GENERAL CABLES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1714, 4 January 1905, Page 68

GENERAL CABLES.

LONDON, December 27. . J. B. Filers, produce merchant at ■Water-lane, has failed. His liabilities are expected to reach £38,869. Tne bankrupt attributes his failure partly to the diminished trade in Dutch butter, owing to the public preference for the colonial article. LONDON, December 27. “The Times” says the outdoor pauperism has enormously increased. The poor law expenditure in London is £1,750,000 higher than it was in 1884. LONDON, December 28. It is estimated that the r'ecent fogs caused losses to the. extent of £10,000,000. Admiral Sir John Fisher, First Sea Lord, having advised that all available money be used to replace obsolete vessels recently withdrawn from commission, Rosyth becomes a subsidiary base, wi h omy a floating dock m which to effect repairs. lne principal Shereefs at Fez, fearing the French des gns, have demanded the rupture of relations, the stoppage of the French mission, and the dismissal of European and military missions. The Sultan has promised to comply with tho request. With regard to China’s undertaking in connection with the international indemnity of 1901 for the Boxer outbreak—namely, to return the concessions in regard to remission and calculation of interest and to pay the whole indemn ty on a gold basi.—-Sir Ernest Satow, British Minister at Pekin, supports China in resist,ng the attemot of Russia. France, and Germany to compel her to sign gold bonds and then pay in silver at an arbitrary rate favouring tho banks of the three Powers named. LONDON, Deoember 29. Commenting on the fiscal Blue-book recently issued, ‘ The Times” says that when efforts are made to depreciate and belittle the indications of Australia’s willingness to grant preference, it ought to be remembered that the average duty in the Commonwealth on British goods is only 6 per cent., as compared with 17 per cent, in Canada under a preferential tariff. “The Times” states that the War Office yesterday ordered from the VickersMaxim Company, the Armstrong Company, the Whitworth Company, and others a sufficient number of 18* pounders to rearm the whole army. Mr Austen Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, declines to confirm or deny a report which the “ Pall Mall Gazette ” mentioned, under reserve, that the next Budget would impose a duty of 5 per cent, on all imported goods, except wines, spirit, beer, and tobacco. LONDON, Deoember 29. The London County Council is organising a drainage scheme, costing £7.099.000, and involving the laying of 300 miles oF main and flood sewers. LONDON, December 30. Admiral Kaznakoff, Russia’s representative on the Dogger Bank Commission, is returning to St. Petersburg, owing to ill-health. Vice-Admiral Dubassoff is to be appointed if Admiral Kaznakoff is unable to resume. LONDON, December 30. The War Office authorities anticioate that the re-armament of the artillery with will take twenty months to carry out. In addition to the orders placed with the Vickers-Maxim, Armstrong, and Whitworth Companies, a number of the guns are to he supplied from Woolwich arsenal. The Woolwich arsenal is executing an order from India for a hundred and thirty-two 18-1 pounders for the field artillery, sixty-six 12* -pounders for the horse artillery and a number of quickfirers. LONDON, December 30. Russia has arranged a 44 per oent. loan of twenty-five millions sterling in Germany, Holland, and Russia. PARIS. December 26. Thirteen persons were killed and twenty-five injured in the railway accident near Paris the other day, when express trains from Lille and Boulogne collided in a fog. PARIS, December 26. Madame Syveton, widow of M. Syveton, a member of the Chamoer of Deputies, whose death was recently reported under strange circumstances.

declares that her late husband had embezzled £4OOO belonging to the Patrie Francaise League, of which society M. Syveton was treasurer. This sum, she states, was refunded by her. Experts assert that it is impossible for M. Syveton to have committed suicide in the way Madam© Syveton declares he did unless a narcotic was administered —a fact which the widow denies. ST. PETERSBURG,December 28. A great strike of naphtha uurKers ©as occurred at Baku, an important seaport of Russian Transcaucasia, on the Caspian Sea. Gorious disturbances have taken place. BERNE, December 28. It is reported at Zurich (Switzerland) that Nihilists are preparing an unprecedentedly active campaign. CONSTANTINOPLE, December 29. The Porte has conceded the Powers’ demand for additional gendarmerie and officers in Macedonia. NEW YORK, December 29. There is a slum© in cotton at New York, the price ruling being the lowest obtained for three years. One firm of ginners reports that the TTn : ted States crop amounts to 12.500,000 bales (or 340.000 bales higher than the official estimate and 1,240,000 above the previous highest yield 1 ). Farmers in Georgia have burnt a quantity of cotton, and are try ng to induce others to destroy their surplus crops. KABUL, Deoember 28. The Ameer lias executed the murderer of Mr Fleischer, superintendent of the Ameer’s Arms Factory, who was shot at Dikka by one of the guard escorting him to India, whither he was going f o meet his w'fe. BUENOS AYR.ES, December 27. A large wool store in Buenos Ayres has been burned, and lias caused heavy losses. Six suspected incendiaries have been arrested.