THE OLD COUNTRY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 10, 2 September 1908, Page 6

THE OLD COUNTRY.

The English hop crop is reported to bo magnificent in quality. \ nomas Rice Reed, a notorious safebreaker, lias been sentenced to fourteen years’ penal servitude in Glasgow. Tho Lord Provost of Glasgow states that the number of unemployed at present in Glasgow is beyond all previous experience. It is understood that the trustees of the National Gallery have purchased, for £25,000, a portrait group attributed to Franz Hals. Richard Croker, the famous Tammany “boss,” who is now living m Ireland, has been presented with the freedom of the city of Dublin.

William Blenkiem, formerly wellknown in racing circles as the owner at several successful horses died last week in a common lodging house In London. Radical members of the House of Commons intend to cal] the attention of Parliament to King Edward’s personal activity in foreign affairs. The fund in aid of the sufferers by the Maypole disaster has reached £5OOO, including a sum of £l4OO given by Andrew Carnegie. Labour Troubles In Britain. Sir Christopher Furness, head of the Furness and Withy Company’, shipbuilders, speaking at West Hartlepool, said that owing to labour troubles orders for seven ships had been lost, as a result of his inability to guarantee delivery by a certain date. These orders would have provided work in the shipyards and engine and steel works and employment for Considerably more men than were now unemployed. He hoped that cheapness of money would tend to hasten the return of a good trade. Colliery Fires. The list of colliery fires which have occurred this month in various parts of England and America has been further added to by two outbreaks which, by a peculiar coincidence, were of a precisely similar nature. Fortunately both ended without loss of life. While work was in full progress at the Shawfield mine, in Lanarkshire, the main shaft was discovered to be on fire, and in a short space of time the pit-head was a roaring furnace, the flames being fed by the surface buildings. Eighty men were below at the time, and it was feared that heavy loss of life would result, but fortunately all were able to escape by other shafts leading to the main galleries. A fire at the Ilapton Valley colliery, Burnley, destroyed the pit-head, entombing 15 men, who escaped safely by the air roads to the surface, after a race for life. du making their escape two of the men were overtaken by fumes and almost suffocated. Not Very Popular. Subscriptions towards tho reception of American athletes only realised £l,OOO, about one-third of the amount required. The poor response is attributed to the exaggerated statements of unfair treatment made against the officials controlling the Olympic games by American competitors. Unhappy Ireland. Ireland's population during 1907 decreased by 14,074, owing to the emigrants liioro than balancing the excess of tho births over the deaths. For over the past half century the population of Ireland has been steadily decreasing owing partly to the loss by, emigration. In 1841 Ireland had a population of 8,175,124. In 1906 the estimated population was 4,388,006, the only, county showing an increase in comparison with the previous year being Dublin; the decrease in other counties ranging from 5.6 per cent in the case of Wicklow to 13.4 in the ease of Monaghan. Murdered for Her Jewels. The wife of Major-General Charles E. Luard, of Ightham Knoll, Seven-oaks, Kent, was on August 24 shot dead with, a revolver, and robbed of three rings, the fingers of her hand being badly cut in faking off the rings. The crime took place on the balcony of a summer house in some lonely woods attached to Frankfield, the residence of Mr. Horace Wilkinson, at Seal Chart, Seven-oaks. Shortly after Mrs. Luard’s husband had left her at the wicket gate leading to the woods, the murder was committed. Major-General Luard was going to Goddengreen Golf House to fetch his clubs, it being their intention to spend some days away from home. There is no clue to the murderer. At the inquest the doctor who was called in gave it as his opinion that the murdered woman was struck from behind with a bludgeon, and then shot as she lay unconscious. At the inquest Major-General Luard gave a dramatic account of the finding of his wifes body’. His evidence, however, threw, no f reski light on the case.

Officers from Scotland Yard are now searching for the small revolver with which Mrs. Luard was shot. The police are also employing bloodhounds to search for the murderer, but with little prospect of success, owing to rain having fallen since the murderer made his escape from the scene of his crime. Hie crime is still causing great excitement, but the solution of the mystery is no nearer accomplishment than at first, the police being completely baffled. The bloodhounds employed in the case twice followed the same course, which suggested that the murderer escaped along Tonbridge-road. Trawlers in Trouble. The captain of the Grimsby trawler .Taurus has been fined £l5 at Flensburg, and his catch of fish confiscated, for alleged fishing within the German threemile limit. The captain was so positive that he was outside the limit that he went to the expense of briefing a leading German advocate. The commander of a German gunboat had declined to listen to his remonstrances or examine the proofs that the skipper was right by his bearings and chart. Sir George Doughty, member for Grimsby district, intends to raise the •whole question in Parliament. It is alleged at Grimsby that when the arrest was made <ho vessel was stripped of everything movable connected with fishing operations, this unparalleled procedure involving the owners in a loss of £2OO. Other trawlers were molested nine miles from the coast. There is a feeling in Grimsby that a British cruiser ought to be sent to protect the trawlers. Trouble in the X-aunashire Mills. Seventeen thousand cardroom workers at Oldham, Lancashire, have unanimously decided to oppose the five per cent reduction in wages. It is expected that other operatives and spinners in Lancashire will arrive at a similar decision, involving the trade in one of the most serious conflicts in its history. Old Age Pensions. Mr. Lloyd-George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) has authorised the statement that lie has not arrived at a definite conclusion regarding the only object of his visit to Germany, namely, to see whether a contributory system could, as far as invalidity or sickness is concerned be grafted on to the British old age pension scheme. Mr. Lloyd-George was tremendously impressed with the perfection of the system whereby Germany raises 34 millions sterling for meeting invalidity, old age, and sickness pensions, -while the State’s contribution merely covers working expenses. When clerks and widows arc shortly included, the total will be 53 millions sterling per annum.