[From 1918 Examiner Annual]

PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF 1917.

DECEMBER-1916.

5th.— Isle of Man Volunteers demobilised, after military service extending from August 5th, 1914.
22nd.— A Douglas barman, convicted off conducting a raffle, was fined £500.
26th.— Lord Raglan unveiled a war shrine at Castle Rushen, erected in memory of Castletown men serving their country in war.
31st.— Retirement of Inspector William Shimmin, of Peel, after Constabulary service of thirty-seven years.

JANUARY- 1917.

4th.— Opening of the George Herdman Institute, Port Erin endowed by Prof and Mrs Herdman, in memory of their son killed in the war.
6th.— Mr T. C. Kermode, a member for Glenfaba Sheading, resigned his seat in the House of Keys.
14th.— Death of Miss Sophia Morrison, of Peel, Secretary of Manx Society.
30th.— Bye-election for vacancy in Glenfaba Sheading. Result: Edw. Callister, 250 votes; William Clucas, 192; R. O. N. Watt, 103.
31st.— -H.M.S. Laurentic sunk by enemy submarine. Of seven Manxmen on board, two only were saved.

FEBRUARY.

3rd.— Death of Mr James McMillan, traffic superintendent of the Isle of Man Railways.
7th.— Government order issued prohibiting export of oats, oatmeal, turnips and potatoes except under license.
15th.— Death of Mr William Proctor, J.P., an ex-Mayor of Douglas.
18th.— A steamer of 2,500 tons went ashore during fog near the Sugar Loaf Rock. The crew were saved by the Port St Mary Lifeboat.
20th.— Death of Mr William Thomson.
27th.— The Judicature Amendment Bill introduced into the Legislative Council to abolish the office of Clerk of the Rolls.— Third reading passed by the Council on 13th November.
27th.— 87th annual meeting of the I.O.M. Steam Packet Company; dividend ten per cent. It was announced that a sum of £350,000 had been invested in War Loan.
27th.— The Lieut.-Governor approved a scheme constituting the Laxey district a separate parish.

MARCH.

3rd-10th.— A severe spell of cold, stormy weather; snow fell heavily; railways and steamer services disorganised.
8th.— Mr William Shimmin, ex-inspector of Police (Peel), was presented with a marble timepiece by the Constabulary on his retirement.
12th.— The action for libel instituted by Mr H. P. Kelly (advocate) against the publishers of the Isle of Man Times, was settled by consent, the defendants agreeing to pay £50 damages and to publish a full apology.
15th.— Mr W. Bounds, charged under the Defence of the Realm Act, with having made a false statement at a public meeting in Douglas, in regard to the purchase of potatoes by the Insular Government, was fined 40s.
17th.— The amount of money (exclusive of "conversions ") subscribed to the " Victory " War Loan in the Isle of Man, was officially returned to be £752,174. War Savings Certificates sold during the period of the loan amounted to £2,576.
21st.— Owing to shortage of stocks, a scheme of potato rations was formulated by the Government Office and en-trusted to the Corporation and Town and Village Commissioners. The price was fixed at 11d per lb., and it proved a boon to large numbers of people.

APRIL.

6th-11th.— Severe weather marked the Easter Holidays; snow falling heavily.
9th.— The use of Coloured Vestments at St Matthew's Church, Douglas, led to a difference between the Bishop and the Vicar, which resulted in the former refusing to visit St Matthew's for the purpose of a Confirmation Service.
26th.— Special Convocation held at Douglas. The Lord Bishop, in a lengthy charge, dealt mainly with his attitude towards the Vicar of St Matthew's in connection with the use of Eucharistic vestments.

MAY.

30th.— In an action brought by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, in the King's Bench Division, for determining the value of the s.s. Ramsey (sunk on Government service in the North Sea), Mr Justice Atkin awarded the company £40,000.

JUNE.

4th.— While inspecting Knockaloe Enemy Alien Detention Camp, the Commandant of the camp, Colonel F. W. Panzera, C.M.G., died with tragic suddenness.
19th.— Acknowledgement was made in the Insular Legislature of a gift of £500 by the British Section of the Chicago Allied Bazaar, for widows and orphans of Manx soldiers and sailors (per the World Manx Association).
26th.— The Lieut.-Governor laid financial statement for year 1916-1917 before Tynwald. The realized surplus amounted to £3,5,208, an increase over the estimated of £12,830. The total expenditure for the year was £93,375, being a saving on estimated of £3,531. The amount received from excisable articles consumed at the Alien Camps was said to be £60,000.
26th.— In Tynwald, moving an education veto of £13,346, Mr Crannell said' that twenty years ago 8,064 children were being educated in Manx schools, as against the last return-5,966.

JULY.

5th.— Tynwald held at St Johns, and Acts promulgated.— W.M.A. Garden Party at Billown.
16th.— The Transvaal Manx Association remitted £80 for extending the Manx Industries Association's activities in Ramsey.
20th.— After a hearing lasting six days, the suit of Constance S. Bridson v. Caesar Mylroi concerning an alleged right-of-way at Agneash, Lonan, was concluded: Deemster Callow giving judgment for the plaintiff. Nominal damage £1 was awarded.— It was understood the costs would be about £200.
28th.— A Liverpool holiday-maker fined 15s for falsely declaring he was a German prior to embarking at Douglas.
28th.— During the week large shoals of mackerel visited the shores of Ramsey and Peel. Boys lifted the fish readily, while thousands were captured with seine nets.
29th.— Death of Mr William Cowin, formerly of London House, Victoria-street, Douglas; aged 76 years. He was connected with several charitable associations, and for 30 years a member of the Douglas School Board.

AUGUST.

4th.— The officers and crew of H.M. transport Mona's Queen awarded £300 for sinking an enemy submarine.
4th.— Mrs Sarah Anne Radcliffe, Ramsey for harbouring an enemy alien, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. for refusing to answer questions by the Police, she was fined £1.
4th.— Third anniversary of the war. Intercession services were held in various parts of the Island.
6th.— First cinema exhibition in the Isle of Man of successful adaptation of Hall Caine's novel The Manxman, at Villa Marina; witnessed by full houses daily and nightly for a week.
14th.— Under War legislation, a coroner's jury of seven men sat for an inquest, for first time in the Island.
16th.— Charity fete at Silverdale. £345 raised, including; donation of £100 from Mr T. H. Moore, C.P.
17th .— Annual meeting of the Manx Industries, Ltd. The balance carried forward was £214. The capital of the concern stood at £2,750; turnover for the; year, £3,700.

SEPTEMBER.

1st.— The Rev Isaiah Rostron, M.A., of Liverpool, appointed vicar of St Barnabas', Douglas (vice Rev H. P. Shenton, resigned).
11th.— -Mr Wm. Quayle, senior member Glenfaba sheading in the House of Keys, resigned.
21st.— Income Tax Bill circulated, proposing an assessment of 1s. in the £.— On November 20th, the second reading in the, House of Keys was passed; the five members for Douglas voting against.
25th.— Local Government Board (Great Britain) reported that the maintenance of the Alien Camps at Douglas and Knockaloe cost, for the year ended March, 1917, £570,000
27th.— Death of Mr Joseph Rattigan, a well-known Douglas schoolmaster.
28th.— Bye-election for Glenfaba sheading. Result: F. S. Dalgleish, 2,81 votes; R. B. Gawne, 146.
28th.— Tynwald Committee appointed to consider the ninepenny Loaf question, recommended the adoption of British scheme for the Isle of Man.
29th.— The Rev Philip Kelly, M.A. (of Port St Mary), vicar of Collingham Bridge, Yorkshire, resigned his living worth about £500 per annum, under dramatic circumstances. It transpired later that he had enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery.
31st.— Most of the month was marked by unpropitious weather. Great quantities of rain fell, more or less disastrous to the harvesting of the crops.

OCTOBER.

2nd.— Tynwald sanctioned a grant of £20,000 from the accumulated fund for the purpose of reducing, for six months, the price of the 1lb loaf from one shilling to 9d.— The cheaper loan came into operation on November 26th
4th.— Induction of Rev W. N. Hudson MA., as vicar of German.
19th.— Death of Mr Robert Daniel Cowin an alderman of the Borough of Douglas
19th.— On behalf of the Red Cross and the St John Ambulance Association, :` U ar Day " in Douglas realised £250.
22nd.— The Insular Government prohibit the export of milk and eggs. except under license.
30th.— -The Onchan Dorcas Society decided that the voluntary system of poor relief in the parish be discontinued.

NOVEMBER.

5th.— After a hearing lasting nine days, Deemster Moore gave judgment in the suit of the Highway Board v. Thos. Corlett and Sons, Ltd. The board claimed £517 in respect of extra-ordinary damage to the Laxey-Douglas main road, occasioned by defendants' motor lorry. The Deemster gave judgment, with costs, for £275.
6th.— Mr R. S. Corlett, M.H.K. (Michael Sheading), resigned his seat for the purpose of testing the constituency on the Income Tax Bill.— He was re-electeed unopposed on November 23rd.
8th.— Death of Alderman Robert Moore, a member of the Town Council since 1896.
9th.— Alderman J. T. Faragher re-elected Mayor of Douglas, 1917-18.
9th.— Councillor John Kelly appointed an Alderman of the Borough of Douglas.
12th.— Hollantide fair held in Douglas Cattle Market.— W.M.A. held their T. E. Brown Festival at Villa Marina. Meeting of Manx Society: Mr H. Percy Kelly appointed president; and Miss Mona Douglas, secretary.
16th.— Councillor D. Fling appoint:ed as Alderman of the Borough of Douglas. -Mr W. G. T. Hargrave co-opted a member for Derby Ward.
23rd.— Mr Wm. Goldsmith co-opted a member of the Douglas Town Council for Victoria Ward.
26th.— Dr. Davies, of St. Olave's Church, Ramsey, resigns to go to Weymouth.
30th.— Death of Councillor J. A. Gelling (chemist).

DECEMBER.

15th.— Issue of Examiner Annual for 1918.