HOME AND FOREIGN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6493, 13 April 1908, Page 3

HOME AND FOREIGN.

RAT CAUSES DARKNESS. The town of Charloltenburg, which ro phvr-ioAlit continuous wun, though Administratively seijartato from, Derlin, was suddenly plunged Isays tho Rerlm correspondent of the “Daily Te'cgrapa ; into darkness the other evening by a failure of the electric current. Three railway stations, several, theatre*, and innumerable restaurants were affected by the sudden deprivation, and some extraordinary scones of connmion were reveal od by the light of hastily-sought lamps and candles. The stoppage, which lasted half an hour, was caused by a rat, which had jumped among the bus bars at the power station. It is the second occasion on which Charlottenbuig has been deprived of by euch a cause. SENT HIMSELF TO PRISON. Mr James Austin, the senior police court magistrate at Toledo, Ohio, in order to ensure that prisoners were accorded a fair and human© treatment, underwent exactly the same routine as a potty thief for twenty-iour hours. Mr Austin describes how ho sentenced himself to a day’s imprisonment. “I rod© shackled to the convict prison," h© says, "because other prisoners aro taken In that manner. I was measured, booked, fed, and given a ceil, and worked as a prisoner. Tho time £ sptnt alone in a cell lias rectified my former views of time, for I know there are more than sixty minutes in an hour when yon spend that hour in a ceu±, with nothing to smoke, or read, or write, and no on© to talk to, and only tno slant of th© shadows on the wall to let yon know what time it is,” in consequence of his soif-impoaod sentence Air Austin recommends a number of reforms. A GIRL’S BRAVERY. SMUGGLER SAVED FROM DEATH BY UIS DAUGHxHR. Tho Geneva correspondent of tho “Daiiy Telegraph*’ states that-a splendid act of heroism was performed the other .day by a smuggler’s daughter near tho summit o: tho Fraele Bass, 7200 feet high, on th© Swiss-Italian frontier. An Italian smuggler fell over a precipice on the Swiss-Italian frontier, ills daughter, a girl of 18, to whom, ho was tied, held bravely on tor an hour, refusing to cut th© rope when a rescue party arrived. The man was saved, and the girl was carried down the mountain unconscious. BRAVE MINERS RECOGNISED BY THE KING. The King received at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, February 20, tho two miners, Mr Chandler, of Barnsley, and Mr Everson, of south Wales, and conferred upon both of them the newly instituted Edward medal for gallantry in mines. His Majesty received tho miners m tho room m which he usually holds his Councils. He was attended by tho Homo Secretary, tne Master and Deputy-Master of the Household, and the Lord Groom and Equerry-in-Wait-ing. The King received the two miners very cordially, and Mr Gladstone read out the record of their respective brave deeds. His Majesty thetn handed to each tho Edward modai, remarking—’T am glad to receive two such brave men,, and have great pleasure in handing you eacn a modal in recognition of your gallant acts.” The King then shook hands with tho miners, and before bidding them Jhrewell, displayed special interest in tho Barnsley man, who belongs to a family of East Lynn, near Sandringham. Refreshments wore served to th© men at tho Palace, and when tnoy left a great crowd outside loudly cheered them. A DEFIANT SUNDAY TRADER. A WEEKLY FINE. Mr Jacob.Popp, tobacconist and neweagent, of the pretty Bucks village of High Newcombc, nas just had his 325th summons for Sunday trading. For six years he has been regularly summoned and paid 15s, including costs, and regularly every Monday ne gees his summons. There aro two alternatives to paying the hne, viz., two hours in th© stocks, or servcln days imprisonment in gaol; and Mr Popp wanted to be placed in the stocks, but they had been removed, and He could not get tho magistrates to replace them or construct others especially for his benefit.- If they would make an imprisonment two days instead of seven ;he says ho would go into gaol, but ha can’t spare a week from business. It is not likely, however, that he will close the shop when he takes between ,£3O and *£3o every Sunday. After two and a half years the fine was reduced to 7s 6d, including costs, and he has paid it regularly ©very week since. The total amount he has paid is and ho calcnlates he has kept three policemen in clothes every year. Just recently tie sent the magistrate's clerk a cheque tor a quarter s fines in advance to save trouble, but he returned it. , GLASGOW CORPORATION AND J SUPERANNUATION. Tho Glasgow Corporation’s Special Committee on Superannuation at their lost meeting had before them a inomorUndum focussing the points considered at recent meetings. The following leading principles of the new scheme will be °i interest to ratepayers and servants of the City of Wellington: (1) That the superannuation scheme be only for the benefit of employees contributing to it* and whose entire working time is spent in the service of the Corporation. (2) That it be limited to employees, whether «*age-oarners or on salary, whose ©molaments do not exceed M 4 per week or .£2OB per annum. (3) That it be abligatory on all employees of the Corporation whose earnings are within the limits indicated in No. 2 to contribute from the date of th© scheme being put in operation, (4) That only employees who htive contributed for ten years or upwards be entitled to the full benefits of the schemo. (S) That employees on reaching the age of 60 may, and on reaching the age of 55 shall, resign. (6) That employees who have not contributed for ten years etaill, on the termination of their employment by death or resignation, be entitled to repayment of the amount of their own contributions, with interest at, say, 2i per cent. (7) That employees whoso wages or salaries eventually rise beyond £i per week stoll cease to benefit from the scheme as from and after the date when the limit of per week is exceeded. Such employees shall b© entitled on ceasing membership to repayment of the amount of their own contributions, with interest at. say, 21 per cent. (8) ThUt employees whs ihave contributed for tea years or np(wards shall be entitled to a pension at the rate of one-sixtieth of their average salary while in the service of the Corporation for ©very completed service subsequent to tho date of the scheme being put in operation, but not exceeding a maximum of two-thirds of such average salary. The above recoir mendations, if adopted, will mrtm a considerable advance on the scheme of pensions now in force in Glasgow. Under the latter employees required fifteen years service to qualify for a pension, and tie minimum age of retirtil (except where superannuated owing to an accident) was sixty-five years. It will b' seen that both of these terms have be»n reduced five years. Under the old •scheme tho maximum pension to "«\iges” men, was ■£! weekly, under the new this will be increased to two-thirds the average salary corned during all tho years of service. This scheme in eludes all tramway and other employees •with the exception of the Police Perec, tW.it body having a superannuation scheme of its own.