Within three days both members of what is believed to have been the oldest couple in Europe have died at Gyoenyoes, Hungary.
The man, Josef Reismann, who was 106, died from pneumonia, Eis wife Maria, aged 100, could not stand the shock, and died from heart failure on the day of his funeral.
The Charing Cross Bridge scheme, now estimated to cost £ 32,500,000, has been shelved again, for a year or two at least.
This fact, first foreshadowed in the "Morning Post" four months ago, emerges from an oficial statement issued by the Ministry of Transport on June 12.
The statement is designed to clear up the misunderstandings which have arisen from Dr. Leslie Burgin's answer in the House of Commons three days before, which apparently contradicted the' observations made by Mr. Here-Belisha, his predecessor, on this subject earlier in the year.
'A month ago, Mr. Here-Belisha told the London County Council that he found it difficult to accept their estimate of £32,500,000; he indicated that financial assistance would, be forthcoming; but hinted that, in any case, the schemes would probably be shelved because of the rearmament programme, the steel shortage, and on economic grounds. On June 9 Dr. Burgin said that if the scheme were proceeded with, iù would rank for most favourablertreatment.
Thus, the statement makes it clear that Mr. Here-Belisha told the Council that their scheme would receive favourable consideration, if proceeded with. Mr, Burgin, it seems, repeated the earlier part of that statement, but omitted the obvious qualification. Hence the misunderstanding.
Policy Change "There has been- no change of policy on the part of the Ministry in this matter," the statement emphasised.
The fact remains that the scheme has obviously been turned down again. It is significant to note the increased estimate now—given—£32500000. At one time:£112,000,- 000 was the figure mentioned.
The cost of the scheme, as many have foreshadowed, is rising every year, due to some extent to the li creasing cost of buying property in Central London for a major development scheme of this kind.
Even if steel and labour costs fall after the rearmament programme finished and the public works pri gramme is resumed, the view taken now thai when the scheme comes forward for practical consideration a year or so hence the cost will be even more formidable— leaves part of each wheel exposed below the wings. It has a metal monocoque fuselage; except for elevators, rudder and ailerons, which are—fabric-covered, the whole machine has a stressed skin of metal sheet. Hydraulically operated split flaps are fitted to the trailing edge of the wings to steepen landing glide and reduce landing speed. The engine drives a—variable-pitch airscrew, Though generally normal in appearance, the new fighter is readily distinguished from the many other types of low-wing monoplane now in construction by the unusual form of the tail, in which the vertical fin and rudder are set farther forward, relative to the tail plane, than, in the average machine, Its cantilever wings have a span of just over 38 ft. from tip to tip. It is 31 ft. long. and on the ground measures 10 ft in height. The engine is enclosed in a ring cowling which has adjustable gills to control the flow of cooling air.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.