CABLE NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1680, 11 May 1904, Page 31

CABLE NEWS.

LONDON, May 6. The Marquis of Lansrlo wne, Foreign Secretary of State, replying to Earl Spencer,, spoke almost despairingly of the Macedonian reforms. And conference of the Powers; would, lie said, be productive: of little good, uxnless they agreed at tlae outset on a practical remedy.. The newspapers, infer thaifc Russia an d Austria are opposed to a. permanent settlement on the basis of autonomy, and that, the other: Powers: will noit assist Britain to seriously find a. solution. LONDON, May 7. Colonel Swayne has been given a free hand in conducting operations in Somaliland, especially as. regards, adopting measures to stop supplies and arms reaching the Mullah. The Board of. Agriculture has appointed a Departmental Committee to inquire, into the. rates charged on British railways; for dhe, carriage of foreign and colonial farm and dairy produce from the ports to the' principal centres. The, Army, Council lias issued a strong memorandum dealing with the subject of “ragging/ The Council threatens that if there is any repetition of this offence, the names of popetrators will be submitted to the King, with a view to their removal from the army. Dalgety and Co., Limited, have declared an mteirim dividend of 5 per cent. LONDON. May- 8. The Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George has been conferred on Lord Northcote, Governor-General of the Australian Commonwealth. At a meeting of the Cold Storage and Ice Mr C. C. Lance, New South Wales Commercial Agent read a paper dealing with the growth and influence of refrigeration, on Australian trade especially. He emphasised the necessity" of lower temperatures for

storage and: for the carriage of produce —down, to zero for butter,, as. in Amei rica. Captain Bruce,, of the Antarctic? ship Scotia,, which left England in 1902, has reached Capetown on the? return jour- . ney;' He reports that he discovered a great, ice barrier 74 degrees south and if to. 22 degrees west. Scientific investigation ranged from 74 to 601 degre.es. The British imports for April increased £1.379'.0©0y and the exports increased £343, UlX);. compared with the corresi ponding, month of last year. ■ A slander suit has been commenced by R. Sievier, the weLL-known sportsman ; (formerly a. bookmaker in Australia):,. : against Duke, racehorse trainer. Mr ; Sievier was severely cross-examined regarding his. winnings, at. cards and Australian' experiences. ii.M.S. Challenger (second-class cruiser, 5880 tons, 21 knots) will sail for Australia on Tuesday. The liquidator of the South African .and Australasian Cold Storage Company announced that the company’s claim for £232,000 against the Uovernment m connection with the military contracts . in South Africa, he was confident,, would be met suitably, and that the shareholders would receive shares, in the Imperial r old Storage Company,, as agreed upon in May last year. In the House of Commons, the Old Age Pensioners Bill was read a second time, though, the President of the: Local Government Board (Mr W. H. Long) explained that the Government was. un- , able to find the money necesisary. i ROME, May 7. The newspaper a Tribuna” states that the- Mullah is suing for peace, and is ready to submit. He- asked Italy to mediate and to take him under her protection. ROME, May 8. lire Pope, in an interview with a French Bishop, advised the priests to vote, but to refrain from attempts to ; influence the French electors. BERLIN Majy 8. General von Troth a, the new commander, considers that a force of, tenthousand will be necessary to quel] the revolt of the Herreras in- G'erman South-west, Africa. Experts here declare that unless M. Delcasse, French Minisfter of Foreign Affairs, lias instructed the French Ambassador at the Vatican to declare the Pope’s protest rejected, both in substance and. form, other Cabinets will i simply aclaiowledge. its receipt. PARIS, May 6. M.. Ebelot, a Toulouse barrister, who was arrested on .a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death' of. M. Lautiar, the .son of a wealthy jeweller at Taulouse, lias been acquitted. The evidence showed ilia . M. Lantier paid attentions to M. Ebelat’s wife, j . # PARIS, May 9. Three, hundred captains, officers and t engineers of mercliantmen at Marseilles. have struck in sympathy with , the men on strike. CONSTANTINOPLE. May 9. The Smyrna incident —arising out of a body of Turks.firing on a Greek storekeeper—has. been settled by Turkey i apologising to Greece. > CAPETOWN. May 6. Two whites have been stricken with plague at Johannesburg. The. infection has been traced to rats - in the market buildings, and strenuous ; efforts are being, made to destroy the I rodents. CAPETOWN, May 9. Mr Walton,, the Colonial Treasurer, ‘ has withdrawn, his proposal to impose an addition to the- hut tax. MELBOURNE, May 7. Before the Butter Commission a witness stated that his firm received a brokerage from shipping companies of 3. per cent. He admitted that the firm, i when it purchased butter, removed the factory brand and substituted the firm’s own brand. The agents of the P. and) O. and Orient Companies admitted that 3 per cent, brokerage was paid. Mr Watson, the new Federal Premier, ' replying to? a May-day deputation, said the Government, policy would be a mods- ] erato and peaceful one. Me was pleased that the deputation recognised the Gov- : ernnsent had no right to work for mere class interests, but must consider all classes. The Government of Australia in the past had devoted too much attention to the interests of certain classes. The steps of the Labour party in Australia and New Zealand had been taken on rational, lines. The “Argus” says: There was never a time when the call to coalition was more distinct than at present. There .never was a coalition formed which had so foAv obstacles as those which beset the path of the Dealt in and Reid' parties. A coalition would give the Commonwealth. a stable Government, imbued with a truly Federal spirit and pursuing a sound progressive policy, while it would soothe the jealousies and soften,if. not dissipate, the rivalries between the two great States —-New South Wales and Victoria. The opportunity hag come, and wo cannot believe that the. manifest interest of the Commonwealth will be subordinated to any small personal consideration. MELBOURNE, May 8. The Mount Lyell Company - ha's declared a dividend of fifteen pence, payable on June loth. MELBOURNE, May 9. , It is rumoured that Mr Dealin (lat©

i Federal Premier) and Mr Reid (leader of the Opposition in the; last Parlin- ; inent)i have agreed on. the basis of: a, coalition. Mir Bent,, the State Premier, announaed that the State ‘Government was. now in. crejlit to- the extent of £500;000. It. was not intended to; increase the taxes; but it was. proposed to reduce the income tax. Nothing,, would be left undone iu the attempt to open frefeh markets: for produce- His. policy- on the; liquor question was good dirink: and good houses, respectably conducted. SYDNEY, May 7. Mr W- P. Crick, Secretary for Landis, leaves, for Auckland on Wednesday to conyult Site John See, the Premier; on* matters political. There is. a growing ; impression that, tue present Parliament ; will not be called, together again, and the reticence? of the Government, on the point has awakened adverse criticism. It is believed that the general elections will take place at the end of July. o SYDNEY,, May 8. , There was- fine weather for Hospital Saturday. At the closing last night a : total of £4124 had- been collected, being £361 above last year’s amount. Additional returns have yet to come in. SYDNEY,, May 9. _ Noumea news states that a mysterious disease has been raging for the past j three weeks,, causing a great destruction of dogs, cats, pigs, fowls, rabbits and \ rats. The disease also attacks human beings, mostly children,, but. only a few deaths have been, reported.. Experiments disclosed the fact that while the disease is. highly infectious, it Is nothing akin to. plague. It is described as a kind' of paralysis. Strict precautions are being taken. , Including indoor boxes,, the Hospital Saturday collections totalled £4673, beating the previous record by £207. ; The war sloop- Clio, which replaces the Sparrow, lias arrived from Ports- ■ mouth.. . BRISBANE, May 7. The last suspected case has. been proved to be one of plague. BRISBANE, May 8. The eight-oared inter-State race rowed here yesterday resulted:as follows: Victoria!' 1; South Australia, 2 ; Queens--1 land, 3.' New South Wales was fourth and West Australia last. The lastnamedrteam broke an oar, and gave up. In the single sculls championship, Burkej of Tasmania, beat Slack, of Queensland, by eight lengths. The Victorian crew Iql. throughout, and won by a length and a. half. Dr Ham, Health Commissionor, has resigned as a protest against reduction in salaries which have been made in his department in connection with the Government’s retrenchment scheme.