HERE AND THERE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 102

HERE AND THERE.

—France's Prosperity.— A pamphlet from the pen of an anonymous writer (says the Pa.ris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph) gives some eloquent figures as to the financial position of France. It is entitled "Quatre Ans da Republique, 1906-1910," and in one very noteworthy chapter it is asserted that France , 4ias"i'or several years past become the banker of the world. "The total revenue of the capital possessed by the French," it says, "has been estimated at £BBO 000,000, and is increasing every year by' more' than £80,000,000. The amount of the savings bank deposits, which was £4,600,000 in 1878, rose on January 1, 1903, to more than four times this sum, distributed among 12,847,599 bank books. The stock of gold, which is an element of defence of primary importance in the event of an armed conflict, has exceeded in 1910 the figure of £240,000,000, which is far higher than the total of the monetaa-y stocks of several great nations of Europe combined. The gold kept at the Bank of France alone represented more than £120,000,000 on March 24, 1910, and the silver £35,000,000. The French Rentes are nearly at par, and the credit of no other nation, England excepted, can rival that of ctur country." With a view to ascertaining the accuracy of this statement, the Matin has referred the question to the Ministry of Finance, and has been assured that, as the officials put it, "the figures given for the savings banks and our monetary stock are strictly exact, and are in conformity with out own, statistics." The Ministry also furnished the following, instructive fibres as to the total deposits in the savings banks in 1869, the year before the war with Germany broke out, in 1880, in 1890, in 1900, and 1905\ In 1869 these deposits amounted to £24.440,000; in 1880 to £51,200,000. In 1890 they had risen to £ll6 480,000; in 1900 to £130,560,000; and in 1908 to £180,000,000. So the treasure contained in the national "Bas de Laine," or long stocking, has sextupled in 40 years. —Evening Dress Cafe Closed.— After an existence of less than four months the famous Cafe de I'Opera, New York's most expensive and select restaurant, has closed its doors owing to lack of custom. There are two reasons for this — one because in this most expensive of cities this restaurant was hyperexpensive, and the second, frankly stated by the management, is that the inflexible rule that its guests should wear evening d,ress killed the cafe. The place was opened with great ceremony and advertisement last December, and, being located in the midst of the theatre district and catering to the most expensive tastes in New York, it seemed to have every chance of success. The proprietors even induced, at a salary of £IO,OOO a year, Mr Henry Pruiger, of the Savoy Hotel in London, io become the manager of the venture, but, despite excellent management, a lavish display of the money element, and the best cooking, the enterprise has lost thousands of pounds. The proprietors, who have been obliged to make-an" assignment, ascribe the failure of their venture chiefly to the reluctance of New Yorkers generally to wearing evening clothes, and no one, either man or woman, was allowed to dine at the Cafe de l'Opera unless he or she conformed to this custom. "Why," said one of the management, "the number of our patrons has not on any day equalled the number of servants maintained on the staff. We have 730 waiters and others connected with the establishment, and night after night not more than half of the rooms have been used, and dozens of table;? stood unoccupied." The cafe will be taken over by another company, and probably run on different lines. —The St. Bernard Dogs.— People never tire of reading about the famous St. Bernard dogs and their work in the snow, and there is a very readable article by Harold J. Sbepstone in the Boy's Own Paper, giving some remarkable particulars gleaned from M. Bourgeois and Father Darbellay, who live in the thousand-year-old monastery. "You may be interested to learn," one of them tells him, "that the elder dogs train the younger ones. Their training is really very simple. During the summer months, when we are not so, busy, some of the assistants at the monastery take the younger dogs out in the and hollows, where there is always si:.;w. One man will lie down in the snow and bury himself in it, and then a dog will be sent to look for him. The animal' is taifjbt to bark when he has found him, and also toi rouse the man up if he is asleep. When the man wakes tip and stands on his feet the dog leads him to the hospice, running along in front to show him the way. We never send out the females to look for travellers, only the males. Before the advent of the telephone the dogs carried a flagon of wine tied to their collars, and food strapped to a saddle on their backs. Now they only carry the

wine, because it has been found that the weight of the food only hinders their progress through the snow. The beverage carried is the famous red wine of Piedmont. Frequently the dogs will remain out in the snow for eight and ten hours at a time, taking little food' and no rest whatever. Before now I have known them to be out in the bitter weather for 20 hours at a stretch, with little to eat, but apparently suffering no ill-effects from the exposure.*" The community at this interesting institution numbers 17 monks and some 15 guards, assistants, and labourers. They are all chosen men, possessed of great physical strength. They remain at the hospice 15 years, unless their health breaks down previously. —World's " Temple of Peace."— The building of the world's "Temple of Peace" gees on apace. The foundations —a difficult undertaking at the Hagueare now complete, being 25ft deep. Few beyond Americans and Dutch appear to interest themselves in the growth of this wonderful building, to which all nations are contributing. The gifts from Norway, and Denmark are already in their place, far the base of the palace is face with Norwegian granite, granite is built into the side walls and terraces, and the Swedish granite finds a place in the balustrades of the terrace. America, already to the fore with Mr Carnegie's gift, is sending some special statuary. France will contribute _ the Gobelin tapestries for the great Arbitra tion Chamber. The great iron gateway enclosing the grounds is to be the gift of Germany. Japan is decorating the "Hall of the Council of Administration" with embroidered silk hangings of great value. Belgium makes the bronze and iron door for the chief entrance. The South American States are sending gifts of precious woods, and Austria is supplying the bronze and crystal chandeliers. Holland contributes' some of the famous F. 80l paintings. The Czar of Russia is presenting a vase 6ft in height, of jasper and gold, and China is sending two beautiful clo% sonne vases. One of the most character.'..--tic and unique gifts is that from the Argentine Government. It is a replica of the' huge crucifix erected in the Andes, on the confines of Chili and Argentina, "at the conclusion of the treaty of peace between the countries, as a symbol that the Prince of Peace would reign henceforth instead of the god of war." The "Temple of Peace" will be almost square, with a grand tower some 265 ft high, and not only the most important edifice ever _ erected in Holland, but the most attractive. —French Police Court Romance. — A romantic scene took place in Paris at the end of a trial for attempted murder. Marcel Rochois,' a former sergeant, appeared on a charge of firing his revolver at Germaine Hubert and wounding her in the head. He declared that for a long time he had been endeavouring without success to win the affections ■ of Mdlle. Hubert, whom he loved more than life. When one day be saw her on the arm s of a rival he resolved to shoot her and then commit suicide. He was arrested before he could complete his purpose. The unhappy suitor was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, and was leaving the dock when, the Express says, Mdlle. Hubert rushed forward. With clasped hands she implored the magistrate to pardon Marcel. She said that she had never cared for the man before, but from the moment that he had shot her she had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and was ready to marry him at once. The girl's appeal was granted, and the two lovers left the court arm in arm. —Was Moses an Electrician?— It is generally agreed (says Popular Science Sittings) that, the ancient Egyptians had some knowledge of electricity, but that the Israelites had any such knowledge has never been put forward as yet. An engineer of Munich has now delivered a paper, the object of which is to prove that the Israelites were electricians; or, at least, if the Israelites were not, Moses was. The Munich engineer considers that the Brazen Serpent that Moses set ap was nothing else than a lightning conductor, and that the serpents against which it guarded the children of Israel were the lightning itself. But the most curious speculations are those on the Ark of the Covenant, and of the terrible death which menaced many sacrilegious persons who ventured to touch it. He affirms that the Ark,, with its metal plates, was in reality a huge Leyden jar charged with electricity, and that its discharge was powerful enough to kill a man. Only the initiated could approach it with impunity, and that impunity, ivas obtained by the metallic robes of the priests, which reached down to the ground and carried off the discharge of electricity.-. The engineer quotes many passages from the Old Testament in support of his theory, and it is quite possible that Moses, who had learned much of the magic of the Egyptians, had acquired a knowledge of electricity which in later years was forgotten by the successors of Aaron. —Dr Sheldon on Theatres.— Dr Charles M. Sheldon has refused a New York theatrical syndicate the permissions it sought to put his book, "In His Steps," on the stage. A theatrical agent, the Christian World tells, waited on Dr Sheldon with a "big money" offer and a promise to put the play upon the stage with the very best actors and actresses in the cast. Dr Sheldon asked whether the actors and actresses were all devout Christian men and women. This the agent could not guarantee, and did mot think necessary, whereupon Dr Sheldon flatly refused his consent to the dramatisation of his story. Dr Sheldon .adds: "I am one of the kind called; narrow and sometimes Puritanical in the matter of theatrical representations, but when I find that the results of constant theatre-goings are not helpful, but generally harmful to spiritual exaltation, and harmful to concrete righteousness, rubhin£e off the bloom «f youth f>nd

filling the mind with artificial dreams of life, I think my guarrel with the institution is well taken." —The Rockefeller Fortune.—

Computations have been made by the New York World as to the extent xj which the Rcckefeler fortune will grow during the next generation. Mr Rockefeller is conservatively estimated to be worth to-day 600,000,000d0l (£120,000,000). Setting aside a third of this for the proposed Rockefeller charity fund foundation leaves 400,000,00Qd01. Assuming Mr Rockefeller lives until 1920, his son, who will then be 46, will inherit 253,000,000d0L His daughters. Mrs Prentice and Mrs M'Oormick, will each inherit a simdar amount. This figure is arrived at by compounding 400,0C0,000d0l at 6 per cent, for ten years—7s9,ooo,ooodol. Take it a step further, and it becomes more interesting still. If young John D. lives as nany years as his father, Baby John 0. will inherit, in 1955, 1,500,000,000d01, his daughter Babette inheriting a similar sum. This is arrived at by compounding 255,000.C00d0l at 6 per cent, for 35 years, from 1920 to 1955 ; a total of 3,000,000,000 dollars. When Baby John D. S 3 the present age of Mr Rockefeller the entire family section of the Rockefeller fortune will be iust about equal to the indebtedness of the nations of the whole world. —Orgy in a Legislature.— The New Jersey Legislature closed its session at 8 o'clock this morning (say.s the New York correspondent of the Daily Telegraph on April 8). after farewell demonstrations rivalling the break-up festivities of some noisy public school. I mote the following passage; written by the reporter of the New York Sun:—"The closing hours were marked by scenes of revelry probably without parallel in this State. During the night a number of women, many of whom are frequently seen upon the street corners, gathered in the Assembly gallery. They amused themselves by throwing papers and other things r "lembers whose acquaintance they had f"vmed during the session. Finally a> number of women were 'corralled' in one of the Assembly offices, where they entertained their friends among the members by dancing on tables, drinking toasts, and in other ways. Finally they were ejected from the building." Some of the Trenton clergy say that impeachment proceedings may be brought against some of the assemblymen, who openly kissed women of questionable character in the'\committee rooms. Girls were drunk with whisky, while the drink-befuddled statesmen boisterously applauded. —A Poor Woman Refuses a Fortune.— A strange bequest of ££o,ooo to the Painters' Company is recalled by the death of an old lady, Miss Brooke, who, at the age of 75, though earning but a small sum, weekly by mantle-making, refused over £20,000. The £50,000 was left .to. the company some years ago by Mr W. D. Barnett, of Addle street, E.C., a leading member. The bequest came as a surprise, for Mr Barnett was a man of frugal tastes and simple life, and no one associated him with great wealth. The money was bequeathed on condition that the company celebrated his birthday "for ever" by a dinner to the liverymen and maintained his tomb "for ever." The Chancery Court, however, held that this perpetual bequest was invalid,, and that the money should go to Mr Barnett's heirs. A search was made for them, under the direction of Mr T. H. Pritchard, clerk to the company, and one of them was discovered to be the elderly mantle-maker. She was offered! her share, over £20,000, but refused to take it. "The money was meant for the company," she said. She gave up herright to the legacy for £4 a week, and the £20,000 was handed over to the company. "We learned in the middle of last week, that Miss Brooke had died," said Mr Pritchard on Saturday, "and the money becomes absolutely the property of the company." The dinner —the second of the series to go on "for ever"—in memory of Mr W. D. Barnett takes place on May 6. The cost of the dinner is about £l6O. The remainder of the income of the legacy is devoted to the various good purposes to which the funds of the company are put.