The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1908-11-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

NOTHING TO FEAR." MR. BIGLAND COMFORTS FREE TRADERS. . . .  On Monday evening Mr. Alfred Bigland delivered a lecture on Tarifi Reform at a meeting of the Liverpool Y.M.C.A. Literary and Debating Society. He confined his addrexa mainly to the "fears" which (he said) some English people entertain towards the proposed fiscal changes. One of the most prominent fears. he said, was that we by making some fiscal reform should cause friction with countrieo where it did not exist at present. English People could stand up against most countries, but with a 25 per cent, preference from our selfgoverning Colonies we practically insured for years to come the employment of our people at home. With regard to India, Mr. Bigland asserted that it was a mean policy that they in Lancashire dictated to India where it was necessary for revenue purposes to put a tour per cent, duty on calico going into the country by insisting that the natives should pay the four per cent. If they proceeded on those lines they would have serious unreot in India and peril:ape revolution. They could do away with discontent by letting it go forth as the sentiment of England that we would make no preference that we did not give to any other country on the earth that would take the products of India at the IMMO price (hear, hear). With regard to those who feared complications with the neutral markets of the world, Mr. Bigland said that by dealing with the prohibitive tariffs of certain nations we should have something like a semblance of uniformity of tariffs throughout the earth, and there would then be a freer interchange of international trading. Then the fears of men would grow less and there would be some hope of men beating their spears into pruning hooka (applause). An interesting disciveion followed, and a cordial vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Bigland.  MIGHT HAVE BEEN MURDER "You might have been charged with murder." These words were addressed to a boy, named Reginald McEwan, aged 13, of 10, Pym-street, at the Borough Police Court, ' on Saturday, by the Chairman (Mr. E. T. Coston). The boy was charged, before Messrs Coston and Ed-Williams, with having feloniously wounded George Hughes, aged 11, of 134, Oliver-street, by shooting at him with an air gun. Hughes stated that he had a quarrel with prisoner on Wednesday evening,and his aunt boxed the prisoner's ears. On Thursday night witness was playing marbles outside a shop in Pym-street, and prisoner was standing at his doorstep just opposite. They heard noises as if stones were falling on the footwalk, and then one of witness's playmates cried out that he had been hit on the leg, and another boy, named Roberts, was also hit on the leg. About five minutes afterwards witness stooped to pick up a marble, when suddenly •something struck him in the eye. He was taken to the hospital, when he found his eye was bleedOther boys were called, and stated that prisoner had an air gun and shot at Hughes, I and also fired at them.  Muir deposedto having treated the boy, who was suffering from a gun shot wound just over the left eye ball. Witness; drew the lead pellet out, and found it had penetrated about a quarter of an inch beneath the surface of the flesh. Fortunately, the sight was not injured, and there would be no permanent disfigureMent. It might have been fatal, or it could easily have destroyed the sight. P.C. Crawshaw, who arrested prisoner, said that the boy told him that he shot at a placard on the wall which had the words " Sunday" on it. Hughes was stooping down, and the bullet struck him. Continuing, witness said the placard was 40 yards away from McEwan's house. Prisoner bore out what he had previously said, expressing sorrow at what had happened. The Chairman said he was sorry to see prisoner in that position. The Bench could I not look over it. He certainly pointed the gun. at Hughes, but whether he intended to injure him was another question. He would have to receive 12 strokes of the birch rod.  CanatoLo—Neans Freedom from Cockroaches. Peas.and Nits in Children's Heads.