THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10778, 4 October 1900, Page 5

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

RAIDS BY ___BAU_>ING BOERS. -TERRORISING THE LDTDLEY DISTRICT. A BRITISH CONVOY CAPTDRED IN NATAL. j APPEAL FROM LORD ROBERTS. ■| INVALIDED NEW ZEALANDERS. I ' I United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. {Received October' 3rd, 8>55 a.m.) LONDON, October 2. General Rundle captured one of the mountain guns, lost at Nicholson's Nek, and 65,000 Martini cartridges. DEPARTING MERCENARIES. Four hundred departing mercenaries from Delagoa Bay include the Irish-American Brigade. DIPROVING OUR FIELD GUNS. (Received October 3rd, 10.25 p.m.) LONDON, October 2. The new fuses employed in South Africa enable the field guns to burst shrapnel at a range of 5400 yards. BOER RAIDS. ■ CAPTURE OF A CONVOY. The Boers are intimidating the farmers, shooting natives, and attacking pickets and lines of communication in the Lindley district. Boers on the Natal frontier captured a convoy wounding several South African volunteers and capturing others. A WARNING FROM LORD ROBERTS. Lord Roberts has issued a proclamation that the Boers found wearing British uniforms are liable to be shot. ; APPEAL TO EMPLOYERS OF 1 VOLUNTEERS. I • I Lord Roberts has appealed to employers to extend the leave granted to Volunteers to enable the latter to see the approaching close of the campaign. RETURNING NEW ZEALANDERS. (Received October 4th, 1.15 a.m.) HOBART, October 3. The Wakanui brought the following invalided New Zealanders:—Troopers J. Caboto,. E. Willis, J. London, D. Fraser, R. Calhoun, S. Templeton, R. Wallace, R. Woodley, J. A. C.ark, S. W. Cubitt, and : Corporal Williams, of Roberts's Horse. NEW ZEALAND AND THE | ISLANDS. THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION OF , _"_JL DISMAY IN SYDNEY. A PETITION TO SIR WILLIAM LYNE. THE COMPARATIVE TRADE. United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. (Received October 3rd, 9.35 a.m.) SYDNEY, October 3. A petition, signed by a large number of leading merchants of the city which has been presented to the Premier, states that the petitioners have noticed with concern the agitation iii Fiji for incorporation with New Zealand, and quotes figures from the Fiji Royal Gazette to show the proportionate value of tbe imports of Fiji from the various colonies during ihe past tour years. It goes on to state that during the period in question tho value of the yearly imports from New South Wales has increased by £33,000, and tho exports have decreased by £6000. In the event of such incorporation, there is good reason to fear that much of this growing trade will be diverted from New South Wales to New Zealand. As the preponderating value of the exports from New Zealand to Fiji has been quoted as shoeing that Fiji is more intimately connected with that colony than with any other, it may be stated that if the exports to New Zealand during 1899 amounted to £281,000, then £261,000 of that amount represented the valuo of the sugar shipped from tho Fiji mills of the Colonial Sugar Company to their refinery in Auckland, the movement of which is known to be merely a* matter of convenience and entirely unaffected by the . Other conditions; further that the bulk of tbo operative capital in Fiji is certainly not from New Zealand is shown by the customs returns, giving the sugar and spirit exported last year as representing 75 per cent, of the value of the* total exports, nearly seven* eighths of which is the proportion produced at the mills of tbe Sugar Refining Company, a New South Wales corporation. The balance is being made at the'N&ma and mills, owned in England ar.d Melbourne respectively. "We trust," concludes the petitioners, "you will take step- to bring these facts under the notice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in order that the trade interests of New South Wales,.which so largely predominate in Fiji may be adequately safeguarded." . , The Sydney "Morning Herald," commenttog on the merchants' protest regarding the Fiji trade, says:—"By far the bulk of the l business of the islands being with this .colony, the disturbance of trade by an arbitrary severance on political grounds cannot Iw justified, and we have no doubt the proposal will be disallowed by the British Government on the representation of Sir ; William Lyne." . ! (Received October 4th, Lls a.m.) In the Legislative Assembly, Mr Thomp- < son asksd whether, in the event of New Zealand annexing the Cook Island group tha Islands would come within the New Zealand tariff, or whether there would be j an "open door" to all the colonies; also whether the Premier would take action with a view to preventing further attachment of Pacific islands to any individujsl colonies until alter t*_e establishment of Federation. Sir W. J. Lyne, in reply, said he considered the matter was a serious one for New South Wales. He had given instructions to-day'to prepare a cable message repsre-ent-ing to the Imperial Government that Xew South Wales opposed New Zealand acquiring the Islands.

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