BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 December 1908, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.— COPYRIGHT

THE TOBACCO TRUST. NEW YORK, Dec 16.—The United Slates Circuit Court decided that the American Tobacco Company holds a monopoly and are engaged in an illegal combination. The Court restrained the Company from engaging in foreign or inter-State commerce until competition was restored.

WALL STREET METHODS. NEW YORK, Dec 16.—Mr Hughes the Governor of New York, has op pointed a commission of pronunen New Yorkers to inquire into the Wal Street methods of business and re port what changes are desirable, ui the interests of investors.

DINIZULU'S TRIAL. DURBAN, Dec 16.—At Dinfoulu s trial, Chief Oahojnnn, under crossexamination identified the Dinizuln gave him and Mayeta-na w th orders to kill Gonce, a native doc at Usuta Kraal. He slated thai Mayetana shot Gence.

THE UNEMPLOYED QUESTION. LONDON, Dec 16. Mr Asquith assured a deputation from the London central unemployed and other provincial distress committees that the Government hoped soon to submit proposals of a permanent, definite and businesslike character setting up the machinery which would prevent the reappearance at intervals of Hie spectre of unemployment thus going to the root of the problem.

McARTHUR'S ESTATE. LONDON, Dec 16.—The liquidator in W. A- • MacArthur Company estimates that £130,000 will be aval - ablo to meet the unsecured credit* >s claims and that they will probably receive 14*6 in the pound.

DARWIN'S IDEAL. PARIS, Dec 16—The Natural History Museum, Faris ,has secured the Pleistocene human remains unearthed at Chnpelauxsaints Corrczo, and supposed to be the missing link having characteristics of the apo and man. The skull resembles a human being, and the limbs indicate that the creature walked on all fours.

THE PANAMA CANAL. NEW YORK, Dec 16.—1 n a special message President Roosevelt informed Congress" that it was impossible for any American syndicate to have had a share of the eight millions paid for th» Panama Canal. He states that the Government is considering the prosecution of the circulators of such scarrilous and libellous stories.

AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE SCHEME. LONDON, Dec 16.—Addressing the annual meeting of the British Empire League, at Mansion House, bir Reginald Talbot remarked that it was a thousand pities if the growing eelbi" in favor of an Australian squadron was discouraged since such a provision would leave the Imperial Navy free to defend the Empire unhampered by considerations of the local defence of Australia. They owed a deep debt of crratitude to the Commonwealth Parliament for recognising the principle that every able-bodied man should qualify to "defend his country.

GERMAN RAIDERS. MOROCCO, Dec 16. After three months service fifty Germans of the Foreign Legation of Colobbechar deserted and With arms, held up a passenger train bound to Oran. They then disappeared in the desert towards the Moorish frontier 100 miles distant where all were captured except the ringleader, a Bavarian ex-officer. It is believed that they acted in concert with the German desertion agency.

MIXING HARD AND SOFT WHEAT IONDON; Decl6.—Mexico has suspended two thirds of the jluty on grain until April and is importing light million to 16 million bushels ol hard Canadian wheat to imx with soft for domestic use.

THE KAISER A RECLUSE BERLIN, Dec 16.—Since the Constitutional crisis the Kaiser has been living almost the life of a recluse. Ho owns 1 " fifty castles -and is about, to. sell five of them.

EXCHANGE OF VIEWS. St PETERSBURG, Dec 16.—Russia has accepted Austria's proposal that the Powers hold a preliminary exphajige of views in prospect of an amicable adjustment.

A NEW PROVISION. LONDON, Dec 16.—Lord Lansdowno forecasted important changes in the Miners' Eight Hours Bill in Committee. The Bill contains a proviso! to exclude the time taken in entering and leaving a mine for 5 years, when 'the' ingress or egress are to bo counted as part of the working day. Lord Lansdowne proposes to cancel the latter proviso, leaving any change to the future Parliament. ' [NOT WORTH IMITATING, LONDON, Dec 16.—The Westminster Gazette says that the selection of Mr Fisher's colleagues by party caucus is interesting but is scarcely likely to be taken as a model for imitation. A CHAMPION RUNNER. NEW YORK, Dec 16. Longboat, a Canadian-Indian beat Dorando in a 26 mile race at. New York in 2f hours. Dorando was distressed at the 20th mile and on entering the 26th mile be :fcll in a heap and rolled off the track. Longboat finished very fresh alone.