NEAR AND FAR.

Evening Star, Issue 14636, 4 August 1911, Page 5

NEAR AND FAR.

The South Island Fox Terrier Club held their first annual meeting last, evening in the Empire Buildings. Mr E. Webster occvpied the chair, and there were also present Messrs J. W. Thomson, A. HatJiis, R. Conn, B. Ellis, C. L. Thomas, F. Rogen. R. S. Menzies, and G. A. Wycherley. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Tho following ofrico-bearers were then elected : Patrons Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Bart. (South - land). Sir George Clifford, Bart (Canterbury), and Hon. Sir George M'Lean (Otago); president, Mr J. W. Thornton ; vice-presidents—Meecrs F. Ro<jcn (Dunedin), G. I. Moffett (Inver-.-argill). and W. Perry (Christchurch); hon". treasurer, Mr F.. Webster ; secretary, Mr G. A. Wycherley; hon. auditor, Mr R. S. Menace. Two new members were elected, and the matter of a produce stakes was left in the hands of the executive. William Cornish, the youth who served 14 days' imprisonment at Wellington for failing to register as a Territorial, was released from gaol yesterday. An intended demonstration "at the prison gate did not eventuate He will be presented at the Socialists Halt this evening with two medals—one from the Christchurch Antimilitary league and another from the Runanga Miners' Union.

A conference of farmers held at Horrelviile (Canterburv) discussed the grass grub. It was stated that the profits of farmers had been decreased by 50 per cent, as (he result of the ravages of the grub. The only suggestion ae to how to cope with the" grub that was considered likely to be of any use was that the small birds should be allowed a free hand for a year or two. A meeting of collie dog owners was held at the ExceWr Hotel yesterday afternoon, Mr J. Menzies presiding. A lengthy discussion took place on a motion in favor of the formation of a South Island Collie Dog Club Association. Representatives of the following clubs voted for the amendment and against the formation of an associa-tion-.—-Taieri. Cheviot, Waikari. Amuri, Waihemo. Kaikoura, Christchurch, Gore, Bruce, Mossburn. and Malvern. The representatives of Clutha and Strath Taieri were the only ones favoring tho motion. The Mirdites, who constitute, the stormcentre of the Balkans at the moment, are the solitary example, according to Sir Charles Bliot. of an Albanian tribe not divided between Christianity and Islam, all of them being Catholics. Their marriage customs are noteworthy. A Mirdite man who wishes to be respected ought to carry off a Mohammedan brido; while tho Mirdite woman usually marries a Christian of another tribe. So long as ehe is unmarried she must- not speak to or be spoken to bv anv man outside her immediate family circle, and Sir Charles adjures affable strangers to remember that a compliment paid" to a Mirdite beauty means that either th* man or the woman must be shot Two Mirdites who had sworn blood.brotherhood once fell in loyo wiLh the same Turkish woman. They solved the difficulty to Mirdite satisfaction by simultaneously plunging their daggers in her heart.

In a recent address delivered in Melbourne Mr Yung Liang Hwang, Chinese Consul-General for Australia, and late_ ot Wellington, said: "Our people are different from the Europeans, chiefly in color. \ few vears later wo may be able to say different only in color. Our people have phvsical and mental activity. Oar people have some of the greatest qualifications. None have all the qualifications the best civilised men of the world have. The Chinese have brains also. They can studv out things just as well as anyone else." The have big ambition —ambition for education, for good homes, for wealth, for comfort, for luxury, for pleasure, just as much as the white men ot any nation. I do not know whether the Peace Society will help us to the time when we shall understand each other and there will bo no war. but I do know what will help ns. Unless we have the spirit of Christianity and learn to return good for evil,^ peace among the nations is only a dream." Bishop Wilson, of Melanesia, arrived in Sydnev last week. He has completed his last cruire round his extensive diocese. The bishop held confirmations, and dedicated manv churches; in fact, it was a round of farewells. One of the churches dedicated was ~t Nukapu. where Bishop Patterson was killed 40 years ago. An interesting circumstance connected with this was the baptism of a sister of the man who killed the bishop. The Dull group was visited, and four new teachers fe-ft there, all tho people being anxious to join the mission. On the whole, the bishop said tho progress all round was very gratifying. Tho bishop left in the Malaita. "At the mission there was a parting function on July 11. when *.wo addresses were presented—one native and the other from the staff—and i*. i--< said the proceedings were very pathetic The Norfolk Tstand church people and friends gave the bishop an address and a hearty send-off on the evening of the loth, the largo budding being crowded. All denominations' were represented, and the bishop received an ovation.

A young man, Charles Albert Hugh Thompson Horatio Nobon Akeroyd, induced three young women to go through the form of marriage with him within five years. The result was that he was before the Criminal Court in Melbourne last week on a charge of bigamy. On January 15, 1906, accused, after three weeks' acquaintance, niamed one, May Walker. The couple lived under tho marital roof for 12 months, when Mrs Akeroyd left him because he would not support her. In April, ISO 3, he went through the form of marriage with Ethel Frances Decis. The parties in this case lived together for five months, and then accused decamped. About 12 months ago accused became acquainted with Dora Frances Oldham, and again went through the form of marriage, atter "keeping company" for six months. At the conclusion of the Crown case accused withdrew his plea of not guilty, and was remanded for sentence.

Skulls and human bones in great numbers have been washed ashore on the Brittany coast at Plozevet, in the Bay of Audierne. In this bay was wrecked, on January 21, 1797, the Republican ship Les Droits de l'Homme, which had been pursued by two English" frigates, and drove straight on to the rocks of the wild and pitiless coast. Every man on board perished in the shipwreck, except one, an English prisoner. Soon afterwards some 600 bodies were washed up by the sea, and were buried in the sand dunes which encircle the Bay of Atidierne, but which have since been invaded by the sea. With the crumbling coasts the remains of the French sailors were taken back into the deep, and no* once more the sea is giving up its dead.

! In the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr Widdowson, S.M., heard a' case in which Arthur Hobbs claimed from Susan ; Victoria M'Uroy the sum of £2 14s Bd, being one-half of the cost of a boundary fence erected by the plaintiff in pursuance l of a fencing notice sent by the plaintiff to tho defendant. Mr Tonkinson appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Calvert for the defendant. Plaintiff said that ho resided on allotment 5 of the township of Dalmore. He had sent a notice to defendant, who owned the adjoining property, asking her to pay half-cost of the fence, but his request had been refused. There was previously a fence between the properties, but he had altered it by putting up palirps to get more privacy. He admitted that he had not continued the fence along the full boundary. After hearing the argument of both counsel on certain point* of law His Worship gave judgment for defendan/t, with £1 Is solicitor's