NEWS IN BRIEF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 4 October 1926, Page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF.

ITEMS OF INTEREST. BY CABLE—PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYBIOHT. LONDON, Oct. List Alban’s Consistory Court lias decided an interesting question, whether the vicar has the right to forbid an inscription which is not Scriptural upon a. tombstone in the churchyard. The petitioner desired to place four lines from Browning’s “Asolando” upon his father’s grave, beginning “One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward.” The vicar refused to permit this, but the court held that quotations from Browning were allowable. CAIRO, Oct. 2. There has been a remarkable ending of a criminal'case at Nicosia (Cyprus), where the secretary to the ex-King Hiissein of Hedjaz was charged with stealing* £2OO fropi the ex-Queen, who alleged that the -secretary ' was entrusted with the money to be placed in a bank, whereas the secretary said the money was his own. The ex-king said it was contrary to royal procedure and Moslem law for the ex-queen to appear in court, and suggested that the court should interrogate his wife at her home. ' This the court refused to do, and dismissed the case, declaring that it was unable to adjudicate if the principal witness did not.appear to support her allegations. The secretary was released. The stun of £2OO in gold found in his. possession when lie was arrested was restored to him. LONDCON, Oct. 2. The Duke of Devonshire has turned his family estates into a company called Chateswortli Estates, Ltd. He is the seventh duke to adopt this course. The Daily Express says that a landowner thus avoids excessive taxation, ancl is enabled to deduct running expenses of the estate from the income tax, put more money into development, and avoid death duties. TEHERAN, Oct. 2. A number of prominent personages have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot against the Shah. Ishan. It is rumoured that three or four oi the accused were shot at the military headquarters by the Shah’s order. WASHINGTON, Oct. 2.

Approximately ].3,5U0 people were killed and 350,600 injured by automobiles in the United States during the first eight months of 1926. The American Road-builders’ Association announces that plans are being discussed to curb these casualties. LONDON, Oct. 1. It is explained that Punch’s action in declining to punish liquor advertisement meets the American regulations which prohibit the circulation ol newspapers, advertising intoxicants. LONDON, Oct. 2. The strychnine pills which, owing to a chemistls error, contained an overdose of the drug, were recovered by the Shropshire police after a dramatic race against time to prevent them reaching Mrs. Penn. It is now disclosed that the man \Vho telephoned, in response to the warning broadcasted, said that lie had posted the pills to liis wife, who was living near Shrewsbury. He asked that the package should be intercepted, and a constable in. a. fast motor-car reached the wife’s address just as ’the nostman was about to knock on the door. The constable commandeered the package, which is now in the hands of the Birmingham police for analysis. -. ’