LATEST CABLES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 19

LATEST CABLES.

Yokohama, February 7. Corea bas refused to grant railway concessions to. foreign Countries, and the Japanese Government consequently has demanded the immediate construction of a line frorh Seoul .to Fiisan. , This railway was conceded to Japan in 1894. London, February 7. Reports * from Shanghai state that the majority of the Viceroys and Provincial Governors in China have memorialised the Government against the acceptance of the Russian loan, stating that the progress of Russian influence means the dismemberment of the Empire.

The Times asserts that France has no right to territorial outlet by way of the Lower Niger, any such claim having been determined by aggression in the interests Of Britain. From West Africa it is reported that a severe conflict between French troops and the Baribas tribesmen has taken place at Nikki.

The Baribas lost heavily. The French, together with friendly natives, lost 25. i Cairo, February .

The Dervishes raided the Oasis of Es Safiyeh, to the north of Kordofan, slaughtering a number of the inhabitants friendly to the British. Vienna, February 7.

Austria is strenuously opposing the appointment of Princ9 George of Greece to the Governorship of Crete. She fears that the Balkan States will demand compensation in the event of Prince George’s nomination being successful. Ottawa, February 7. Sir Charles Tupper, ex-High Commissioner of Canada, speaking at Ottawa, accused the Premier (Sir Wilfrid Laurier) of repudiating the preferential trade proposals. Sir Wilfrid Laurier said that so long as Canada refused to surrender her tariff it was useless to preach preferential trade principles. Washington, February 7.

Germany threatens to quarantine American horses imported into the country, as it is feared that they will introduce the influenza plague. The American Government complains that this is part of a general movement to exclude American products from German markets.

Adelaide, February 8

A man named Fry, residing in the suburb of Glenosmond, shot, his wife and three daughters, and then killed himself with the fifth bullet.

The wife and one daughter are dead, and the other two are badly injured. It is supposed that the man’s mind was unhinged through the continuously hot weather.

Melbourne, February 8.

Some branch banks in the Kyneton and Taradale districts have been cleverly victimised. They purchased several, mostly small, cakes of gold which stood the usual surface tests. A cake was offered the Taradale branch of the National Bank, but the manager, being suspicious, broke it up, and found tha.t the outside was coated with gold, the inside being copper and a small percentage of gold. He covered the seller with a revolver till the police arrived. While being taken to the lock-up, another man was seen to bolt up the street and ho was run to earth. Their names are Cartwright and Theodore, and it is supposed they are members of a gang of four who worked frauds on previous purchasers. The National Bank loses over =BIOO, and other banks considerable sums.

It is reported that the Bendigo branch' of the Melbourne Bank has been struck to the extent of <£7oo.

Moss, White and Company’s tobacco factory, West Melbourne, has been partially destroyed by fire. The Fire Brigade prevented a great conflagration. The building and stock were insured for .810,000.

The Federal Convention has decided 'that the location of the federal capital was a matter for the Federal Parliament to deal with.

The Conference of Ministers of Agriculture refrained from adopting the inoculation scheme as a preventative of the tick fever until the results of further experiments have been ascertained.

It was resolved that uniform legislation be adopted dealing with diseases of fruit and vegetation; that enquiries be made by the various Governments as to the desirability of establishing an agency in England for the distribution of Australian produce in combination with cool stores; that in connection with the Bill for branding imported meat, now before the House of Commons, the word 7 Australian ” as distinct from “ foreign ” be used in branding products from these Colonies.

The Conference affirmed the desirability that “ weather-tanned Australian ” be accepted as coming within the category “ British tanned ” foi use by the Imperial War Office.

Sydney, February 8. Margaret North, committed from the Coroner’s Court on a charge of manslaughter (it is alleged that she shot a man), has been re-arrested at the instance of the Attorney-General, and charged with murder.

Brisbane, February 8. A cyclone, accompanied by torrents of rain, visited Mackay, a seaport town 600 miles north-west of Brisbane, and completely destroyed a number of buildings, and unroofed and damaged many others. The Wesleyan and Presbyterian churches wore blown oil their foundations, and will require rebuilding. Curing the height of the gale the steamer Brinawarr went ashore.

The river rose rapidly, and low portions of the town were flooded, but it is now falling.

immense damagd was done to the siigareane crops, Melbourne, February 8. Bush fires are, doing great damage in the Grampians, Horsham and Benalla districts. Thousands of acres 6f grass have been destroyed, and it is feared that many homesteads have been demolished. ..Shipping is much delayed by the snioke on the coast. Hod a vf, February 8. Bush fires are again causing much hatoc in many parts of the island. Auckland, February 8. I xtensive bush fires are raging in the Waikato. One near Whatawhata devastated a large area of country, destroying Clark’s Bridge. On Thursday night a fire on Walters’ property at Hamilton swept away extensive plantations. At Whatatvh&ta the hospital was in danger. The fire was checked by an open space. Another fire near Whatawhata started close to the railway line, and spread to Ghaupo road; and destroyed several buildings. Many of the fires Have been traced to sparks from the engine. The bridge at To Rapa was on fire, but ( it was noticed from the train and put out. The fire spread to the Ngaruawahia road, Captain Steele with difficulty saving his house.

Fire 3 are . raging at Te Aroha West on the farmers’ holdings. The grass was totally destroyed. Cows sank through the crust of the reclaimed swamp, under which the fire was smouldering, and their legs were burned.

There was another fire at Rotorangi swamp. The telegraph poles were burnt, and communication between Cambridge and Te Awamutu cut off.

The kauri bush at Hunua was destroyed. It has been burning three weeks. There are bush fires ou every side, and it is feared that the ranges have been divested of valuable timber.