ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 210, 11 May 1909, Page 2

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

THE WORLD'S PRESS

King Edward has a rooted aversion to • being waylaid by photographers, and the ( French police, being aware of this dislike, take steps to spare him annoyance. During a recent morning's walk at Biarritz an English lady took several snapshots of the King at very close range, and a French detective, who witnessed the incident, confiscated her films on the spot. ' Law m the Air ' is the title of a paper m the ' National Review,' m which Major Baden-Powell propounds a new problem for legislators. Proceeding on the assumption that m four years' time flying will have become common, he outlines a num- i ber of questions which will then demand settlement — e.g., the rule of the road m the air, the relation of aerial navigators to international frontiers and private boundaries. Finally, Major Baden-Powell notes that it will soon be necessary to decide betwen the claims of the Board of Trade and the Home Office to be the responsible authority for the registration and policing of ■ aerial traffic, unless a new Air Board is specially created. Dismay has been caused m the Berlin students' associations by the conviction of five of their members on a charge of duelling. The accused were sentenced to the lowest ' legal punishment — namely, three menths' incarceration m a fortress. As duelling is prohibited by law m Prussia (says the ' Daily Telegraph's ' Berlin correspondent), those student associations m Berlin which practise duelling are m the habit of meeting m restaurants m the east of the city, vvhere a large number of duels are fought weekly, often with serious results. Ipuring forty-seven and three-quarter years' retirement on pension the Rev. J. D. Palm and his wife drew between them £11,937. The rev. gentleman, who ' died recently at Newport, Isle of Wight, at the age of ninety-three, had been the colonial chaplain of the Dutch Reformed Church m Ceylon, and his wife, who still survives him, was head,, teacher of the girls' school, Colombo, for seventeen years. They retired m 1861, owing to ill-health, upon the pensions of £150 and £100 per annum respectively. Mr Jack London describes m the ' Con- | temporary Review ' the leper settlement of Molokai, which he has lately visited, pointing out that " the horrors of Molokai, as they have been painted m the past, do not exist." What Mr London saw was "a happy colony, divided into two villages and numerous country and seaside homes, of nearly a thousand souls." There are several assembly halls, a band stand, a race track, baseball grounds, shooting ranges, an . athletic club, numerous glee clubs, and two brass bands. One of the features m a fairy play which has lately captured Londoners is a cooking song, recognised as containing deep-seated truths. It is sung by Aunt Caroline, leadeT I of the grown-ups, and the introductory verse runs : — What Power is mine ! By culinary grace I waft the enraptured soul to realms of bliss, Or with a blow from Indigestion's mace I hurl it to the nethermost abyss. Before no rival sway rriy flag is furled : The hand that cooks the dinner rules the world ! Supreme I reign, despotic and alone ! (Softly.) Ah, me, hut I am lonely on my throne .' Conrad Maier, a grocer, living m a suburban town, informed the Frankfort police a few days ago that his pet terrier "Ami " had been stolen. Soon afterwards the police telephoned to Maier that a dog answering "Ami's" description had been found m the possession of a suspiciouslooking man, who claimed that he bad owned thd animal for a long time. The. telephone receiver was placed at the dog's l ear, and Maier was instructed to talk to the animal m familiar language. The dog immediately gave every sign of recognition, and barked with joy. The pseudoowner was so alarmed by thisi display of the animal's sagacity that he immediately confessed lie had stolen the dog. For the last five years the Copenhagen authorities have permitted letters posted during December to hear an . extra stamp, worth about one farthing. The income of this Christmas stamp was intended by the originator of the idea — a clerk at the General Post Office— to found a hospital for consumptive children, of which the foundation stone has just been laid. A pathetic incident is recorded by a Manchester contemporary m connection with the Salvation Army's self-denial week. A poor matchseller m Manchester, who does not take an active interest m the work of the Army through the rest of the year, promised during self-denial week to give a day's profits of her precarious trade. These profits amounted to twopence! A terrible drama is reported from Christiania, Denmark. In the early hours of the day a tramcax-driver named Johansen killed liis wife and three children by stabbing them with a long knife while they were sleeping m their bed 6. He then set fire to the house, and when the fire brigade arrived Joliansen tried to kill the firemen and policemen. Finally, he was overpowered and taken to prison, where he is guarded by six men: j It seems that the poor fellow's brain was turned by the news that he had won about £2,000 m a foreign, lottery. There is a person at Le Mans, France, who is president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and all the members of the Mutual Aid Society of the hatmakens of Le Mans. A few years ago there were 350 members, but although the hat trade gradually left Le Mans the society was never dissolved. From time to time he votes himself a small sum from the funds for help during illness, and gives himself a receipt for it. On© of the provisions m the will of the late Lord Burton is as follows :— " I desire that before my body be placed m the coffin the spine and •■ spinal : marrow of the neck shall be completely severed by a competent surgeon, and the heart removed and placed m., a separate vessel to be enclosed m the coffin." Deceased granted- life annuities of from £200 downwards to many of his old employees. The capital value of these annuities represents over £40,000. Strange stories are being told of mysterious happenings at a house at Eccleshall. Staffordshire. For weeks past the occupants of the house have been amazed at inexplicable occurrences, the crockery and coal m the house seeming bewitched. Coal placed m the fife. grate; 'persists m leaping out m full view of the residents aiid smashing windows at right angles to thd fire. In loss than a week after the weird visitation began every window downstaire ■was broken, and as fast as new windows were put m they got broken again. The fire grate was taken out and the chimney swept, but to no purpose. The coal, however, burns excellently when put on fires m. other people's houses. A man visited the house, pooh-poohing the whole affair, and went and 6tood with his back to the fire. Immediately a piece of coal leaped out and hit his hat;