BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 67, 20 March 1911, Page 6

BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

LONDON SUMMARY,

LONDON, Feb. 3. AUSTRALIAN EX-MINISTER'S

ACCIDENT.

In the King's Bench Division the Hon. Daniel O'Connor, described by his counsel as a prominent Australian statesman, who had twice beenTos*-master-General of New South Wales, sued Mr A. H. M. Kilby to recover oomponsation in respect ot injuries received through being knocked over by Mr Kilby's motor-car in™ Street as he was on his way_to High Mass in Spanish Place. Mr O^onnor said that, after the accident a great, big, strong fellow" threatened to pull Mr Kilby out of the car and was expressing himself freely.when the_ plaintiff reminded him that Mr Kilby had a lady with him. Then someone suggested that he should be driven to_a hospital, "but I id: 'Pr Mwahi take me tc the church,' for I thought I was going to die." Before the accident, proceeded Mr O'Connor, he was regarded as one of the strongest men for his ago in the world. After it, however, ho suffered from sleeplessness -and awful dreams of motor-cars running into him. He had not iiow the strength or the appetite or a child. Ho used to be able to hear perfectly, but could not do since the accident. Under eross-exammation by Mr A. Cohen, the plaintiff said a policeman inquired if he were hurt. f<l thought it a silly question to asK, Mr O'Connor added, amid laughter. Counsel: "Do you swear that you poSSly, if this is the last foment I Cc o/this earth. (^ugM. I hiave seen many escapes and m«cti, murder by motor-car . dr vg:s (Laughter) His^Lor^^ you seen murder? .air . u --™" p» "Yes." (Laughter). "How BMWr. "At least five I saw a %*£%£ not throe weeks ago W?his vS? wmmM disclosed.

BASE.

A NEW NAVAL It is stated that since last yeaftte Admiralty have been concentrating Sals for making Harwich one of-the most important bases fosuV marines and torpedo-boaxs. The need for such a base on the east coast has become more and more apparent, and Ere is no harbor more .suitable for such purposes than Harwich. It lias T Jttov franco, which foreign pilots would probably find difficulty^ m iaviagting. There is no harbor beSS Newcastle and ton* m which such vessels could lie f+ snugly hidden by forts and make swift dashes out to sea It is understood that the port is to.be under a.rear-admrral, and that before summer'comes 900U bluejackets will be stationed there.

THREE PER CENT! CONSOLS. Three per cent, consols were foreshadowed by Sir Felix Schuster, one of the city's most prominent bankers, in a speech he delivered at the half-, yearly meeting of the Union of lx>n&m and Smiths Bank. Ho was discussing the heavy depreciation m British gilt-edged securities, and he put forward four suggestions would* provide remedies for restoring consols to the position they once held as the world's premier gilt-edged security. They were: The conversion of the stock into three per cents., 1 hat the dividends should be paid free o* income tax. The granting of greater facilities for transferring the, stock. The issue of bearer bondfe ot smaller amounts than £100.

STANDARDISING FOOD

The Local Government Board has decided to apply to Parliament - for powers tc fix definite and legal standards for food and drinks; sold m this country. Its aim is to lay down minimum limits ox purity rather than maximum requirement. It will be necessary even when the standards are decided on, to set up a. permanent court of reference, to which all questions may be.referred. All the Jechnical advisers of the board are agreed on tha need for this toessSge to copa with the widespread; abusesi which exist, and other countries,, notably Canada and Australia and the United States, have already given <a lead in the matter.

PRESS CENSORSHIP

The relations between the Admiralty and the Press are under the serious consideration of the Government. There i 3 reason to believe that a modified form of censorship is contemplated by the Cabinet in relation to naval intelligence, and if the measure is sanctioned by the House, of Com-mons-it v/ill oomo into existence in time of peace. Furthermore, there is a probability, as the proposed Bill is not a party measure, that the Admiralty will take it in charge for Imperial'reasons. Any Bill of the land promoted by the Secretary for State for the House Department would be •fchie target of attack for political reasons. It is believed' that if the Admiralty promotes the Bill as a isitrictly non-party measure, Unionists will raise no objection on political grounds.

THIRTY SECONDS TOO LATE

The jury at the inquest on the eleven victims of the Taff Vale railway disaster have returned an open verdict, saying that the evidonce was of such a 'conflicting character that they were unable to locate the blame definitely. They added a rider censuring tba driver of the mineral train for his delay in sending his fireman back to the signal-box when he was detained Arthur Hatchings, signalman at the last signal-box passed by tho train,, said that- as it was passing his box he received s "blocking back" signal. He was greatly alarmed and did not know what to do. If he had had time he would have moved the advanced start signal in half a minute. He did move the lever, but if was then too lato. Thirty seconds after the train passed tho accident took place.

OBITUARY

Several distinguished people Itave died during the last few days. Perhaps the niost prominent was Mr. John Mac-Whirter, R.A., who died at his home in Abbey Road, St. Johns Wood, after ian illness lasting some six weeks. Mr. MacWhirter, who was famous as a landscape painter, had enjoyed •an enormous vogue in .England. Perhaps his most popular picture was "June in the Austrian Tyrol"— an exquisite study in bines and greys. Lc'rd Winterstoke, who has oied at the age of 80, was the head of the great firm of tobacconists— W. D and H. O. Wills—and was one of the leaders in the. great tobacco war of ten years ago when the United

State - invaders wore defeated by the British manufacturers.

NAVAL AND MILITARY EMIGRA-

TEON

A meeting of the Naval and Military Emigration League will be held a* the Royal United Service Institution,1 Whitehall, S.W., on February 8,, under the presidency - of' Field Earl 'Roberts. ' The. objects of the league are to give advice on emigration to ex-Service men; to find openings for them in the oversea Dominions; to advance.- when necessary, the money required to enable them to emigrate, and to look after the when they arrive at their destinations More than 1200 pensioners, time-expired non-pensioned men, and Reservists have received advice personally or by letter since the league was formed. Of these over 200 have migratd; to Canada, Australia, Ny/, Zealand. and South Africa. Both before the league's formation and since the Standard1 of Empire has consistently advocated the service of the very aims it serves.

HOUNDSDITCH CRIMES

Evidence given at the Guildhall during the hearing of the charges against the five Russians who are accused of complicity in the murder of three city police officers in Houndsditch showed • that it was only by a very narrow margin that the deathroll; had not a further addition to it. A woman living in the house facing 11 Exchange Buildings, described how. on the night of the crime, she heard ''crasaes;'" The following morning she found a small hole in, the woodwork in front of the house, and while sweeping the floor later on oame (across a bullet. The leg of a chair was splintered by the- buUet.-' It appeared that her mother was sitting in the chair when the noise was heard, and that afterwards the witness found a hole in hoy skirt.

CORONATION CLAIMS,

The Coronation Court of Claims has been sitting at the Council Office, Whitehall, "under the presidency of the Lord Chancellor. As the result of their deliberations a number of claims which were allowed on the occasion, of the Coronation of King^ Edward were again allowed. With regard to the claim by Lord Grey de Ruthyr. and Lord Loudbun to carry the Great Spurs, and by Lord Hastings to carry (the Second Sword'as well as the Great Spurs, the court found that Lords Loudoun and Grey do Ruthyn had established their claim to carry-the Spurs. It was held that Lord Hastings had not established his claim Sir Marteine Lloyd's claim "to have a place in the procession of their Majesties, after the lords and preceding the baronets, and to carry the- King's silver harp as Lord Marcher of ,the Barony of Kernes," was. disallowed. •

£14,000,000 FOR DOCKS

A great scheme of dock reconstruction and extension is under the consideration of the Port of London authority, which, it is estimated, will eventually cost £14,426,700, while the urgent portion of the Work, which it is recommended should be placed in hand at once, will involve an expenditure of £3,896,700. The urgent work may be summarised as follows: —

£335,000 . will b© spent in improvements, at the London docks, where the net effect will be to increase the usable quayage from 6120 to 8810 lineal feet. The West India Docks will be made suitable for larger -vessels than r.t present at a cost of £960,000 : £12,700 will be. spent in dry-dock extension at the Millwall- Dock, while the construction of a new dock able to accommodate the largest ship afloat j is proposed for the South Albert ' Docks at a cost of £2,339,000. The ' preliminary work for a new dock at ! the North Albert Dock should cost £250,000 [

SECRET STAGE WEDDING.' With much secrecy Miss Zena Dare, i

the well-known musical comedy actress, was married at the registry office in Harrow Road to Captain the Hon. M. V. B. Brett, M.y.0., of the Coldstceam Guards, who is one of the aides-de-camp to General Sir John French. "Inspectors-General of the" Forces1. There were only two witnesses, and later in the day the Hon. Mrs Brett left London for Cardiff, where she is (appearing at the Cardiff Empire in "The Model and the Man." Captain Brett is grandson of the famous Master of the Rolls, Sir Baliol Brett, who was created Baron Esther hi 1885, and was raised to a viscounty on his retirement from the Bench in 1897. ■ . ■■ ■' :■■' .'.'■■ .■'..'■'•;

THE BDY SCOUTS MOVEMENT.

According to the second annual report of the Boy Scouts movement, initiated by Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Baden-Powell, there are now considerably over a quarter ■of a million scouts throughout the world. The report states \that the movementis now. very largolyoiganised throughout England and Wales', extends over the whole of Scotland, and has spread through Ireland. In the Overseas States the movement has been widely taken up, and nearly every British possession or dependency has now several scout centres. The figures for the United Kingdom areas follows: — 553 associations, 3898 troops, 3981 scoutmasters, 3707 assistant scoutmasterj,, and 100,298 scouts—total. 107,986 As the :eturns from the Dominions are at the present incomplete, exact figures cannot be givenFrom about half the Dominions a total of over 15,000 is shown, so the oversea total should be somewhere about 30,000.

THE KING'S PARDON.

The King lias granted a free pardon to James Attwood," who was born at Cluttbn, in Somersetshire, in 1865, and; deserted from - the Marines twentyi-six years ago. Attwood has been living in Philadelphiaj and has never returned home for fear of arrest, attwood has not seen his family since 1880, when ho ran away to sea as a boy of fifteen. He has been hungering to return home for five years, but his case was not covered by the Accession amnesty granted by King George. In several ways the man tried to get a pardon, and finally wrote, personally to the King, regretting his act, and,.explaining that he could not give himself up, as he had a wife and seven children dependent upon him. The ''King interested iajmself in the case, with the result that Attwood has received a free pardou. The man took part in the Egyptian war, ,

THE FLYING FISH

A strange-looking object, which its inventor, M. Rovaud. has christened The Flying Fish, has just been launched at East Cowes. The Flying Fish is an. sero-motqr-boat of the hydroplane type, driven by air propellers There are two practically flat floats resting on-the surface of the water, one at; each end of the machine; Some feet above the surface of the water, resting on supports connected with the floats, is a boat-shaped hull or carriage. There is a large air propeller at the stern, driven by a 56-h.p. Gnome engine, and a small rudder at the bow. The machine is about 20ft long, with accommodation for two people. It is hoped that it will skim over the surface of the water at great speed.

THE GREATEST BATTLESHIP

Britain's biggest am- most powerful warship has been launched at the yard of the Thames Ironworks Company. She will be the one thousand two hundred and twenty-seventh worship built on the Thames. By the time she is finishhed the Thunderer will hiave cost nearly two million pounds sterling. The new Dreadnought will be one of the 600 ft. class, her length approaching that figure, and in breadth she is a few inches short of 90ft. She will have 23,50 Otons displacement, and a horse-power of 27,000, capable of driving her twenty-one knots, with a couple more for a, spurt. Her boilers will be Babcocks, and her machinery Parson's turbines. She will mount ten 13.5 in. guns. Where the other battleships launch 8501b per shell, the Thunderer will fire 12501b. But her

great strength will be in having her five pairs of guns trainable on any given point, so that 12,5001b of metal will leave her at each complete diecharge. Beyond the big guns there are twenty 4in. guns. >

KING-CHARLES I

. In commemoration of the anniversary of his execution, the statue of Oharles I. in Whitehall wias decorated on January 30 with a number of wreaths, the floral tributes being rather more numerous and elaborate than hitherto. The decorations included the following—"From the Society of King Charles the Martyr. Sanete Carole Martyr Beate. Oro pro nobis." "In loyal memory <of the Martyr Monarch and1 of Bonnie Prmoe Charlie, from Lady Muriel Warms'. 'The fayre white rose hath faded: from the garden, where it grew.' " "In loyal and reverent memory of King Charles 1., Saint and Martyr, from the Forget-me-Not Royalists' Club." "In faithful remembrance of King Charles the Martyr, from the Legitimist Jacobite League." A beautitul wreath was sent by the Orders of the White Rose and St. Germain, and its inscription ended with the word l Remember"—uttered by Bishop Juxon before the executioner's axe fell.