Abergavenny Chronicle

I A TIP TO MOTORISTS. I Most motorists kiiev; that accidenh arc noL alwavs responsible for the front wheels b-incr out of alignment. All cars, through no fault of manufacture, are subject to this condition, and the br,t indication will be given when one notices that the tread oi one or both tyres is wearing as though a rough file had been used on them. If ti-c tread becomes worn through and the 'f a,) i- c affected, then the tvre is beyond repair, To avoid this condition there is but one remecly and that is care. Test the front "hecis frequently, and always be sure that they are in proper alignment.

THE "VICTORY" WHITSUN. RECORD EXODUS TO THE COUNTRY AND THE SEA. I THE LUCK OF LLANDUDNO. One million travellers are estimated to hare hit London for the Whit-un holidays. Li\ ports of a like nature are to hand from ail v; r tire country. It is consequently i a to say that everybody made holiday t if is WhitsLin, whether at their own home or .cmeb oiy else's! Loil of cour.-? the Government must mar :ly pleasures of the week-end to some Jittle I .•xt-rut. Th. extra iiilill(,ii bir,:els of Lav! promised a fortnight a,,o, were iiot to. til coming, and the patience of the thirsty or-s was somewhat tried. At Swansea the publicans refused to serve trippers. In LOIl- ii' .i a large number of public-houses was eli s?d. vol at Llandudno there was plenty of Of the London attractions, thousands visited the British Museum. South Kensiug- | ton Museum, Hampton Court, and the r. At the Zoo it is said the animals were !oi:k'n? most "fed up." and donbks:i this wr.3 only natural, for this fine render' fni- fire rcliflo,- flewlv-inoving men, women, and children. T"? wcath'cr throup'hout th? hcHdays was ?::ceikmt. A break was threatened during the late morning on Monday, but alter a somewhat overca-t hour and .:¡ half the sky j cleared again and all was bright once more.. Unfortunately, the holiday <$d not pass j without an accident of a fatfl character, | bat in view of past years theq?cta (f 1'1'(1,'1)' l'rL:1,1,. "'1¡'lJ On Sunday L .l L l.1'1. .J. I,l ? t evening Mr. CharlesWatts, refre-hment rooms proprhtoi', of Gos?cit. tcd li?s 13-' year-okl son and two otiicr boys for a row to Ryde. On the return joarney a sudden J squall overturned the boat. The father j swam about trying to find his son, and re- fused to board a leseue boat which had 1 picked up the other In the end the I father became exhausted, and, -like his sou, I L1h. ,1" t:- "c" ,-K v-" was drowned. I Another case was that of William Soft Rvid. an engineer, of SeiJuric, who was in a I motor charabanc which was overturned when I returning from Hawick races. He died from his injuries. | A remarkable rescue was that in v.ich a sailing boat and three young men w-e:o c n- cemed. The boat capsized an d sank in t?.e j Solent, near Lymington. Two of the party, j Diudge and Robinson, could twirn, but the I third, named Wadham. was unable to do so. Drudge, who is only 19, acmevcd the l'c- marhable feat of swimming half a inilo in I choppy sea while supporting Watinam. entuafiv the three cache d a" mud bar.iv, from whence they were r?cued. The following brief reports, colkcte-1 from all sources, ave characteristic of Av httsun conditions throughout the whole 0f 1..e British Isles:— Bognor. Thrre were 20,000 visitors in Eo.gnor. All jut-of-eioor sport was liberally indulged iil, 3IK! it was one of the best hoiioiays from the financial point of view that the town iie- had for many year. Bournemouth. Theie was a considerable influx of holiday makers. Many took joy rides 111 iiaiil.'cy Page aeroplanes. Brighton. u_ there was some eea mist, ana TiQ si.oa.i I boats were allowed to put out. The scat I frotit and pier were thronged with animated crowds, and the regiuar holiday makers ivere reinforced by large numbers of day trippers. Douglas. Thousands of holiday-makers spent an en- joyable day. Golf courses were well patronised, pleasure craft were in consider- able demand, and the more lazily-inelincd basked on beaches and headland. Eastbourne. I The many outdoor attractions were well I patronised. There was much oathing and I boating. Folkestone. I Not since the days before the war have go mallv holiday-makers streamed through the atreefcs to the beach. A blight sea inter- fered with bathing. Hastings. I Ma/iy thousands A'isitcd the town. I Llandudno. I The holiday crowd had a full day of sun- Bhine. Many visitors were surprised to find pleilty of beer at all the hotels and bais. A large crowd witnessed the opening of toe model yacht racing fceatoa oa the wc--t ehore. Llangollen. I Crowds of visitors came from Lancashire and Yorkshire and all parts of the English Midlands, and all previous Whitsuntide ex- periences were eclipsed. Lowestoft. I Enormous crowds enjoyed the pleasures o I a brilliantly fine day. Ramsgate. I I the first club yachting took place since I the war began. Among the attractions were I jazz dances in the sea. Southend. I The Whitsuntide holiday beat all previous I records. Visitors stopped at nothing, and enjoyed themselves to the full. Southport. I There* was an exceptionally large crowd Pot Southport. I Southsea. I I Many maa-a joy llights at -a guinea a neati I in Avro biplane'. I Weymouth. I Steamboat trips to Lulworth Cove, which I have been suspended fcince August, 1914, were resumed. Yarmouth. I A record Whitsun. The number of visitors has never before been equalled, and there was a huge crowd on the beach and eca front. 0

IMPUDENT SAFE ROBBERY. A most impudent safe robbery is reported from the East-End of Loudon, in which a safe containing money and securities of the value of about < £ 3,000, .was removed by four burglars with a motor-van from the house of Mr. Morris Isaacs, C67, Barking-road, E. The safe has since been recovered, broken open and plundered. The men concerned entered the house and brought the safe out in full view of passing people and of neighbours and deposited it in H closed motor-van. They then walked away tioietly, while the driver of the van set off at top speed iu the direction of the City. It is believed that the three men rejoined the motor-van at a prearranged place, and they at once began the work of breaking open the safe while the van was t) c, i I I driven about. This task accomplished, and the four men having shared the proceed s of the robbery, they celebrated the event, and later got rid of the safe. The safe had contained, says the "Dailv Mail," London, nearly i:400 in coin and Trea-sury notes; £ 2,000 ia War Saving s Certificates; one < £ 200 War Bond; shares of the value of < £ 250; various insurance endow- ment policies; and jewellery, including IS rings. When the afe v.,as found all it con- tained was a few papers, including the < £ 200 War Bond, and one or two articles of jewellery.

STRUGGLE IN FLAT. The police are searching for the unknown man who is wanted on a charge of attempt- ing to murder a young woman named Louisa Darrell in a flat at Gloucester-cres- rent, Regent's Park, by wounding her in the face. As the man made his e-scape from the room in which the assault is .said to have taken place he snatched up a small leather attache case. This was empty, but it is sug- gested that it may have supplied- a motive for the crime. The man, who is probably wearing a grey suit, has a slight limp in one leg, believed to be the rig-ht one. Latest reports state that the woman is progressing favourably.

DEATH IN THE CARRIER. A fi ti I -%N,h".eli has occurred through riding on the carrier of a motor- cycle offers a grave warning to all motor cyclists. It appears that yhilst being driven by her husband Mrs. Martha Neal fell off the car- rier and sustained .serious injuries, from which she died in hospital at Dorchester, near w here the accident occurred. The couple were returning home at Whit- church, Hants, from a holiday in Dorset, and Mr. Neal had proceeded some distance before he discovered that his wife was miss- ing.

FIREMAN BURNED ALIVE. A serious fire has occurred at Hainton Hall, the Lincolnshire saifc of Lord Ileneage. The older and more historic portion of the building has escaped with comparatively slight damage, but the modern wing, in which the family's living apartments were situated, is now nothing more than a blackened shell. Ladv Ileneage is deeply distressed by the death of one of the Grimsby firemen, whe was buried bv a falling ceiling and burned alive. "This is the worst of all," eaid Lord Heneage.

I FATAL TRAIN SMASH NEAR CALAIS A fatal railway accident lias occurred, near Calais, where a train conveying Gor- man prisoners from Dunkiik, stopped at St. Pierre Halt, and was run into from behind by two Britich engines travelling at fuJI sp' eed. Three Cim'.nn prisoners nnd two British s0)ii' ,J1;{nkt,'f1 G;n'0F;.i1 seriously imjared.

INTERESTING ITEAiS. This year's hay crop is not to be con- trolled. Regular pa-enger flight-, are to be started '.vetween Berlin and Ruegcll, an island iu the Baltic. A cargo of 70.003 gallons of whisky, which v.-a? distilled in California, hm arrived at Dublin, where it will be bended. Delegates representing the British Univer- sities have arrived at Bordeaux to inspect the town, and arc ?oi?.? ou to Liboume and St. Emilion. to The Duke of Devonshire has agreed tc forego for five years the annual payment oi the principal and interest on the purchase money for the famous baths at Buxton, and will contribute ,£:)00 a Year for tht same period towards the advertisement of the town. Warcham and Purhcck (Dorset) R. D Council have a-t-euted to the diversion of a roadway at Ea-t Ciece'i to permit a local firm working a "patch" of l(:,OCD tons el clay for Belgium. Accidentally struck en the le., with a pike a week ago. Frederick Ilorsdell, aged eight, of Dudley, has died from lockjaw. By a large majority Mr. A. G. Cameron has been elected general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiuer.-». S Jlaay of the herrinsr fishermen Oil the j north-cast coa-t of Scotland, who have been oil strike for two weeks, have gone out fishing again. The six British destroyers taken over by the Australian Government arc the Alizae Swordsman, Tattoo Stalwart, Success, and Tasmania. Thev are all of the newest type, and will be manned and kept up by the Dominion. Of a collection of coins of the y)-criod ivil- liam I.—Stephen, a London penny was wId for .6100 and a Cirenccstcr penny for £170. Aberayron Board of Guardians' clerk is resigning after thirty-five years of service. Hi" father and he have beeil in continuous service of the Board for 82 years. The owner of a pigeon marked N.U .R.P. It and N.U.H.P. 14 H.T. who sends the correct numbers ou tne rings to 14, Gringe- street. Burton-on-Trc-ut, can have the pigeon. A dead pigeon marked N.U.R.P. 15/A 7943 has been found in a chimney at Brook Hall, Tiptrce, Essex. The first general council meeting of the British Gardenero' Association, held in Bir- mingham, represented 5,000 gardeners, horticulturists, and allied workers. A reso- lution waf adopted in favour of a 44 hours' week and a minimum wage of £3 a week for all agricultural workers over 21 years. There is an unprecedented rush to sub-, scribe to the Paris Municipal Loan, despite labour troubled. iToilowing a scratch on the nose with oarbed wire, a young man named Ryan, of Pala-beg, Co. Limerick, contracted blood I poisoning, with fatal results. I A Royal West Kent regimental memorial cor.'ice has been held at Maidstone. ) There will be racing at Dover on JU'J ISth and 19th under the auspices of the Royal Cinque Port Yacht Cluu. The Royal Osteud Yacht Club will hold a regatta im- mediately aft e r wards. Sir E. Tootal Broadhuret has presented tc Manchester land in the Moston district ot the city valued for a public Dark in celebration of the Allies' victory. Pleading guilty to breaking a pane ot glass in the doorway of No. 10, Dowmng- f-treet, Thomas Butler, a working man, was fined 40s. at Bow-street. Civil Service assistant clerks have de- manded a minimum a yeai and a marrying wage of < £ 150 at 25 years. The first issue of the scrolls commemora- tive of those who lost their lives in the war will be ghortlv io-uod to friends and next- of-kin, says Mr. Churchill. Ileanor surveyor reports that, notwith- standing greativ ircrca-cd wages, the town council's workmen do not do so much work as previously. On ore day they a bsented themselves altogether, leaving the cart teams standing idle. The human bones which were recently un- earthed at Chertsey are now believed to Le those of people who died in the great cholera outbreak of 1849. The first victims were a German band. R/Osa Luxemberg's body has been identi- fied, and the authorities have given permis- sion for the burial.

I BIRTHDAY HONOURS. I I VESTA TILLEY BECOMES "MV LADY." I I The list of the King's Birthday Honours "ow published will give further satisfaction to the members of the music hall profession, and also to many followers of their per- form' By the admission to knighthood. of Walt-r de I-'reee, the popular public idol, Ve-ta Tiliev, now becomc.s "My Lady. The following are other honours distri- buted Sir Reginald II. Brade, Secretary, War Office, and Sir Hubert, Llewellyn Smith, Secretary, Board of Trade, to be G.C.B. The are: Charles Walker, C.B., Aecountant-General of the Navy; John .hlHS Taylor. C.B.. Assistant- Under-Secro- tary for Ireland and Clerk to the Irish Privy Council; Stanley Mordaurt Loathes, C.B., Civil Service Commission; Herbert James (reedy, C.B., Private Secretary to War Office; Basil Thomson, C.B., Assistant Commissioner, C.I.D., Scotland Yard; George Evelyn Pemberton Muriay, C.B., Secretary, General Post Office; John Ander- son, C.B., Secretary, Ministry of Shipping; N. F. Warren Fislier, Chairman, Board of Inland Revenue; and A. V. Symonds, As- sistant Sec-rotary, Local Government Board. There are various C.B. 's in the list, and the Knights Bachelors include: Thomas Sinus Director of Works, Admiralty; Wil- liam Henry Wells, Chief Livestock Commis- sioner, Ministry of Food; J. Baker, M.D. Superintendent Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum; Henry Arthuri Wynne, LL.D., Chief Crown Solicitor for Ireland; John Charles Miles, Solicitor to Labour Ministry; Charles Davidscn, Ministry of Munitions; WaR.cr de Frccc, for services rendered at the Ministry of Pensions; Sidney George Hig- gins, C.B.E., Ministry of Shipping; H. Courthorpe-Munroe, K.C., rendered services at Beard of Trade; Francis George New- Wit, K.C., for services in the Treasury Solicitor's Department; Isaac Connell, Secretary to the Scottish Chamber of Agri- culture; and Lieut.-Col" Hugh Arthur Rose, D.S.O., Chairman of the new Scottish Edu- ca.tional Authority.

TO PAY THE PENALTY. f Under a strong military escort there have arrived at Malta G3 Turkish prisoners. Whilst the greatest reticence is main- tained regarding their names, it is known that they comprise practically all the Minis- ters under the old regime who were respon- sible for Armenian massacres, deportations, and other crimes and intrigues. There is not one person of low rank in the collec- tion, all being pashas or beys. In reviewing this action on the part of I the authorities one newspaper says that the Allied measure relieves the situation con- siderably and enables the Government to breathe freely now.

WOMAN FLIER BEATS HEIGHT I RECORD. A report from Paris states that Baronoos de la Roche, flying a small Caudron biplane, y'at the woman's height record. The flight lasted one hour and forty-nine.. minutes, and the height attained was 12,70(>ft., or just under two and a half miles.

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. I Observation made at the Mount Wilson l Observatory show that of the nebulae, those J far away and mostly telescopic clouds, there arc thousands' perhaps hundreds of thou- sands, but their size to us has been simply an impression of indefinite though incon- ceivable immensity. A recent announce- incut gives measurement's of the parallaxes of six of them, aa made by Adriaan van Maaneu with the GOin. reflector at the observatory mentioned. It is indicated that the largest nebula measured has a major diameter 10,000 times as great as the dis- tance of the sun from the earth, and that the smallest is a seventh as large across. If it wiil aid cur comprehension, we may con- sider that the diameter of our Solar System, a. marked by* the orbit of Neptune, is only GO times the lm's distance!

KISSING THE CAT. I All of us have been taught to avoid kiss- ing animals, but now comes a writer who defends the custom. Writing on the sub- ject, this champion of the cat and dog world says Qnce having kept dogs and cate; with- out noting any "of the recorded dire resiilt? to members of my family, who were very fond of caressing these pets, I interviewed a lady who had had a much larger experi- ence of dogs. cats, and other animals than my opportunities afforded. She ridiculed the whole statement, and began to enu- merate instances of friend.-) of hers who were particularly fond of kissing their canine friends and yet were remarkably free from colds and other ills.

NOTES ON NEWS. j I By the removal of the "No Treating" testrictions, the Liquor Control Board has made a step in the right direction. Whether one is in favour of the consumption of ) alcohol or notyit must be admitted that a ?- t I)e a d Tli,ttk-, d th?it ;I large amount of discontent (a discontent, too. which is spreading) has been caused through the dirt rt interference wiih the liberty of the subject by officialdom. Official- dom is all very well in its way, but at times it can easily, perhaps? without- direct in- tent, over-step the mark and negative the good its objective de-sires to effect. Of course, with well organised campaigns such a contretemps would be impossible, but all of us arc willing to grant excuses on "account of the war. Still, one fails to the necessity fcr the continuance cf tho no-treating order s;x month. after the armistice was signed. Without a doubt, the decree was neoes<«ry when tiie Nation was in the worst throes of the late struggle, when every effort and all energy were necessary to accomplish a sati-factory termination to hostilities. But to lot the embargo on personal liberty remain for so long after the ee-sation of bellicose activities was beyond all r-c-a.-cfii. That things were getting serious in this direction everyone knew. The public treated the Act with open deifance, and publicans, like Nelson, were willing to take the risk and turn their blii.d eye to any del iii' uerioies. However, the "No-Treating Order" i,) a thing of the past, and it is to be trusted that not only the Liquor Control I Board, but. other "Boards" as we'd will per- form similar acrobatic feats, ar.d convert ridiculous restrictions into practical benefits t?efore another seven months have passed, and thus restore the liberty of the subject The Demand of the Docker. I One is tempted to treat the drink ques- tion with some degree of levity, for whilst the embargo oil "treating" is xemoved there, ¡ is. apparently, not enough beer to supply ordinary needs, let alone those .slightly in- creased demands which will be the natural outcome of the removal of restriction in the matter of purchase. One can well imagine when the question, "What's yours;" is made in a place of entertainment depleted of stocks that the reply will be "A lemoIl!" I and feo the stop-tho-drink brigade score I again. At the same time the subject has its serious side, and really a very serioue one" too. For instance, the White Star liners I Adriatic and Lapland have sailed for America from Liverpool after being held up in v.-ort over two weeks beyond their sailing I dates. Beer, or rather the lack of it, was the cause of the delay. It appears that the II docker^ will not go without their daiiy ratiroi of beer, and must have time to got it Those of us who travel a different walk in life are not able to be so independent, but that's another story. However, the d"okers must have their beer, 'tis said,, and if they can't get it they stop work tsnd delay important transport duties, thuf; dis- locating not only the -business of merchants in this country but those on the other side pf the Herrin g Pond. Now it is obviously "up. t o" the Liquor Control Board to see that sufficient stocks are at the disposal of the publican and public, and further that r.ich ~tockf», when placed upon the market, distributed fairiv. It should be easy to Provide siu h facilities; at any rate, were t?e "?t?r left with a bnnes. and not liovernni'mtal, concern. the smooth working r;f such an arrangement would be assured. "Dirty Bertha." I ,c French are always very apt both ith their phrase* and adjectives, and when tho • r.mcus German gun with the marvel lous lanrre of 75 miles made its appearance it immediately became known by our friends on the ether side of the Channel as Dirty Berth?. All competent artillerists knew that the gait was of no reliable value ex- iopting to produce a condition of fright. fuUr's-T but the facts now given by Lord Muuiton iu his lecture at Cambridge ccn- cerning this big piece of ordnance make in- teresting reading. In the early part of last year, he said, the world was thrown into amazement by the report thax Paris wa& b>oiiig bombarded by the Germans. It was first incredulous. Then, as usual, it e'vdltrd the Germans with having invented soroe- ::2": propellant cf nmrvelloits cmciency. But we knew bettor. Our experts realised that, thanks to the control of pressures and rate-* ef burning iu our present smokeless powdeis, such a' range could be obtained in a gup of determinable dimensions. Indeed, all the details of the gun and the powder n-reossarv to accomplish the feat were at :.11C2 .,rcl1:c.d ciit, iiid the gun would have been manufactured if it La-d possessed suffi'- cient military value to warrant the work Ed the expense. In addition to Lord Moul- tc n 's observations, we might add that it waa practically an impossibility for the Germans to fire the gun with any degree of accuracy —that a shell fired from the gun must hit something was inevitable, but what that something ia detail would lie it was more than the Hiuinish gunners were able to de- cide. The Victory Derby. I Once again the glorious uncertainty ct horsc-iaeiu g has been brought home to us, and, as at the Derby, the winner of the Oiks proved to be an outsider. With the King and Queen, Princess Alai- and two of her brothers (the Prince of Wales an d Prince Albert), this year's Derby was an event cf historical interest, it setting the royal seal to the first great race since the beginning of the yvar in 1914. In addition; it is pleasing to know that the King him. self was numbered among the winners, his horse Viceroy carrying off the Steward's Cup. That the "Peace" year will be a great social success is indisputable. Big things are l romised in Society (with a capital S) during July and August, and then by the time the autumn arrives let us hope we shall have finished with further labour troubles and settled down in real earnc-st to do good, for ourselves, each other, and the country at large. The Housing Problem. I Th Local Government Beard is getting well into its stride with the great task of bettering the housing conditjüns of the country. New housing schemes submitted to it during the week ended May 31 num- bered 50 per cent. more than in any pre- vious week. Three hundred schemes in all were submitted, of which 293 were pro- moted by local authorities, and 7 by public utility societies. In 267 of the schemes the area affected amounts to 2,139 acres, whilst the total number of schemes submitted to the Board is now over l,flOO, representing Taken at an average of 10 houses to the acre, the schemes provide for a quarter of a million houses. Conspicu- ous among the schemes submitted are those from local authorities in Outer London. The Bexley Heath Council's schemes cover 220 acres, which wo odd give room for nearly 2,500 houses. A scheme from Merton and Morden covers ICS acres, representing a bout 1,000 houses. Other schemes from the Home Counties are promoted by the Amersham 1 (53 acres), Hairwell (40-J acres), Surhitofi, Ilford. and Harlow Councils. Needless to add, the provinces come in for a full and fair share of attention.

The saving effected by the adoption (,: I improved methods in the Ministry of Muni- b01l3 ia not less than ?300,000,000. Mr. Hope states in the Parliamentary papers. One hundred houses are to be built by th e .c:nsh3.m Council at a cost of iCOO I each. Owing to the noise proving distressing to many nerve-wrecked men in the Portsmouth area, a protest is made against night- firing practices. Forty-three thousand pounds has been subscribed to the fund for a memorial to the late Sir William Ramsay, the scientist. The sum aimed at is £ 100,000. Man" y people are reported to have been killed and wounded by the explosion of a munitions depot containing a great quan- tity of bombs at Cortemarck, Belgium. Ivy Tyson, aged nine, was killed by a taxicab in Balham High-road while scram- bling for coppers thrown from a charabanc by people returning from the Derby.

I En.rf'np CF NEWS. I E "i, I ?"k I '? ?? :k i I Old Thames look Louses are to ba rebuilf hi: -t¡1'. IVvon gri-vrer-, are. making 10,, per K? sticks for iii?'hL a- p aragus. Steamboats are rUllnin a??.t;) Let'e?? Lyiuingion ai.d Tc.tLnl Bay, I.O.W. Honn-lo'V aerodrome w now re-r.-ved f- cirelv for civilian dying, and K. A.F. ma- c h ines will land thrve only in emergency. Glasgow Corporation Tramways revenue for the year ended May 31 was £1 ,3;,n.(, ?n iiicr?u.-eff ?12?..?'JO. Manv t hou-an d s or tons of ccmcit arc I ler; i\)U:'i1:a::)t f,)!l;ore¿::1 ;t ¡!'è Farn oorough DLtrict Council have de- i-al -1 that taxicabs, before plying for hue, must Lo fitted with taximeters. Hull Corporaticn is iu?uirin? if it can ,{¡, ;? ¡ ¡' ¡ d¡: g:, sliii 1 ing for giving to school children en re?e D':? Fur ?r;?n'.uu? ?G cut-of-v.'ork p?y while f?l'v cm ployed, Fre lerick Coo p er, m i '?c" was at Dcnc-aster sent to priorn for two mouths. Lord Bcrverbrook, who bi n kl c, o i two operations, goes to Cana d a for a:i months' vi.-it to im p rove his health. Ca;?u Watorfie'd h.)s accopied ?' Ar(' ;{:;J[;I:}jE;> be-i'r.??re;?i?<f ?h.L'! tenharn College after the end of the derm. Tho Office of Works, has decided to extend ti¡ February 20 next the lIC of ccr?!?n parts of th'? rcya! par k s used for a'nft- i 0';h,I1t;deCY;t p; ,,¡' e; a; be c-eare d Fees to the 23 valuers engaged b.v c,- r.L'irhtry of Munitions in the asses-'inent of property claims arising out of tiie S ilver- town explosion amounted to £ 23,023, Mr. Koliaway states. Aberdeen is to o?erinc frppdomc'f?'.<' ['h t? Ad?'i!ri?Bp?tt?,?ir?)ouG:'Ln-H.i?,. c:nd i3 o ii it c r Max, of 13 r u1: o' arc in rÚeiyp the liotior,,rvof I.L.D. from tho university on duly 11. Between two Hu-sinu cannon captured in the Crimea the tank presented to Birming- ham in Park. Owing to the drought, Devon's hay crop will be loss than half what was expected, and the spring sown corn is languishing. For the destruction of a U-b'-at, Loid 5tendale in the Prize Court awarded 10 Seaplane D-SG0 a prise bounty of £ 175, at the rat: of- P,5 per head of the U-boat's crew. In the seaplane were Fieet Sub- Lieutenant C. S. Mos-sop, D.S.C. (killed on zoi-vice t year later), and Mr. A. E. InkJcw, as air mechanic. After 50 years' service with the Great Western Eailway Co., Mr. Arthur Mar1;n, station master at Neath, Glamorgan, has retired. Maintained by the ex-Empress Eugenio *>f a coit of nearly £ 2,000 per annum, the military hospital at Fambcrough Hill will shortly be closed. Major-General the Rev. Dr. Simti, c.n.. Principal Chaplain of the British ArmiH. has been elected Moderator by the IrJ.->h Presbyterian General Assembly. We-tminster Abbey's new bells, wrhkb have been cast to complete the peal in tin e- fc.r the s'iguing of peace, have been dedi- cated. Two representatives of the Swedish Government visited Hull, and inspected the facilities for the proposed ferry service b> f.wccn Sweden and England. Even people who give expression to thc-i* views in violent and outrageous language must live somewhere, said Mr. Justice Eve ia the Appeal Court, but the person living l:Xt. daor might well echo the words of the patriarch Jacob and say, ffOh, my soul, coco r.ct nigh my dweUing." Instruction clashes at the Royal Army Clothing Department for N.C.O.s and sol- diers recommended for appointment as tcr- rrant tailors will be opened en July 1. Professor G. Elliot Smith, professor of anatomy, Manchester University, has been appointed to the Chair of Anatomy, Cni- versitv College, Loudon. Wondering why ho lo(,Ic of his stable- door would net work, the rector of Thoin- haueh, near Peterborough, examined it and found wasps had nested in it. D: Wvndham Cottle, aged 71, formei:y specialist in skin dssea.-e-s at St. George s llosoital. London, has died suddenly in the o of his resideuce ht Ningwood Manor, I.O.W. He was in the stable yard trying to .separate two dogs that were fighting. The King of Belgium has conferred on Mr. Herbert Samuel the Insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold. Lord Liverpool's term of office as Gover- nor-General of New Zealand is being pro. longed until June, 1020. The Floral Hall at Covent Garden, which was damaged during an air raid two years ago, has been re-opened. Members of the National Warehouse and General Workers' Union employed in the City and West-End textile warehouses, have decided to give the employers ten davs in which to agree to their demands tor a minimum wage for men of 50s. Cd., and for women 31s., a 44 hours week, and the aboli- tion cf the liviug-iu system. The Saxon Government has decided to hand over to tie and the members of his house their private for Vanes. Attention is called by the a u thoriiios to the regulation that all persons travelling to the Channel Islands must be in possession of valid passports. In a railway accident at Bendery (Bes. earabia). says a report quoted by Router, 11 persons were killed and 40 injured, most of them being French and British officers. As a result of representations made by East Ham Corporation to the Road Board, it is announced that a gramt- of t73,314 will be made towards the reconstruction of main roads in the Borough.

j! ¡   1 ?LiAsiUH. II q Gns of the secrets of power to I: wir.listand the trials and worries i; ï of th present time is the pes- I :1 session of an efficient digestion. The man who is thus favoured is usually strong in nerve and 1'1 niusois; he is generally found to d be reliable. A digestive crgan- d. I¡ 1 ization in good working order ¡, ensures t.-liat the best results are II ¡! obtained from the nourishment taken. For the preservation of the efficiency of the digestive [ organs Beecti arn's Pids are ) 0 widely known and heartily re- lj commended by those who use i:! them. These pills have been ¡ j the means of preventing illness I and establishing health in n:3ny I thousands of instances. The ¡ number of people is ever on the I increase who owe health and II energy to the judicious use of BEECHAM'S ¡ PILLS. Prepared only by 7HOMAS BEECHAM, St. Helens. Lanes. Sold everywhere I in boxes, labelled ls-3d and 3s-0d. II

OUR LONDON LETTER. I a- 'I J fFrom Our Special C orrespondtnt.} I LONDON. Dr, Addison ha" b-ecn able to make tha g?atifyin? announcement that a number of r.r>nsing 'scTieinest have now got pa.it the pre- ]:L.lin,ciry sta.,Tc, in com 3 c<.=c= Y. 'or k has be?n bc gun. It in tremendously reoassary that the co u dry ). (j .dd do DY. than grumble at tiie luck cf houses. Tho local authorities must he both stimulated and encouraged by the eon-taut pressure cf a determined and informed public opinion. What W liEXd is, in short, a revival ef • what has been, called parish • pUmp politics. The electoral oblige.tions of the citizens of this country in regard to municipal affairs are generally very indifferently recognised. If the local authorities are to be livened up it is vital that every linn and woman who has a municipal vote should use it, and that there should be a lively local appre- hension in every place of it* particular needs, especially in regard to housing. It is good news that the Prime Minister is to undertake a tour of the municipal authori- ties on his return from France. He pos- sesses rare gifts for the creation of enthu- siasm and energy. The nation must not lag behind bird in its zeal to get this bousing problem adequately end speedily iealt with. THE COAL SHORTAGE. It ca-ir-ct be said to be a, cheerful pro- spect that was outlined by Sir Auckland Geddes in his recent reference to coil sup- plies during the coming vnrter. It is some- thing to be thankful for that the small con- sumcr is to g-iven relief from some of the -hardships which he nndoiitttedlv experi- .1 ',edly enced under the coal rationing system. n: the rest it would appear that our coal is likely to coot us more, and that it will net be any easier to get than it was last winter. I do not know, however, that this domestic aspect of the case i., the most serious aspect of it. There is apparently Ices coal being got up from the mmes although nicii miners are at work, and it is not too much to say that an increased output of coal is the meet imperative necessity for the country. It may be that nothing very much can be done until we see what is the outcome of tie Mining Commission that is now sitting. But whatever its outcome one 'thing is clear, and that is that the miners themsei"e-s must be broug-it to realise that "net m-erel," the domestic comfcrt, but the very bread and 'butte-? of the millions of their fellow- workers, well as the indus- I trial security of the country depends upon I the results of their labours. THE ENABLING BILL. The Bill which is being promoted to give something, -Li^e f ^eeiL-gpvcrnjpent to the Ciiureii of England seems to be creating a considerable Cutter in the ecclesiastical dovecots. The Archbishop of Canterbury made a very interesting case for it, and stated that ca.e very moderately when he moved tn.; second reading of the Bill in the IImise ef Lords the ether day. To judg bv recent correspondence in the "Times" and elsewhere, churchmen, including the bishops themselves, are sharply divided as to the necessity for and the merits of the Bill. 'Outside the Church of England opinion appeals to be almost entirtjlv hos- tile to it. I ain, I confess, a child in these matters, but it does seem to me a rather n01 preposition that the church which is "by law .established should demand to be leiieved of the control of Parliament, but at the same time retain everything that appertains to it-rnorai,.scc,.il and materia'. —because of the link by which it i", bound to the In the prvsent condition of the country it would, I should imagine, serve no useful purpose to create a violent con- troversy sucJi ad .weald Lc bound to arise over such a question as the disestablishment of the Church of England.. Bat if such a controversy' is precipitated the blame will lest upon thotie who have choscn this of all possible times to introduce a most conten- tious and revolutionary', even if it be a most desirable, measure DEVOLUTION. I 7t Was ad- Long before the war it was generally ad- mitted that Pai??.c'jt wa? sulfci-ing' frcm  m,.de &, anu many prop osa l s were ma de for the devolution of Incal 'bu.?ie?s from the Imperial Puiliameiit to local parliaments within the United Kingdom. The present (ioverurncnt has done something to expedite the business of Parliament by setting up a gvstein of Grand Committees which has, undoubtedly, resalted in a more rapid trans- action of legislative processes. Still, there can be no question that the Parliamentary machine continues to be clogged by the pressure of busine-s, much of which could be done much more expeditiously and effi- ciently elsewhere. This matter was the. sub- ject of an interesting debate the other day, in which a majority cf members agieed that the time haô come when .some steps should be taken to deal with it. An inquiry is therefore to be set- up with a view to a thorouc-h exploration of devolutionary pro- tho h explorat ion of devoIut i oRar y pro. posals. Such prcpoeals should not, by the wav, be mixed up with the question of Im- perial Federation. What is in question is simply the best way of getting through the vast amount of legislative business necessary for the better government of the United Kingdom in its several constituent parts. KEEPING PLEDGES. During the war the Trade Unionists of the country agieed to the abrogation of various rules and restrictions that obtained in organising di-itricts in order to expedite the production and output of munitions of war. They agreed to this on the pledged word of the nation, expressed by the Prima jdinister and others, that after the war things should be restored to their pre-war condition. The Government, in redemption of this pledge, has introduced the Restora- tion of Pre-War Practices (No. 3) Bill, a measure which passed its second reading in the House of Commons without a division. This shows that men of all parties are agreed that faith must be kept with Labour, and that the Government i", determined to utand by the pledges and promises which it has given. A HOLIDAY GRU3IBL=.. I note that people are grumbling that the English seaside report is too slow for them. rllev allege that something more than a few chairs on the front and a band is necessary to make them attractive. When they go for their holidays these dissatisfied folk desire, if I understand them rightly, to see what they call "life." The normal amusements and amenities of Yarmouth or Blackpool leave them cold. Something much more strenuous seems to "be required in order to enable them to enjoy themselves. Now I am far from saying that none of our British seaside resorts leaves something to be desired, but in general I think these complaints are just a part of after-war un- rest There id surely not much holiday in 'transferring one's ordinary habits to Another place. I am eating in restaurants, hearing bands, going to theatres, leading a ii not exactly a strenuous life all the rear round. When I escape for a fenv wee"- in the summer wLat I n&d is quiet the in- spiration of great «ilcnt places, the plea- Ire that comes frem reaping from the crowd. And I %v ?, I maintain against a 1 comers that however Brign on may fall short of- London, cr B,acki;ool. or Li^ipo°l there is no place on earth where there are mo? beautiful and refligcs fiom the turmoil of modern life than we to be found in tILese islands of ours.

BIG MINE EXPLOSION. I l FEARFUL CATASTROPHE DUE TO I CARELESSNESS. News comes of a fearful calamity at Wil- kesbarre (Pennsylvania), where frr;:i 75 to 100 miners wore killed by the explo- sion of a truck of black powder attec'i-od to an electric train in which the men w. ie being convoyed to their work. The accident occurred just after the trap had entered the mouth of a tunnel, ssys a Heuter message. The trolley wire and fell, and the sparks ignited the powder, 1 ed the which instantly exploded. Hundreds of shrieking women and chil- dren gathered near the mouth of t' o tunnel, terrified at the sight that met their eves. "A V ELI IT ABLE IIELL." I The catastrophe is attributed to oareless- [ nes?s and to violation cf the m i ne law-, There is a drastic prohibition against t' e transporting of men on trains carrying ex- ptcsivcs. One of the survivors, who saved him- if by jumping into the ditch running along the side of the tunnel, said: "We were about 50ft. inside the tunnel when I saw a blinding fla-,h and flung Iny- self into the water. Bodies were hurled all about me, and the flames made a veritable hell. No one could possibly escape unless he got into the water, buried his face and rolled over, as I did."

NEW ORK'S LATEST TUNNEL. j Xot to be outdone by the proposed alli- ance between France and England by means of the contemplated Channel Tunnel, New York, with its vast population utterly de- prudent upon the antiquated and inade- quate transportation facilities now afforded, is soon to have a great measure of transit relief in the construction of a huge douVc- d-cked vehicular tube under the Hudson Liver. This project is described as the greatest since the Panama Canal—if not in the hi.— tory of the world. A bridge was once pro- posed, but it woald ha,ve (o:t £lO,(;[,),OC< and required from six to ten years to com- plete. The plan of tunnel most favoured is one of wider diametrr than any before attempted, and hence will necessitate a bigger pneumatic shield for driving than any ever befcre invc-ntcd. In the second place, specially designed concrete blocks, three feet thick, will form the lining of the tunnel, according to the plans. This i; a departure from the tried plan of using cast iron plates. While concrete blccks for this type of construction arc not deemed by some to have sufficiently proved their relia- bilitv, there are no engineers who will sa y that" it cannot be done. The tunnel will co,t about £ 2,300,000, and will have an outer diameter of forty-two feet and a wall thickness of three feet. It will be divided into two levels so as to pro- vide ?par?t? roadways for traiiic going in vide direction. ,-? v s 4,:cr tz:ailic I ■

I TXKLINCi THE PALATE. I Most of us are very ignorant about our selves, end the following notes on the rr'_ran.~ of taste will no doubt prove of in- terest. is felt on the upper enrfac? of the tongue, with the exception of a patch back of the tip, which is insensitive. The under surface of the tongue is said to be sitive to taste, but the soft palate and the tonsils enjoy taste to som" degree. When one hears the phrase "tickling the palate." meaning the roof of the moult", with delicious food, the speakers are io error, for that part of the mouth is very insensitive to tnste. The top of the throat aud parts of the larynx are sensitive t1 taste, and the smelling region is b:?':iCy,'l to give rise to ta-te sensations; in fact. sweet and bitter ta,otes can be perceived the nose.

I THE VALUE OF RAOlCM; I  Acc'Tdin?' to scientists, we owe nearly a!! our possesions, in fact o:u very heln;. k radium. And in many many years to come our descendants, they say, • will marve 1 at our ignorance of this wonderful substance. In tomes of history they will read stories of how their ancestors struggled through the smoky winters veziis arro, and they w: I marvel at our lack of understanding. Ccal then will have a place only iu museums The big point to grasp, however, lies in the fact that we are living now on earth solely because the crust contains radium. If had not been the case the earth would have become cold and dead aeons ago. If man, for any reason, becomes so gra.sping or in such dire necessity that he extracts all of the radium from the crust, he Mmply wi 1 be limiting his chances of a long totay NCIY definitely.

WOOL FRO., RABBITS. The present position of the Hun is forcin" him to still further exercise his ingenuity in satisfactorily fulfilling hit requirements. Now the Germans are searching hard lor wool substitutes, since sheep-rearing is not likelv to increase materially. Dogs hair and even human hair have been tried a.. fen material of limited suppiv. and the .cng hair of women found military use during the war. A possible new industry is to be based on the white silken-haired rabbit. I he hair may bo spun into very fine sotu threads, suitable for weaving certain fabrics, and plana are said to have ))cell made for brooding several million of ino animals. Doubtless Australia could s' in providing an addition to the supply i

I NEW WIRELESS WONDER. j According to Mr. Godfrey C. Isaacs, managing director of the Marconi Company, there is now a new transmitter which will project into the air a wide divergent beam, somethin g like a searchlight without tha light. These beams will convey to the man in the skies automatically the name- of the place ever which he is passing. The beairj can be equipped to lightships or buoys. London can now talk to Manchester or Dublin without any possible danger cf m. terfering with another station, and the I messages cannot be overheard. In tele- I phony the same thing appliŒ, it is added.

General Sir Julian Byng has become a patron of the Comrades of the Groat W ar hire has caused damage to the extent of JL'-O.O'O at the Bush Chemical Works, Strat- ford. An epidemic of spotted typhus is raging ;n nobody is p-rr- M'tte-rl to enter til- town. On!y 873 out of an electorate of 5.5CC persons voted at a Grave-scnd municipal election. Express Sunday deliveries from the c.p .O., London, are now charged at ûi. a milc instead of -M. j Nearly 1,003 cy* clists attended the ryclists' Rally at the Angel, Thames | itton.

With the Pcv. J. M. Glubb's cons-rut, the- vicr.rnge and three-acre garden at- Gpr- ,¿ L _vl. (.J. t. -(I. J.. 1:. (0 J raid's Ci'orrs, Back-, is being converted niter a war meniorbr.l hall. Sir Vincent Frcndo Axc-pardi, Chief Jus- tice of Ivlalti and Vice-President ef the Council of Government of Malta, has died at the age of 55. While Mrs. Jarvia, of Hoxton, was gettin? her baby's bath ready, the handle eaine oh a kettle full of boiling water, which fell on to the baby and caused fatal injuries.

I POOR OLD CUPID I I Sad to lelate. a man sued a girl for the return of a ring. The young couple, who were formerly siveetlie-ti-t, iii(I had broken off their engage- ment, appeared at the Cler ken well County Court. "I pledged the ring for X3 to obtain money for him when he was out of work," explained the girl. "I kept tl of it, which I am willing to repay. This is the second time the engagement has been broken off." Each accused the other of having broken the engagement. The girl expressed her willingness to re- turn the pawnticket to the man, and the ju-iige awarded him El. Will the sequel be, "A marriage has been arranged" ?

I A LIGHTNING STRIKE. I Considerable annoyance was cause-d dur- ing the week-end by some 200 waitresses em- ployed at Liverpool cafe^ and restaurants, who went on strike without any warning. Many people were, in consequence, unable to get a midday meal In some of t-he restaurants the upper dining-rooms had to be idcsed. The girls took off their aprons, put en their hats and coats, and walked out just as the restaurants were beginning to fill with customers. With depleted and amateur staffw the restaurants managed to carry on a partial business. The girls are demand- ing a minimum wage of 25s. a week and a 43 hours week.

THE VICTORY LOAN. I On Thursday, the 12th inst., the pro- spectus of the new loan will be issued, and th e campaign will be opened ou the loll- day following. Ar. Lloyd George has sent a letter to members of Parliament, in the course of which he says: ?-° w that the driving force of active '> stilities is absent, personal influence will the most potent factor, and I trust that you will exercise your influence in your con- stituency to the fullest extent during the period of the loan. "If you can see your way to address your constituents, I think it would be of great value."

The log book of Nelson's flagship, Victory, will shortly be for sale. The records date from September 19, 1805. to January 15, 180G. The Danish police have discovered a wide- spread and carefully-organised German plot to smuggle goods to Germany by motor- boat. 0:'> Sir A. H. Marshall was adopted as pro- spective Liberal candidate for Ashton- under-Lyna. Mr. Buss, of Brenchley, Kent, lived in the same house for 85 years. Dr. Peter Giles has been eleeted Vice. Chancellor of Cambridge University.