CABLE NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6205, 27 February 1904, Page 1

CABLE NEWS

I* United Press Association —Per Electric Telegraph — Copyright.

The Bank of Australasia. London, Feb 20 The Bank of Australasia has declared n dividend of 12 percent., and added to the reserve fund and .£2400 to the premises account, carrying forward .£16,952. Chinese Labour for the Rand. The New South Wales A gent-General, in a long letter in the " Standard," expressing his private opinion, regrets that the Imperial Government is standing godfather to Chinese labour, and predicts much physical and moral evil as a result in the whole of South Africa. He says it is a mistake to ignore the opinions of the industrial workers at Home aud in Australasia, at a time when perhaps every man will shortly be required for the defence of 1 the flag. He insists that the Australian experience shows that deep mining is payable with white labour. He hopes the I importation of Chinese at least will be ' restricted to a bare experiment. The letter has attracted the Hon. A. Lyttelfcon'e attention. Some of the Agents-GeDeral, apart from the merits of the case, think the interference injudicious. The General Federation of Trade Unions j has^protested against the introduction of j forced and fettered cheap labour into South Africa. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain have also protested against the system, whioh they say amounts to slavery. American Wheat Gamble. New York, Feb 26 Great excitement prevails in the Chicago j wheat market, The Bulls have raised the price to the highest known Bince Joseph 1 Letter's comer. !