Telegraphic News

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 2773, 19 May 1903, Page 2

Telegraphic News

fpom oor special corrbspondhnts. [By Telegraph]. COCKSFOOT. Wellington, May 18. The Department of Industries and Commerce received the following cable from the A gent-General, dated London, May 16th -.—Cocksfoot seed market is quiet. Buyers are holding back. The nominal average price tor bright clean New Zealand cocksfoot seed, weighing 171bs per bushel on spot is 46s per cwt.

Lyttelton, May 19. There are no further developments in the Gracchus small-pox case. Melbourne, May 18 A deputation waited on the Commissioner of Railways, protesting against the signing of the declaration, defining the terms upon which the men can resume work. After consultation between the Commissioner and the Premier, the latter said he could ap predate thoe objections urged and was prepared to substitute a circular to each man resuming work, the purport of the circular to be practically the same as tbat of the declaration. This concession will be considered to-day. Meantime the Department will carry on the strike train service. Two hundred and twenty .'..lvers, chosen by bnllut, and the members of the Executive, together with twentysix men, who are believed to have deliberately endeavoured to prevent the proper working of the system were not taken on. The men at Geleong decided not to sign on. The result of the meeting in Pendigo and Ballarat has not yet been made public. Mr Smith, the secretary, r.iid Mr Williams, the President of th. Dailypaid Union, who v. ,*re removed from the Service, have issued writ,-- against the Government, claiming i. 1000 damages for wrongful dismissal. Sydney, May 18. Cardinal Moran, in « speech, while rejoicing at the end of the .strike, said that the whole public press and the influence and wealth in the country, n«t only only in Victoria, but in the other States, seemed combined in one great force to crush these poor people. He did not see how the men had transgressed beyond their rights and privileges in a legitimate way to associate themselves with the Unions. There is evidence of a movement in political labour circles to force upon the Government a graduated land tax on large estates so as to make up the deficits, instead of the retrenchment proposed in the State service system. The proposal is on the lines of the New Zealand tax. At a conference of political Labourites disgust was expressed with Mr Irvine's coercion and the necessity for strengthening the Party at the forthcoming Federal and State elections was emphasised. It was also resolved to urge the Government to amend the Arbitration Act in the direction of prohibiting lawyers appearing in cases. London, May 17. ■' The Standard," commenting on the strike, says, Mr Irvine is a hero, with a clean slate, and hands sufficiently strengthened to stop the waste-

ful and dishonest practice of over-staff-ing public works in crder to buy labour votes. Mr Chamberlain concluded his speech as follows '. —lf we make a mistake in legislating, it can be corrected. If we make a mistake in the Imperial policy, it is irretrievable. Opponents will find that whenever the general election occurs the issues they propose will not be those wherein we will take the opinion of that country. Keinfoi'cements on board a British steamer entered Tetuan unopposed. The Sultan's troops carried the fortress of Tazfca by storm after pillaging and firing the villages in the surrounding country. Paris, May 14. Sheep were placed in the French battleship, Henri Quatre, in the position where the men are destined to serve the smaller guns, while the big turret guns were fired overhead. As a result of the experiment the sheep were stunned, though they were otherwise unhurt. The conclusion arrived at was that the gunners would not not suffer. Capetown, May 17. Sir Arthur Lawley, Lieut-Governor of the Transvaal, rejected the Dutch Reformed Church's petition asking that the control of the Government schools be transferred to elective School Boards. The Synod is discussing means of establishing private schools with a view to devoting ir.oie time to the teaching of Dutch.