The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1916-12-30 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE PASSING WEEK.  Three boys were drowned at Leigh on Tuesday owing to ice giving Way. Their names were Willie Bond. Alfred Jones, and Willie Simm. They were sliding on a disused elaypit when the ice gave way. One boy scrambled to the bank, ard ifforts were made to rescue the others. • • • •  Mr. Anderson Hague, a well-known artist, died 'IA his residence, Deganwy, Conway, on Sunday morning, aged 66. He studied at the Manchester School of Art and gained a recognisedi position as a landscape painter n oils. He exhibited for iusny years at the Royal Academy, was a member of the Royal Institution, and one of the founders of the Royal Cambrian Academy at Conway.  S • . •  One of the cases before the last meeting of the Worcester Board of Guardians was that of a woman field worker who was not able to vet work while the wintry weather lasted. She was paid 241. an hour by her employer and allowed no food. A member said the wages were scandalous, and an. other said the woman left home at about five o'clock in the morning and reached home again about eight o'clock at night. The Board granted outdoor relief.  While two soldiers of the guard at Donnington Hall, Leicester, the German officers prisoners camp, were examining a revolver on Christmas night, the neaDon exploded, killing one of them named JohnbOa.  Two electric tramcars collided at Nottingham on Tdesday night, One was thrown off the track. killing an elderly bystander named Newman. Of the passengers, seven of whom were removed to hospital, one—Kate Stokes. aged 23—has since succumbed to her injuries. Only three ct the others were kept in hospital. The accident was caused through the brakes of one of the cars failing to act.  The Dirkenhead No. 1 Branch of the National Union of Railwaymen has passed' a resolution "protesting against the highhanded action of the Home Office, New Scotland Yard and Commissioner of Poince of the Metropolis in the dismissal of four constables for advocating their right to a track union and for being members of an organisation." _ _ _  The Duke of %Mend' has intimated to the agriculturists on his Border estate that in order that food production may be conserved they have fall liberty to trap and snare rabbits on all unenclosed land throughout the year. The Duke also states that he would be pleased if 'here were not a single rabbit or wood pigeon on his estates.  The weekly return of Exchequer receipts and expenditure shows that there were received from Customs and other ordinary revenue during the week ended December 23 .28,487.041. EXCPSB profits duty now stands at £76.456,000. which is less by under ten millions than the estimate for the whole of the financial year. The revenue receipts for the corresponding week las,t year amoanted to £3.944,818. The receipts from Treasury bills amounted to £12,475,000, and the amount cf heso hills outstanding on December 23rd Nets £1,148,116,000.  Tfrl  • • • •  The "Liberte" says the speech by Mr. Henderson at the Socialist Congress made a deep impression on his audience. Mr. Henderson spoke for three-quarters of an hour in English. Iris speech being translated sentence by sentence. There was deep silence when the interpreter explained that Mr. Henderson had lost his eldest son on the glorious battlefield of France. and that another 110/1 .lid been seriously wounded. All present rose to their feet, and with bared heads gave prolonged cheers for the British Mini4er.  The Chinaman who invented a typewriter for his native language has ohtned a patent from the Peking Ministry of Ccmmerce. The machine uses 4,060. Chinese characters.  •• • S  Tim inquest has been opened and ad• iourned on the body of an el.lerly rran name' Edwin Thomas Ashmore, of Pens nett, Staffordshire. The old man's lifeless body, the face battered, was found in front of his son's house. The son has been arrested on a charge of wilful murder, 1: being alleged that in a quarrel the son, Edwin Thomas Ashmore, attacked his father with a_poker.  A statement issued by the Central eon. trot Board shows a remarkable rethmtion in convictions for drunkenness, in cars of delirium tremens, and in attempted ,aivide in the large towns where the hoard have controlled the liquor traffic. The eseiage number of convictions f,r •luijjkenoess each week in 20 of the largest towns in Great Britain up to Ilie cnd of November was only 1,372, as compared with 2,415 a week last year. This tepresouts a reduction of 43.2 per tent.