Abergavenny Chronicle

NOTES ON NEWS. Never before has & Budget been received with such a chorus of approval. We are 9. neonle. as Mr. Mc- INOOJO TAX ANoMALIEs. r — t ? — Kenna says with pride, who "ask to be taxed." We are ready to bear without fli nch in g a higher income tax, and are prepared quite cheerfully to pay more for tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa, hats, pianos, gramo- phones, motor-cars, and patent medicines. And a few other things as well. Mr. Mc- Kenna had a gigantic task, and it is generally admitted that he has made a very good job of it. There seems to be a feeling that we have come off more lightly than we could reasonably have expected. To say, however, that the Budget is gener- ally approved, is not to say that there is no criticism of its proposals, or that there is no ground for criticism. It is clear, for instance, that we are even further than we were before from having a scientific income tax, falling upon all classes in fair and equal proportion. Anomalies, which always existed in the working of this tax, will now be even more glaring. The tax has been increased by forty per cent., but by far thb greater number of those assessed to the tax will find that the amounts they will have to pay represent a much larger increase. The man whose income is over 9700 a year will get off with the forty per cent., but lower down the scale the per- centage of increase rises, and the man with JE200 a year finds that he has to pay 180 per cent. more tax than before! It is admittedly difficult to fix a scale in which there shall be no anomalies, but it cer- tainly does look as though people with small incomes are going to get rather more than their share of a good thing! With regard to the duties on certain imported manufactured articles, there has been a small revival of THE TAX ON IMPORTS. the Tariff Reform versus Free Trade controversy. Some who have for years been advocating a change in our fiscal system see in the Budget pro- posals the beginning of Tariff Reform, and there are some Free Traders who look at the matter in that way, too, and declare that they have been betrayed by a Free Trade Chancellor. Mr. McKenna, how- ever, puts the matter in another light. No fiscal principle of any kind, he says, is compromised by the proposals. The tax is to be imposed avowedly with the object partly of obtaining revenue and partly of limiting the imports of unnecessary luxu- ries from foreign countries. We were asked some months ago to restrict our pur- chases of imported articles as much as pos- sible during war time, because, owing to the reduction in the volume of our exports, these goods have to be paid for in gold. However, if we insist upon having them, the Government is going to take toll to the extent of one-third of their value to help in carrying on the war. Fiscal theories are all very well in peace time, but in war they must be laid aside, like a good many other things, An effective answer has been given by the President of the Board of Trade to those critics in and out of GOVERNMENT AND FOOD SUPPLY. Parliament who seek to I put the blame on th?, Government for the in- creased price of com- 1 modities. An allegation often made is that there has been a considerable with- holding of supplies which the Government has done nothing to prevent. On this point Mr. Runciman gives a straight denial. There has been no withholding, and though an Act was passed last Session for punishing those who might attempt such a thing, not a single case of the kind has occurred. The Government's enormous purchase of sugar, wheat, and meat were undertaken in order to prevent any abnor- mal rise in these necessaries, and although the prices of all of them have risen to a certain extent, the increase has been insig- nificant compared with what it might have been if no action had been taken by the Government. The rise that has taken place was inevitable under the circum- stances. On meat alone the Government is spending no less than fifty millions a year, and besides supplying the British and the French armies, it has secured a large surplus for selling" to the civil population. A tribute to the boldness and energy die- play" ed by the Government in this matter has been paid by the egregious Dr. Dumba, who would have moved heaven and earth to prevent meat crossing the Atlantic for the Allies. "At the present moment," he wrote to the Austrian Foreign Minister, they are paralysed here also by the action of the British Admiralty, for the latter have commandeered most of the English freight ships intended for the transport of meat from the Argentine." Dr. Dumba, like a villain of melodrama, probably ground his teeth and muttered, "Foiled" again!" Lord Selborne's appeal to landowners to relax restrictions in order to enable farmers to plough more LANDOWNERS AND FARMERS. land has been reinforced I by an appeal signed by a number of great land- owners and experienced I and influential agriculturists. They ask landowners in this time of great national emergency to waive the clauses in their farm tenancy agreements which prevent tenant farmers from ploughing up what is generally described as permanent pasture, and which impose a penalty in the event of their doing so. It is not likely that landowners generally will raise any diffi- culty about this, for, however desirable such provisions may be under normal con- ditions, it is now of the greatest import- ance that the area of arable land and therefore the production of food should be increased by every possible means. The signatories to the appeal freely admit that the course they suggest involves a certain amount of risk for both landlord and tenant, but they point out that self-sacri- fice is the order of the day, and that all true patriots are facing risks. German submarines have been active ftgain during the past few days. It has been noticed for some THE SUBMARINE "BLOCKADE" time that periods of activity are succeeded by I periods when, from the pirates' point of view there is "nothing doing." This fact we may take to be very clear evidence that Germany has not many boats available for this work now. The Admiralty has told us that she has suffered "important losses" in submarines, and we have been informed more than once that the Navy has the submarine menace well in hand. How many under-sea boats Germany still possesses we do not know, but it is quite certain that if she had a large number we should hear more about them. The few that remain are compelled to go back to Germany for supplies after a few days' work, and some days must elapse before they appear once more off our coasts.

j TEA TABLE TALK. Miss Charlotte Knollys, who has been for foity-two years in Queen Alexandra's household, and is her Majesty's oldest and most intimate friend, can write in German, French, and Italian, but in addition to her native tongue, she can only speak in French. • When quite little, Princess Mary, at the Queen's desire, began to put money in the Post Office Savings Bank. She made her first deposit herself, and was exceedingly proud of the transaction. In a few days, owever, she wished particularly to pur- chase something for which she had not sum- cient money, so she thought she would ask for her deposit back again. When it was explained to her that she must not do so, her appreciation of the savings ban-li fell very low. She thought it would be much nicer to mind her own money for the future. But her mother thought otherwise, and now it is safe to say that Princes Mary has quite a respectable sum to her credit account. < Countess Roberts, as befits the daughter of a great soldier, takes a great interest in the Army, and by collecting field-glasses for officers has been instrumental in saving a great many lives. Lady Roberts, who suc- ceeded to the title L i??l?er special remainder last November, has one sister, Lady Edwina Lewin, who married Major Henry Lewin in 1913, and who has a son who is the heir to the earldom. < There are many good stories told about Miss Megan Lloyd George, the daughter of the Minister of Munitions. One of the best is the following. When she was quite a little girl her father said to her one Sun- day as she was going to chapel, "Here are a shilling and a penny. You may put which- ever you please into the collection plate." After the service, when Miss Megan re- turned, Mr. Lloyd George asked her, "Which coin did you give?" "Well," replied the little girl naively, "the minister said that heaven loves a cheerful giver, and I knew I could give a penny much more cheerfully than I could a shilling, so I put the penny in!" The Czarina of Russia has been called the Florence Nightingale of Russia, for her uu- selfishness, her self-sacrifice, and her tender- ness have won her a place in the love of all the Russians. All that money can do, all that devotion can achieve, all the relief that sympathy can give-all these are being given and done by the Empress-Nurse. ♦ • # Among the many well-known Society ladies who are busily engaged in charitable work at the present time, few are working harder than Lady St. Helier. She is Almoner of the County of London War Hospital at Horton, near Epsom, one of the largest in the kingdom, and she recently made an eloquent appeal on behalf of this institution. Lady St. Helier is the widow of Lord St. Helier, who was known for so long as Sir Francis Jeune, President of the Divorce Court. It is generally believed that .marriages in May will turn out unlucky, and when Lady St. Helier's husband was alive his name was responsible for a very smart pun. To the query: "Why are mar- riages in May so unpopular?" some un- known wit gave the witty reply, "Oh, be- cause they come before Jeunel < < < Mrs. Reginald McKenna, the Chanoellor wife, is a very close companion of her hus- band. Mrs. McKenna is very often to be seen in the ladies' gallery, for she is a close student of political questions. Her recep- tions are always well attended, and it is generally agreed that she plays the part of hostess perfectly. Before her marriage she was Miss Pamela Jekyll, younger daughter of Colonel Sir Herbert Jekyll, who has held many important official appointments. Since her marriage and particularly since her accession as Queen Consort, Queen Mary has always been to the fore with charitable works. She has displayed special interest, too, in the workers of the kingdom, especially in the women employed in fac- tories and shops. The people of the Pot- teries still speak of the tour made there by the King and Queen a year or two ago, and so do the people of Lancashire and York- shire. On this memorable tour through the industrial districts of England the King and Queen travelled 200 miles, received the greetings of about half a million people, and saw the working of six of our principal ,industries, the making of railways, the pro- duction of coal, manufacture of dyes, the production of pottery, and the preparation of sewing silk. < Ex-Queen Amelie of Portugal has seen much sorrow and tragedy in her life. Her husband and her eldest son were both assi- nated, and her son King Manoel was driven into exile. Her Majesty lives a retired life at Richmond, working quietly for philan- thropic schemes in which she is interested. The study of surgery and medicine has long been one of her chief hobbies, and she knows more about physics than many a doctor. Medical works and scientific reviews are her favourite reading, and at the palace in Lisbon she had a special laboratory built where she was wont to spend many hours making experiments. There are many stories of her Majesty's kindliness of heart. In Portugal she was known as "the Angel of Charity," for she spent much time visit- ing incognita the slums of Lisbon, doing what she could to ameliorate the condition of the poor, every petition in the cause of charity being read and inquired into by Queen Amelie herself. « < Mrs. Lowther, wife of the Speaker, is a clever, sympathetic woman. She is the daughter of a brilliant parliamentarian, the late Right Hon. A. J. Beresford Hope, and related to the late Lord Salisbury. She knows almost as much of parliamentary pro- cedure as her distinguished husband. Like the wife of an Archbishop, she gains no titular distinction from the rank of her husband, but she takes a prominent part in the amenities of parliamentary life. Lady Leucha Warner is a prominent London hostess and a moving spirit in the social life of the Brettenham Park district of Suffolk. She is a pretty woman, dresses with exquisite taste, and possesses some notable turquoises that once belonged to Caroline Duchess of Montrose. Lady Leucha is the sixth daughter of the fourth Viscount Hawarden, afterwards the Earl of Montalt. The latter title became extinct on his death, as both his sons predeceased him. Mr. Cyril Maude is a cousin of Lady Leucha's. « A remarkable demonstration of the con- trol ths mind has over the body is provided by Miss Kittie M. Smith, an armless I Chicago girl, who uses her feet to do the things the average person accomplishes with the hands. So adept has Miss Smith be- come that she makes cabinets, bookcases, desks, and like furniture, using with skill all the necessary tools, such as saws, chisels, planes, etc. In nailing, however, she uses a hatchet instead of a hammer, as the shape of the former is better adapted for a tight clutch between the toes. Miss Smith also sketches with pen and pencil, does ex- cellent needlework, and uses a typewriter for her correspondence. The daily task of making a toilet, including brushing her teeth and washing her face, is done with comparative ease. She is also an adept gardener, using all ordinary implements with her toes in the garden of the borne for disabled children which she has founded at Maywood, a Chicago suburb. < It is a somewhat remarkable fact that there is hardly a King in Christendom whose Consort does not overtop him by a head. King George is much shorter than Queen Mary. The Czar is overtopped a full head by the Czarina. Kaiser William is of the medium height, but the German Em- press is much taller, and that is why the proud Kaiser will never consent to be photographed beside his wife, unless she site while he stands. The King of Italy, short and squat, hardly comes up to the shoulders Df the tall, athletic Queen Helena. The King of Spain is much shorter than his Con- tort. The Queen of Denmark towers above her royal spouse, and is one of the tallest queens in Europe.

I IN THE POULTRY YARD. —— 0 I By COCKCROW. I WORK IN AUTUMN. Summer has waned and autumn Is now with us. With the coming of this season of the year comes much work for poultry- keepers. The latter part of the summer was very warm, and I am afraid that through the heat many poultry-keepers slackened up in their work in the yard. But now that the heat haR disappeared it behoves us all to tighten in our belts, as it were, and set about pitting things straight. Work in the poultry-yard is confined to limited hours now. The days are shortening rapidly, and it is almost six o'clock before the sun gets up. Mornings are damp and chilly, and the evenings have a "bite" in them. But still, we must not neglect the birds in any way whatever, for if neglected during this period of the year they will not be a success during the coming winter months. They must receive good attention and good food. To have them to face bad weather in a satis- factory manner you must look after them well. Don't "ease up," but work with all your might. During the coming wi nter, eggs and poultry will be very much in de- mand for our wounded and convalescent sol- diers, and it behoves us all to put our "shoulder to the wheel" to see that the heroes get them. It is at this time of the year that the birds are apt to contract colds and chills. It is often quite impossible COLDS AND CHILLS. to keep these ailments out of the run, but readers of these notes are warned to I .I. I. '1 1_- _u 00 on tne waxen ior Tnem. Once you find any sufferers, take them in hand. At first the cold or chill may be only slight, but if neglected it is apt to turn to something more serious, such as roup or even consumption. Look after all things. Give the runs a thorough clean out and examine all your birds most carefully. See that the grounds upon which the runs are built is suitable. If they are damp you must remove them, for dampness will bring many ailments. Give the whole stock special attention, and any birds who have not yet got through their moult must be carefully looked after. Sufferers from colds, if taken in hand at once, can be easily put right again, but if neglected for a time it is dangerous. Deal with sick and ailing birds very tenderly and carefully. The runs preparatory to the winter winds and rains should be thoroughly looked over. All repairs needed should THB NECESSARI REPAIRS. be executed without delay. Cracks and holes in the wood where draughts can can get in should be stopped ap. Don't just stuff a piece of paper into the hole if it is a small one, as some slovenly people do, but put a neat patch over it. Money is very scarce at the present- time, and I am sure not many poultry- keepers feel inclined to spend a lot of money on new runs. These people are not to be blamed either, and so if your runs are in a very bad condition, you will find it cheaper to purchase some wood from a local mer- chants, and do the necessary repairs your- self than felching two or three pounds out of your pocket for new runs. The coming winter is likely to be a strain on many working-men's pockets, and so it is for them to look at their money twice before spend- ing it. Roof felting that may be torn in places should be attended to. When buying birds, purchase only young and healthy ones. An experienced hand can tell an old fowl at a arlance, BUY YOUNG BIRDS. but it is rather difficult to impart this knowledge to a beginner, for no one sign i6 infallible. In general, how- ever, it may be said that the legs of the young hen look delicate and smooth, her comb and wattles soft and fresh, and her general outline, even in good condition (un- less fattened for the table), rather light and graceful; whilst an old one will have rather hard, horny-locking shanks, her comb and wattles look somewhat harder, drier, 'zid more "scurfy," and her figure is well filled out. Attempt should also be made to secure birds of a really good laying family or strain, for each breed differs much in indi- viduals. Good laying is now being bred for as much as fancy points; and such birds, or eggs from them, are advertised in the principal poultry papers. Perhaps their somewhat higher price may be an objection for a small family stock, however; and to a large extent good layers can be selected even by eye. They will usually have combe. rather larger than the medium of their breed, but not too large, very fresh and red- looking faces, and a neat, alert, intelligent expression. A faded, dispirited look in a bird is a sure sign of a poor layer. About this time of the year birds will derive much benefit from powdered sulphur, mixed with the same quan- SULPHUR FOR BIRDS. tity of common salt. About 1 a heaped up teaspoonful to _I every six birds will be enough for a dose. If given twice a week not only will it help materially in building up new growth of feather, but will also help to prevent feather-eating and vices of this kind. Sulphur is a very good thing for keeping fowls that are subjected to close confinement in health. It may be given in either the dry or wet mash. Poultry keepers who are going to keep birds during the winter for egg purposes LOOK AFTER THE LAYERS. should be very active at the present time. Laying, of course, largely depends up- on the management the birds receive. They should be properly fed for one thing. Some folks give their birds too much to eat and others do not give them enough. For this you must use your judgment. Some people are silly enough to weigh their eggs, and if an egg weighs, say two ounces, they allow two ounces of food per bird. This is perfectly ridiculous, as you will discover to your sorrow if you follow out such a plan. The lean, hungry-looking bird which is always looking round for something to eat, used once upon a time to pass as the great layer. That idea has, however, fallen to the ground, since trap-nests have come into use as a good test. Good layers are generally fleshy and by no means of light weight. And they look to the troughs for the basis of their meals. You will find that hens that are in a good laying condition pick up any pieces laying in the range between meal times and their times for rest. The bird which sort of "bolts its food, rarely proves itself a good layer. Heavy breeds among layers, such as Orpingtons, Rocks, and the like, require more careful feeding than Leghorns, Minorcas, and others of the non-sitting breeds when kept in confine. ment. ——- -——- ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. I MAC.—No, Mac, if I were you I should keep maize away from the birds. It has the least nutriment in it of all poultry foods. J. T.—The best winter layers nearly always prove to be those birds who have finished moulting early. You should increase their amount of animal food and also give them a feed of sunflower see4U every now and then.

I RELATIONSHIP RIDDLE. At Mortlake Petty Sessions a man named John Kelsbie was summoned for hot sending a child to school regularly. The Bench tried hard to unravel a puzzle as to the child's re- lationship, but were quite unsuccessful. His wife, who answered the summons, said that the child was related to her "in a round- about way," which she could not explain. The clerk suggested that she was the child's grandmother but this she denied. Sir James Szlumper asked if she were her step-grand- mother. Mrs. Kelsbie failed to understand this question, however. The school attend- ance officer explained that the mother of the child was dead and that the father had gone away, but the child had always lived with the Kelsbies. Sir James Szlumper: Is the father of the child a son of the defendant?—No; the father of th4 child is called John Edwards and the mother Smith. I am the defen- dant's second wife. The Chairman (Sir C. Rugge Price): Then is it the child of a daughter of John Kelsbie by his first wife? I suppose Kelsbie married Mrs. Smith?—No. Sir James Szlumper: Did your husband have any children by his first wife?—No; but she had four stepdaughters. In the end the Bench gave up the attempt to unravel the tangle, one of the magis- trates raying it was the funniest story of trates sayin g  e had ever hear d in his life. relationship he had ever heard in his life. The defendant was fined 2s. 6d. as guardian of the child.

I SELF-CONDEMNED. I Heckled Orator (after continued interrup- tions): "It is no use my talking any more; every time I open my mouth a silly fool speaks. I

I THE EAST COAST RAIDS. I The East Coast Raid Committee, of which Lord Parmoor is chairman, has investigated all the claims submitted, and has presented its final report to the Treasury. The investigation covered the bombard- ment of the Hartlepools, Scarborough, and Whitby, and the fourteen air raids which occurred previous to June 15. The number of claims for personal injury feported on -was 09T, of whtek 178 conccined deaths, while the number of properties in- vestigated was 10,297.

I JAPANESE THEATRES. I Japanese and Chinese visitors to English theatres think the, performances very ludic- rous, even if a tragedy is being enacted. We reciprocate by thinking that Chinese and Japanese theatres are run by crazy people, the customs are so very peculiar. In Japanese theatres a singular custom prevails of allowing a visitor, for a small fee, to stand up, and the unfortunate individual be- hind him has no right to remonstrate or to rise and try to get a peep at the stage. He may hear, but he cannot see. Another pecu- liarity is that the extravagantly disposed visitor may purchase the right to sit upon the stage wherever he likes, and the actors go on with their parts in apparent uncon- sciousness of his presence. It is not an un- usual spectacle to see a broad-sword combat fought all around a visitor, who coolly enjoys the scene and shows no disposition to move.

Lieutenant Lord W. R. Percy, Grenadier Guards, Special Reserve, has been gazetted a temporary captain while employed aa Deputy Judge Advocate-General. Wm. Yates, 35, a petty officer in the Royal Naval Air Service, was at West London Police-court fined .£1 on a charge of stealing two mortor-cycle tyres belonging to the Admiralty.

I HUMOUR OF THE WEEK. I I FRENCH BIER. I The beer—oh! it is awful tack. If you want to do it on anyone just offer them some French beer, and they will not trouble you any more. To describe it-get a tumbler, put two tablespoonfu!s of beer in, add a spoonful of Epsom salts, fill it up with water, and there you have French beer.— Letter from a sapper in the Royal Engineers. AS A TREAT? I "Can I take my wife with me? inquired a juryman at the London Sessions when the judge extended the usual invitation to jury- men to visit the prison. The judge replied that he could not answer that. "I have never heard that question be- fore," remarked an experienced counsel, who was present. OVER DOING IT. I In the bar-room of the village inn they Were discussing the habits and manners of some of the summer visitors. "That there well-dressed chap," said one yokel, pointing to someone outside in the street, "why, 'e combs 'is 'air every morn- ing The other listened in astonishment. "Dunno 'ow 'e stands it," went on the spokesman. "I only combs mine once a week, and then it werry nigh lugs my bloomin' ved off! CAUGHT. I The talk turned on America, and a gentle- man who had already made himself obnoxious by his bragging assertions, men- tioned that he had crossed the "herring pond" no less than eleven times. "Indeed? remarked one of the party. "Then you must be an American?" "An American? No, I was born in Eng- land." "Oh, I was only thinking," replied the gentleman, "that if you were born in Eng- land, the eleventh time would have landed you in America I "NAUGHTY GIRL." I "Yes. Naughty girl, wasn't I? replied a woman of sixty-five, when asked by the West Ham magistrate if she was guilty of the charge against her of being drunk and disorderly. BURNS IN THE TRANCHES. I There may (or may not) have been Angels at Mons, but it is even more surprising to read of Robert Burns in the trenches (says the "Westminster Gazette "). Yet, in an article published on Saturday, we read:— Another verse, by a 2nd Seaforth High- lander, may be commended to some of our pessimists: Why the deuce should I repine, And be an ill foreboder? I am twenty-five and five foot nine, I'll go and be a sodger. We congratulate the 2nd Seaforth High- landers on their distinguished recruit; it is a real moral and intellectual satisfaction to think that the immortal Burns is up in arme against the foe. After that, who dare assert that Queen Anne is dead? LITTLE WILLIE. I One of the Sultan's worries at present is 6ft. 8in. long. Its name is Private William Buckley, and it comes from Gulgong (N.S.W.). Little Willie, standing on tip- toe, can just see Constantinople. If he ever gete to France (says the "Sydney Bulletin "), the Germans are certain to mistake him for a cathedral spire, which will be very bad for Willie. A WOULD-BE PREMIER. I "This man evidently has delusions," said ft detective at West London of a mariner, who was charged on remand with being in the supposed unlawful possession of a mili- tary uniform. "He has the idea that he is a very fine speaker and that he ought to be Prime Minister." Perhaps he ought" commented Mr- t,, ordham. "I don't know. I am not a judge of Prime Ministers." QUIPS FROM "LONDON OPINION." I If silence is golden, the Press Bureau (Bust be making a lot of money. The "Business as Usual" movement has reached Brsfeil apparently, for a prominent senator has just been assassinated. The manners of Prussian officers appear to improve when they reach the front. Be- fore charging the enemy they often remark "After you" to their men. The police will .not allow women to act as tramway conductors in London. The tram- way companies, of course, were ready enough to take the fair. A musical critic declares that many people have always disliked modern German music, without daring to say so. On the other hand, we have known bold amateurs who openly murdered it. In view of recent instructions to Post Office employees to be more economical in the use of string, the practice of tying official pens to counters might be discon. tinued, while the pens are so useless. I PICKINGS FROM "PUNCH." I In a list of expressions of French or Eng- lish origin still appearing in the German Press we find the word "zirilisation." This is, of course, a tribute to the Kaiser's air- men, who prefer to introduce civilisation with a "Z." In a discussion with Sir R. Baden-Powell regarding the proper length for a lance the German Emperor said, "I find that for every inch that you put on to a man's lance you give him two feet of self-esteem." We could give an estimate of the length of the Kaiser's own lance; but there is no room for it on this page. In its campaign for economy the "Loka- lanzeiger" has been urging the German public not to require shopkeepers to tie up their parcels, pointing out that "the hemp used for string is needed for the army and navy." Having regard to some of the doings of the said army and navy we cordially agree. We hear that a dear old ladv who had a Zeppelin pass exactly over her house has taken the precaution of staying indefinitely with friends two doors down the road. A workman's report after an air raid: "Two booms fell close to my house. One exploded in a field; the other was one of them insanitary booms and didn't do much harm." Not a boom, but a slump, in fact. From an article in the monthly paper of the Church League for Women's Suffrage describing life in Serbia. "Yesterday a bullock-cart turned up with a wicker top-most picturesque. The owner milked the animals and presented the milk to the hospital." In Serbia there appear to be no silly dis. tinctions between the sexes. A GOOD CATCH. I -Pish-R-odd.-At St Paul's Church, Grangetown, September 8th, by the Rev. D. Fisher, John Fish, of Newcastle, to Emilj Mary Rodd, of Cardiff (by licence). "Western Mail."

On the ground that owing to the new taxes he could not afford to pay his wife 1).s. weekly under a separation order, a man applied to the Willesden magistrate for tne amount to be reduced. "For the same reason I do not see how your wife can do with much less than 5s. said the magis- trat-fc.

The Post Office has received for distribu- tion to troops 1,500,000 copies of books and magazines. The Postmaster-General hopes that the supply will be undiminished. The military authorities have prohibited the sale of intoxicants in all licensed houscs of the Isle of Wight until 10 o'clock in the morning and between the hours of 3 and 8 in the afternoon. Professor Tillyard, presiding at the Bir- mingham Munitions Tribunal, ruled that the manufacture of rubber came within the definition of munitions; it formed an essen- tial part of the armoured motor-car.

Twenty-two motor ambulances subscribed for by the people of Ulster at a cost of £ 10,500, were presented at Belfast to the Ulster division. It was announced that the War Office had directed the division reserve battalions to be increased from three to six.

PRISONERS OF WAR, I The laws or recognised principles of war in relation to prisoners of war may be sum- marised as follows:—Not armies alone, but the entire people of a vanquished nation, state, or town come under the sway of the victors—that is, of their Government. The treatment of prisoners of war was very severe in years past, and although the put- ting to death of prisoners became gradually leas frequent, they were generally sent away as slaves. Up to the thirteenth century such was their fate. In later times, however, it was held to be justifiable to slay the garri- son of a beleaguered city or fortress that had refused to surrender after the place had become untenable. Napoleon, in 1799, in putting to death about 1,200 Turks—part of the garrison of Jaffa-after an obstinate siege, is thought to have been the last sol- 1 dier to practise such barbarity.

I POLICEMAN TO NAVAL OFFICER. I Lieut.-Commander Tom L. Price, of the Royal Naval Division, the first of a number of Metropolitan policemen who have gained commissions, has been presented by his former comrades of the D (Marylebone) Division with a handsome dress sword in honour of his promotion. Sir Frederick Wodehouse, Assistant Com- missioner, made the presentation at the Crawford-place Police Station, London, in the presence of a large body of officers and men, and mentioned that Lieut.-Commander Price had twice been wounded at the Dar- danelles, and expected to return to duty about the end of September. Lieut.-Com- mander Price took part in the South African war as a lieutenant in the Berks Yeomanry, and afterwards served for ten years in the R.H.A.

I NOT LOST. I Boy: "Is a thing lost when you know where it is?" Captain: "No, you silly clown, of course not." Boy: "Well, then your silver spoons are not lost, but they fell overboard."

Harold Pugmire, a schoolmaster, was fined £ 5 at Haywood recently for refusing to fill up the National Registration form. The war was contrary to the teaching of Jesus, he said, and as a Christion he refused to fight or in any way assist in warlike pre- parations. In imposing the fine the magi- strates expressed regret the Act did not provide the alternative of imprisonment.

) AM & I- I I To remove grease spots from the bindin, of books, rub with benzine or petrol. After washing leather gloves, rinse them ia cold water, then soap again. This will prevent them from drying stiffly. To rid a kitchen of beetles, mix together ground borax and brown sugar and lay about the hearth. Eider down quilts that have lost their elasticity and become limp, should be hung in the air for a few hours, then shaken weU, They will be much improved. Before roasting apples, if you take each one and make a small slit all the way round with a knife, you will find it prevents them from splitting when cooking. An apple in the cake-tin will keep the cakes fresh for a fortnight or longer. To revive patent leather, rub with a rag dipped in milk. Then polish with a so it duster. A good beefsteak, however well cooked, will not be at its best unless served directly it is cooked. If curtains are allowed to dry thoroughly before being starched, it will be found that they will last clean longer. After using a bowl of starch do not throw away what remains of the mixture. Place it on one side, and when the starch has settled pour off the clear water. Place the basin in an oven for a few minutes, and when it is taken out the etarch will be found in a hard cake, which can be put away ready for use another time. INVISIBLE DARNING. To mend a tear in a tweed, cloth, or moire skirt, use a few needlefuls of human hair (which combings will supply). Hair has many advantages over thread, wool, or silk. It is elastic, and it is practically in- visible, even if done rapidly and not over carefully, whereas other darning must be perfect not to show. A three-cornered or very jagged tear should be first lightly drawn to shape by a coloured thread, re- mcved after darn is finished. If the hair kfeps slipping out of the needle, a knot at the eye will keep it fixed without interfer- ing with its easy passage through the mate. rial. OLD STOCKINGS. Take stockings or socks that are past mending, split them from top to toe, trim off the darned places, and sew a good seam, aftefi placing right sides together, and stretching seam well as you put it through the sewing-machine. The finer hose are especially good to polish furniture, next grade for dust cloths, and the heavier ones to scrum linoleum. WHEN PREPARING COFFEE. It you want well-flavoured coffee you must roast your coffee fresh daily. Roast a few berries at a time in a frying pan oVr a very low fire, passing them straight to the coffee mill. A vepy little butter is strongly recommended, as it prevents the escape of much of the fragrance of the berry while roasting. Be liberal with coffee when making. Allow a tablespoonful for each person. Heat it in the oven-also heat the coffee pot. Ram the hot coffee- powder down firmly in the top of your coffee pot. Pour boiling water, a teaspoon- ful at the time, through the upper strainer upon the powder. The more slowly the water is added the better your coffee. Heat and serve. TORN WALL PAPER. If papering has been done while you Mve been in the bouse, ""J" -?t ?< ??-?c, Lava saved any pieces the paperftaiiger left over. For a small mend take a piece of the old paper, scallop the edges carefully, and paste it on-matching the pattern as closely as possible. If the paper on the wall is faded, get a pennyworth of builder's lime and mix it with water. Then spread it on the back of the intended patch and let it dry in the oven or in the sun, where it will gradually fade. If you have no old paper, and a torn place is very prominent, then Peter must be robbed to paper Paul, and a piece must be taken from behind a desk or a sideboard. 1 Damp the place well and the paper will 1 come away easily. MOTHS. The simplest way of dealing witn motns is to keep them out of the house altogether, and this can be done at the expense of a few pints of turpentine. Sprinkle the rooms with this once a week, or thereabouts, when the moths begin to hatch out, and they will all die or leave the building. Repeat it if they appear again. Sprinkle a little in drawers where woollen clothes are, and the moths will not come near them. SOME USEFUL RECIPES. STEAMED PRIMROSE PUDDING.—Boil a pint and a half of milk, stir in one tea- cupful of semolina, stirring till quite thick. add three ounces of sugar, and allow to cool a little, then stir in two well-beaten eggs, and flavour with vanilla. Well grease a pudding basin, put a few dried cherries round, pour in the mixture, cover with greased paper, and steam for one hour. TREACLE Piz.Children are very fond of treacle pie. To make this you will need lib. of flour, ilb. of breadcrumbs, £ lb. treacle, 6oz. of dripping, juice of one lemon, and one teaspoonful of baking powder. Make a paste of the flour, dripping, baking powder, a little water, then line a greased pie-dish with part of it; warm the treacle in a basin and work in the breadcrumbs gradually; lastly add the lemon-juice. Then spread a layer of this mixture in the paste, now put another layer of paste, then more treacle, repeating till the dish is full, but finish up with paste. Bake in a good oven for three- quarters of an hour. GINGER PUDDING. hr-ed a quarter of a; pound of fresh beef suet very fine. Add a pinch of salt, half a pound of flour, four ounces of moist sugar, and a dessertspoonful of freshly ground and sifted ginger. Com- bine the whole thoroughly, and put the mix- ture dry into a well buttered mould. Tie it in a cloth, and boil the pudding for tht,!e hfurs. Serve with wine sauce, or with butter and sugar. BAKED DRIED HADDOCK.—Take a medium- sized haddock, put it in a baking-tin, with the skin downwards, and pour over it juet enough warm water to cover the skin, but not the rest of the fish. Bake for oDe- quarter of an hour, when the skin will come off quite easily. Remove it, pour off the water, and pour into the tin sufficient raiil,- to cover the fish. Stew bits of butter ov it, and bake a nice brown. POTATO SCONES.—Boil six large potatoes salted water for a quarter of an hour. Strain off the water and let them stand, wd covered, by the side of the fire to steam. Mash them with a fork quite free from lumps, with a generous lump of either butter or dripping, a tablespoonful of flour and two small whole eggs. Beat this well with a wooden spoon. Well butter a griddle; make it quite hot. Turn the potato mixture on to a well-floured board; put pieces on the hot griddle as large as a tea- cup; flatten them with a floured knife. When they begin to rise, keep turning them over with a knife to cook them well through; or bake them for twenty minutes in a hot oven, lightly greasing the baking- sheet.