second city, I Strange stories come from time to time from Bochum. ■in Germany. The latest | is that of an enterprising cafeticr, who re- i cently announced that, beginning cn the I following Sunday, all his patrons would be attended bv ladies in the jupeculotte stylo of skirt-. ' All went well, the cafe was crowded, and the cafetier w £iS pleased with his idea, but he has not had the last- laugh. This was the privilege of tho municipal authorities, for they have mulcted him in a theatrical license for giving public performances. A farmer who resides at St. Usurgues, in Snone-et-Loire (France), has just had his 30th child baptised. The old man has been married three times, and has had 17 sons and 13 daughters, while 22 of his children are alive to-day. The entire village escorted the proud parents to the church to witness the christening of No. 30. At New York the other day President Taft administered a deserved rebuke. When making a strong speech in tho Jewish City Temple he referred to the action of certain clubs in which “ upstart sons of wealthy parents ” were in the habit of blackballing applicants for admission who were “ their sunoriors in brains, ability, and deportment." The Presidentasserted that it was passible for worthy men to be blackballed these days by two or three individuals “who are not lit to blacken their shoes.” The Presidents allusion Is said to have reference to the action of more than one club in New York that recently blackballed candidates be- j cause they -did not bear the hall mark of a university.