HOME AND FOREIGN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11691, 18 September 1903, Page 5

HOME AND FOREIGN.

United Pres 3 Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. NORTHERN INVESTMENT COMPANY. (Received September 17th, 8.2 a.m.) LONDON, September 16. The Northern Investment Company of New Zealand shows a profit, of £5219. A dividend of 5 per cent, has been declared, and £219 has been carried forward. The directors report that the whole of the investments in the colony were realised without loss of principal or interest. Thay propose to receive reserve and redeem debentures preparatory to winding-up, when a surplus above the paid-up capital will be available. NOTABLE CONVERT TO ROME. Mr Robert Benson, son of the late Archbishop of Canterbury, has joined the Church of Rome. THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY. The American counsel will lie allowed the last address in connection with the Alaskan boundary arbitration. PORT OF DEPARTURE OF THE TERRANOVA. The Admiralty declines to listen to the strong representations that Lyttelton is the best port of departure for the Antarctic relief ship Terranova. THE NEW RIFLE CONDEMNED. Experts declare that if the proposed new service rifle is adopted, the British Arifty will be worse armed than ever. [As we mentioned several weeks ago, it was freely stated at Homo that the new army rifle with which the Small Arms Committee has been experimenting for two vears is likely to prove a failure. Service marksmen who have tried it pronounce against it. The barrel, reduced by sin, is considered to be too short, as the rango is thus diminished. In this shortened form the sights are brought too close together, and this prevents accurate shooting. 'To avoid the range defect created by shortening the barrel, an extra twist was put into the grooving. This caused the rifle to kick. The barrel was then widened at the muzzle, so as to ease the discharge, and the net result of all this tinkering, shooting men say, is to make a sort of glorified blunderbuss—half ride, half carbine. The weak of manufacturing the new rifle has been delayed, and some doubt has now arisen as to whether the full plant shall be laid down in view of modifications that may have to be made in the pattern.] A STEAMER' STRANDED. PARIS, September 16.

The Messageries Maritimes steamer Polynesien, from Australia, stranded in a gale in the outer harbour of Marseilles.