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Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10672, 23 January 1911, Page 3

In lin'je <lays when so much is hoard nf Hi.- si ruined relations between ompluver :■:■'! worker, says the New Zealand Tiin.-s, it is a pleasure i -to be able In reiord an' instance of generosilv ni' which one of the immediate and effects must be to strengthen and preserve mutual confidence. In .March last a young Australian miner was killed by an explosion in a lleeflon mine. 'Ho had been the principal support of his widowed mother, but.as she was resident in Victoria she was unable to claim under the Workers' Compensation, the Act of 1.908 containing express provision excluding Sersons not domiciled or resident in W Zealand at the date of the accident. ' The hardship of the case was intensified bv the circumstance that the deceased liad built a cottage and intended shortly bringing his mother to this country to Jive with him. When the case was submitted to Mr I'. .1. O'Regan, in his capacity of solicitor for the union, of wliich deceased was a member, he advised that the mother had no claim, but he ventured under the circumstances to apply to the employing company the Consolidated Gol'dfieids of New Zealand—-for_ a compassionate allowance for her. The attorney for the company, Mr D. Ziman,'of Reefton, has now replied enclosing a cheque for £IOO for the poor woman. The gratuity may be interpreted as a tacit protest against "the domicile clause" ot the Workers' Compensation Act, but it is a kindly act which cannot be too highly praised. Of the medals awarded by the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music for the local examinations, the gold medal in the Advanced Grade has been won by Miss Mary Ingerton, Wellington (singing), 138 marks, and the silver by Miss Queenie Foster, Dunedin (pianoforte), 185 marks. In the Intermediate Grade the gold medal is awarded to Miss Alison Tucker, Dunedin (pianoforte), 140 marks, and the silver to John Haddon Barr Dunedin (piano), 135 marks. Miss Maud. Malcolm, or Wellington, won the Victor Harris memorial, gaining 134 marks in the Advanced Grade Violin examination.

The North Ofcago Mounted Rifles were to have competed to-day for the Nichols Shield, but owing to the harvest the- attendance was so small that the competition had to be abandoned. The competition comprises jumping over hurdles and shooting at unknown ranges, four sections of eight men and a non-commissioned officer being required. Colonel Logan arrived from Duncdin this morning to supervise.

Mystery surrounds the recent visit of H.M.S. Cambrian to the Three Kings in connection with the report furnished bv the officers of the Powerful that the islands are placed wrongly on the Admiraltv charts, says the Dominion. She is now'in Wellington, but has no report to make. <; lt has been common knowledge for some years past," said a wellknown authority to a reporter on Fridsiv, 'that the islands comprising the Three Kings group are, out of position on the Admiralty chart in their relation to one another, but that is neither a menace to navigation nor does it affect it, for vessels do not com© witbm ten miles of them as a rule, and the Big King is correct in regard to its position to the New Zealand coast. That is the island which is sighted by any vessel passing near them. The only vessels which have to be careful regarding their positions when navigating near the islands are those which go there under special circumstances —to examine depots, for instance." In regard to the Three Kings the "New Zealand Nautical Almanac" publishes some interesting information and indicates defects on the chart which are well known to captains trading between Sydney and .Auckland. The public have, as yet, only a Faint idea how defective the charting of our coasts really is.

A telegram somewhat mutilated iu transmission, says the Evening Post, caused not a little distress in the family of a well-known Wellington builder recently. The builder in question, accompanied by his daughter, went to Auckland for a holiday, leaving in the best of health. Two days ago the family was startled to receive the following wire from the daughter: "Father died. Will be home Friday." Then the wires were set going, and explanations sought. But it was another case of the report of a man's decease being greatly exaggerated. What had been wired down originally was: —"Father and I will be home Friday." On December 27, 1910, a man named Edward Donaldson came to Oamaru from Duntroon, having evidently derived much enjoyment from' watching the sports and drinking in botween times. At Oamaru railway station late jit night he developed a desire to travel to Palmerston by goods train No. 279. Despite efforts to stay him he boarded the train, clambering on to a truck. When he was found he was locked, in the guard's van, but from there he made his escape and clambered round the train till he again found a truck. His actions, dangerous to the railway officers on the train, were doubly dangerous to himself, and it is a marvel that he met with no harm. This morning, before Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., the adventures of the 27th were rudely recalled to the memory of Donaldson by a long list of charges which represented a concise little history of his doings. The charges were (1) that not being a railway servant he did open a railway carriage by means of an instrument; (2) obstructing a railway officer while in execution of his duty: (3) getting upon a train in motion; (4) doing an act which endangered the lives of persons on the railway; (5) trespassing on a railway. To. all charges Donaldson pleaded guilty. On the second charge he was convicted and sentenced to 30 days' hard labor, on the fourth fined £l, and on the others convicted and discharged.

The following* gives the rainfall for the mouth on \December, 1910, at the station.? mentioned:—Benmore 1.70 in, Otekaike 2.15 in, Arnmore (Windsor) 1.51 in, Totnra 1.33 in, Oamaru 1.27 in, Trotter's Creek (Hillgrove) 2.31 in, Bushey Park (J'nlruerstpn South) 2.06 in. Major-General .Godley, Goramandant of the New Zealand Territorial Forces, will visit Dunedih this week, travelling by the first express on Thursday. On Friday evening the Commandant will meet the officers of the Otago district at the Diinedin Officers' Club in the Garrison Hall, when matters concerning the hew era of defence will be discussed. Lo'cal officers are asked to be present. : Ab'the Magistrate's Court tin's morning Hairy Robertson was charged that oji January 21 he remained stationary on the footpath after being requested by a police constable to move on. Complaints having been made regarding loiterers this information had been laid. ■Robertson pleaded not guilty, and, conducting his own defence, called evidence to show that the spot whereon he was stationed, a window-sill at. the corner of the Queen's Hotel, was not in the street, also that he had the permission of the occupier, D. Brown, to sit there. His Worship dismissed the irxformatign.

/ With' arrests by "wireless," an anarchist siege in London, and such ;sensational events of daily occurrence, "the saying that "truth is stranger than fiction" has become a saying exceedingly trite. Even .Titles Verne and '.William Le Queux have to own themselves fairly beaten by a cablegram "agent. The fiction latest turned to truth is an amusing story by W. W. Jacobs, which finds a certain parallel in the case of "the Tantanoola tiger." Jacobs, readers of his works wiD.", remember, made much humor by his tale of "A Tigefskin/' aided fey which, trophy and a tiger scare, 'Enery Walker was enabled to gather, much spoil from his neighbors' hen roosts and pig pens. The Tantanoola tiger, raided on a grander scale, for the noole striped beast of Jacobs' tale did .not

disdain to enter 'Enery Walker's window and steal a pound of sausages'.. 7 Thieves as well as smugglers sometimes go on strike in Poland. Not long ago a correspondent of Le Siecle wrote that lie was "somewhat at the sight of this proclamation on. the walls of a Polish town: 'We, the Associated Thieves of Poland, beg to v announce that we are about'to abandon our profession. Hitherto the police have been content with 50 per cent., of our takings. They now announce their intention of levying 75 per cent., leaving us a, beggarly 25 kopecks for every rouble stolen. We implore the police to .reconsider this decision, otherwise ' we' shall be compelled to strike, the game not being worth the candle.' This'proclamation, signed 'A Band of Polish Thieves,' reads like a burlesque. It is, however, taken seriously by the Russian newspapers." ' . When the steamer Mainari, which arrived in Sydney with 490 immigrants, reached Capetown, says the "Sydney Morning Herald," a number of those on board, not content with having "a jolly time" there, laid in a secret stock of Honor on hoard for celebrating New Years Eve. When the fateful night arrived the liquor was produced, and a convivial gathering rapidly developed into a wild carouse, so much so that the steward appealed to the captain. Lights were turned out, but the din. continued, and the captain threatened to drench the roysterers with cold water. The men openly defied him. "I'd like to see you turn the hose on me," said one. They refused to leave the dining saloon, and as the room was in darkness, and they kept striking matches, thereby exposing the ship' to the risk of lire, the captain's next order to the steward was: "Send for the . boatswain, and tell him to get the seamen to connect the hose." Captain Holmes stood on the stairway, and the second officer stood by him in case of trouble. The hose was brought, and the captain said to the second officer, "Tell them to turn the water on full as soon as my whistle goes." He took out bis watch, and, addressing the men. said, "I give you two minutes. If yon are not all in your berths in two minutes, I'll have the hose turned on you." The. men took the hint and went, and their little watch-night gathering came to a sudden end. Amusing indeed is a letter from Shanghai, which has been received by the Labor Department. It is addressed: "Australia, Wellington,. New Zealand. To the Labor Offise." It has the Shanghai stamp. The text of the letter is as follows: —"Shanghai, December IG. To the Labor Office. — I beg you to bo so kindly and if it is possible to find somo place for me. My business is to be a grovor, and I know mine work perfectly. I intended to goto New Zealand from Shanghai next month. I shall bo very obliged to you of your trouble about it. I remain yours respectfully, ." The writing is excellent. The brewer even in . the sixteenth century played an important role. In those early days, however, he was more of a public man. And suffered accordingly. In 1533, for example, the City of Loudon authorities decided that if "any of the saide brewers,, of their frowarde and perverse myndes, shall at any time hereafter suddenly forbears and absteyne from bruyiugo, whereby the King's subjects shall be destitute or unprovided of drynke," the penalty should be the confiscation of the idle brewery. These City fathers, who. had a keen eye' for emergencies, went further. They were prepared at ; a moment's notice to carry on the business themselves.

Happily, our King George is spared the mental torture experienced by the earlier Georges by reason of the numerous cases of capital punishment for which they had to sign the warranto. Of George 111., for example, it is said that he kept a register of all the cases of capital punishment—it was then a capital offence to open without authority a letter addressed to another —that ho entered in it the names of all felons sentenced to death, with dates and particulars of convictions, together with remarks upon the reasons which induced him to sign the warrants. It is also recorded that he frequently got up at night to peruse Hie. fatal list, and that he shut himself up closely in his private rooms during the hours appointed for the execution of criminals. No wonder he went mad. Of the merciless operation of the law iu those times the most striking example, perhaps, is the case of a woman sentenced to death at Aylesbury for some trifling offence. The warrant for execution was overlooked, and she remained in prison for some years, going out occasionally, as it was then the custom to allow well-behaved prisoners to do, as charwoman or washerwoman to residents of the town. The warrant ultimately came to light, and the officious clerk forwarded it for due execution. The woman was away at the wash-tub when a turnkey touched her on the shoulder. "Come along, missus," he said. "The warrants come, and you've got to he hung tomorrow." Wiping the suds from her arms, the woman followed him. If you believe in insurance, get a box of Stearns' Headache Cure and thus possess a headache insurance policy which has no equal. 35 The opening of a prize-fight with prayer and the- singing of hymns was the curious spectacle offered at Akron, Ohio, where the prizefighter Kaufmann. contested a dozen rounds with Kilbane. The fight was not to be a brutal one, and in order to make it moro popular the Rev. John Biederwolf was asked to lend his presence. When he learned that the Mayor was to be at the fight he consented, as he said "A good sparring match does nobody's soul any harm." Before the fight began the Mayor introduced the clergyman to the audience, and, to the surprise of everyone Mr Biederwolf asked them to sing a popular hymn. The hymn was sung while the contestants in the ring waited, and it was an awe-inspiring sight, the spectacle of local sportsmen .singing religious music as a prelude to a prizefight. Mr Biederwolf followed the hymn, which he himself led, with, a prayer, which came as a second surprise, and then the parson announced that he intended to stay as a spectator. This he did, and nobody enjoyed the points of the match more than he. The fight ended in a draw. Recovery from wasting and weakening diseases is hastened Iby use of PHOSPHOL. Phosphol begins with a "P." For a First-class Haircut and Shave go to Dan Costelioe's Saloon, Thames street. Distressing Blemishes. —Violet Snow Cream is a positive remedy for Superflbus Hair. An excellent depilatory is enclosed with every bottle. Price 4s 6d at all leading chemists, or Mrs Hemsley Burnet's Hairdressing Rooms. Tyne street, next P. C. Hjorring's, Solicitor. There is of ten. a fortune in a simp e idea that is patentable. The thing is to invent something useful, and secur3 ' tho rights to yourself. If you don't secure these rights, someone else will, and they will- make a fortune out of your idea. The best plan in patent matters is to seek the services of reliable and experienced people like .Messrs Baldwin and Rayward, whose local representative is Mr E. Pipar, Thames street. The ladies of Oamaru and districts will be delighted to learn that Mrs Hemsley Burnet, principal of Hemsley Burnet, Ltd., Ladies' Hair Specialist, lias opened un a branch of tho business in Tyno street, next Hjorring's, solicitor. The new business will carry full stocks of ornamental hairwork, nets, etc., just imported from the best Paris houses. Mrs Hemsley Burnet will be in Oam ru personally for a few days, and extends a general invitation for a visit to her rooms. 100Q