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Mrs Edgar Lansbury, councillor of the London borough of Poplar, shakes hands with 
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Mrs Edgar Lansbury, councillor of the London borough of Poplar, shakes hands with friends before leaving for prison. — Otago Witness, 25.10.1921
London, September 5: Five women councillors at Poplar were arrested today amidst scenes of great excitement. Mrs Lansbury and an other councillor were apprehended during a demonstration at the Town Hall, after which they were joined by a monster procession, headed by bands and banners, which marched to the house of Mrs Scurr, who was also arrested. The procession, including the five women who had been arrested, returned to the Town Hall, where the arrested women were handed over to the sherriff’s officer. They were then motored away. Prior to her arrest Mrs Lansbury addressed a violent letter to the Home Secretary, accusing him of starving her husband and her father-in-law, mentally and physically, in gaol for the purpose of securing political spite.

Begg gift for new observatory

The chairman of the astronomical branch of the Otago Institute (Mr R. Gilkison) had evident pleasure in announcing good news to a meeting of the branch at the Museum last night. He told the members that the branch had made a marked advance during the past month, and explained that their secretary (Mr J.C. Begg) had made them the gift of a reflecting telescope of 10 or 12 inches, subject to suitable housing for it being provided. They were greatly indebted to Mr Begg for this generous and valuable offer, and inspired by it they had waited on the general council of the Institute to appeal for assistance in establishing the necessary building.

The sum of £200 had been voted by the council, and this, with certain sums available from other sources, brought the whole question within the sphere of practical polities. The committee was taking steps to have an observatory erected as soon as possible, and the next matter would be to decide about plans. They had already fixed on a site on the Town Belt, and he hoped that before long now the branch would once more have a habitation where they could do practical study of the heavens.

Novel hiding-place

Many novel ideas have been acted upon in regard to the hiding of money for safekeeping, but perhaps none so unique as that adopted by a farmer not many miles from Auckland (states the Auckland Star). This person had a tidy pile of notes and, dubious about leaving it in the house during his absence from home, elected to place it in a beehive. He had a shrewd idea that the improvised safe would never be expected to hold such valuable contents, and further, that a stranger approaching the hive would meet with a bad time; hence his selection of the busy little workers to safeguard his wad. A person who was present when the money was extracted by the owner was much struck with the whole scheme.

League of Nations in action

London:  The general assembly of the League of Nations has opened. Forty- eight nations were represented, compared with 41 at the first assembly. The special correspondent of the Daily News at Geneva says: "The real contrast between this and last year's league meetings consists of the mental atmosphere. Then everything was uncertain and experimental, with all the apprehension and excitement of novelty. Today the machinery is in full working order. Disputes are being settled, an
International Court has been established, typhus has been fought, and treaties are being registered and published. Briefly, all covenants and intentions are being carried out."

— ODT, 7.9.1921.


 

Comments

Mrs Lansbury was a Socialist when England was. She died young, in her thirties.

Mr Lansbury was the father of actor Angela Lansbury, daughter of his second wife.