CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 24

CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, December 1. Mr W. C. Steadman, the Labour M.P. for Clexkenwell, after visiting Germany, reports that the German operative works longer and for far lower wages than the British workman, but he is better cared for, and gets infinitely more out of life than does the Englishman, who drinks and gambles more. Mr H. W. Bottomly, M.P., answered a summons to appear at the Guildhall on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the public in connection with the Joint Stock Trust and Finance Corporation. There are 367,197 applications for oldage pensions from England^ 193,138 from Ireland, 67,785 from Scotland, and 23,950 from Wales, or a grand total of 652,070. The total originally estimated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer was 500,000. The New York correspondent of The Times advises that the Committee of Waj's and Means and on Tariff Revision ,at Washington has started its work. The numerous proposals before ifc include Freetrade, demands for free lumber, free steel, and free hides, and for a substantial reduction of duties in other directions. December 2. R«uter's St. Petersburg correspondent reports that a Lett named Awotin has been arrested on a charge of attempting to derail at Pondery a- train which was conveying the Dowager-Empress of Russia ■When she was Teturninjg from Copenhagen en November 20. France desires Sir Edward Fry to be »ne of the arbitrators between Germany «nd France over the Casablanca incident, in which French police were said to have arrested German subjects. It is reported that the British India, .the Federal, the Houlder, and the Shire lines of steamships have arrived at an ' agreement in connection with the new direct Queensland mail service. Dalloy, a chauffeur, was convicted at Guildford of the manslaughter of a lad, *nd sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, to be followed by deportation. The Daily News* San Francisco corre- ( ♦pondent says that Mr Biggey, chief of til© police, was so severely criticised for fceglect of duty during the campaign •gainst the (grafters that it preyed on his <nJnd, and he committed suicide. The Standard's New York correeponfleint says that heavy influence is being bronghfc to bear on the Ways and Means Committee to include hides in the free Hat. The American boot manufacturers declare that if the duty is abolished they ••rill be able to secure complete control of ifee British feufe. I

The graving dock now building on the Clyde will be able to take the largest battleships afloat. December 3. Sir Hiram Maxim, in the course of a speech, asserted that aeroplanes would , become very important military weapons, i enabling towns to be bombarded from a : great distance, and creating a revolution in warfare equal to that- resulting from i the invention of gunpowder. Hostile tribes attacked a patrol of German troops at the Cameroons. killing four (including an officer) and wounding •10. Perny letter postage between Germany and the United States will begin in January. ' Mr Sydney Buxton (Postmaster-general), in leply to Mr Henniker Heatoijj sai-d that the penny postage delivery of an Australian Boz newspaper into the United Kingdom was not intended to apply to newspapers sent from the United Kingdom to Australia, j December 4. Over 500 assisted New Zealand emigrants, with capital, are sailing by the steamers Mamari, Wakanui. and lonic. A large and influential committee has been formed, irrespective of parties, to oppose the extension of the franchise to women. Great pi ices are being realis-ed at the sale of Lord Amherst'6 library. The first volume of the Cardinal Mazarin Bible fetched £2050. It is believed that Mr Pierpont Morgan bought the famous 16 Amherst Caxtons . (books issued from Caxton's first English printing press in 1476 and subsequent years). December 5. The Poplar Guardians against whom charges of conspiracy to defraud were preferred on September 26 have been sentenced at the Old Bailey to the following terms of imprisonment : — John Peacock and Albert Smith, each 12 months ; Charles Poole, Jcs-sph Smith, and Alfred Findon, nine months each ; Job BeJlsham, six months ; Mrs Cordery, three months. Sir E. Grey, in opening the International Naval Confei-ence in London, ( stated that- its object was to assure the j success of the Prize Court Convention draft at The Hague, which, if firmly estab- ] lished. would remove many difficulties which had hitherto been potential causes of international differences. .*n agreement would do something to draw the nations clos. r-. Lord Rosebery, speaking at Leith, said that he did not believe that there was any fear of an unprovoked attempt by Germany to inva-da Great Britain, but it was their duty, nevertheless, to insure i l-fUfiaiDSt all risks of such a contingency.

s A conference held at the Guildhall , under the auspices of the National Counci; of the Riight-to-Work Association, recommended an increase of the unemployed , grant to £1.000,000, and that it be made ; available for distribution by agencies , other than distiess committees. PARIS, December 1. ! There is a dense fog throiiighoufc Paris, and many serious accidents are reported. I A train collided with a carriage contain- ' ang wedding guests at a level crossing at Poissy, killing four of the occupants. December 7. Admiral Germinet has been relieved of the command of the French Mediterranean squadron for criticising in newspaper interviews the navy and lack of ammunition. BERLIN, December 1. There was an increase in the populai tion of Germany of 882,000 during 1907. The German Government is sending an expedition to investigate the remains of some gi.gantic antediluvian animals discovered, by Professor Fraas in German East Africa. Ths hind Jeg bone of one animal is said to be ll^ft long, and the spine a third longer than that of any animal yet discovered. VIENNA. December 2. In connection with the Empeior Franu's Joseph's jubilee, extensive illuminations are in progress in Vienna. I Three crowds converged and a panic ensued, 60 people being injured in the crush. One deputy of the Reichsrath and a woman were crushed to death. ROME, December 1. The Pope is suffering from a fevemh col-d, and his doctors have ordered him to take a week's rest. CONSTANTINOPLE, December 1. The Turkish elections for the new Par- ' liament are proceeding. The Armenians and Jews are voting solidly with the Turks throughout Constantinople, the Gieeks alone being dissatisfied. The latter allege irregularities. At Jerusalem the election i-s proceeding quietly. ( December 7. The Tm-kish Parliament will open on , the 14th inst. ST. PETERSBURG, December 4. ' A party of brigands kidnapped Herman Neufeld, a wealthy German resident, at Holbstadfc, in the Caucasus, and conveyed him to the village of Petrovsk. They refused £2000 ransom, and demanded double that sum. The mounted police, with a couple of machine guns, then bombarded the house, and killed the ringleader. NeufeW. by throwing him.?elf on the ground, escaped uninjured, and was rescued. { MOROCCO, December $. Mulai Hafid has AAcegted. the condition!

, submitted by tTie Powers to ensure hi 1 recognition, but makes certain stipulation - regarding the verification of the Maghaen' I and the late Sultan's (Abdul Aziz) debts 5 NEW YORK, December 1. i A motoT car knocked President Roost velfc down when he was walking to enure! at Washington. , President Roosevelt was unhurt, but h 6tated that he had a .very close shave. The agreement between America son ; Japan relating to the status quo in tb Far East has been signed at Washington I Mr Hale reiterates his statement tha ' the World's story of his interview wit'] . the Kaiser, which the Japanese journal accepted as accurate, is a silly concoc tion. I December 2. Mr Roosevelt has made 15,5C0 fourtl class sub-postmasters permanent officials thus removing them from the sphere o: political influence. ' Four arme-d men and three womer boarded a tramcar in the heart of Nev York at 3 o'clock in the morning. Thej murderously assaulted, the conductor, robbed 65 passengers of their jewellery and money, and then decamped. December 3. Burglars dynamited the vault of the National Bank at Pepperell, in the- State of Massachusetts, and motored away with £3000. December 4. Mr J. D. Arch bold, the vice-president of the Standard Oil Trust, has testified j that the trust owns or controls companies with a total capital of £65,660,000. OTTAWA, December 4. The Toronto Mail, discussing Lord Roberta's warning, urges Canada to reduce I iher expenditure an the Militia by a million, and to spend this sum in the purchase of four cruisers for the Atlantic, and so being in a position to defend her coastal and river fronts. PEKING, December 3. Tbe Chineve Board of Foreign. Affairs has approved the American and Japanese Agreement. December 6. An Imperial decree just issued orders the convocation of Parliament in the ninth year after the 27th of August last. TOKIO, December 3. A typhoon at Hatsu Island wrecked 35 boats* and drowned 350 Japane&e fishermen. CALCUTTA, December 3. Sir A. H. Fraser, the LieutenantGovernor of Bengal, is shortly sailing from Zuticorin on his way to England. Knowing this, three Bengalis proceeded thither in order to attempt to murder him. They were arrested, and numerous documents i have been seized*

'« INTEKCOLOSIAL. !s! s MELBOURNE, December 1. s The Government Statist estimates that 3 - the wheat yield will be 24,164,000 bushels, or an average of 12.84 bushels |" per acre. This will give an exportable n surplus of 16,000,000 bushels, valued at £3,000,000. . 16 _ December 2. , During the- last few months many parents have been fined at Prahran for failing to send their children to school. ' Some of the fathers who were unable to pay the fines have made arrangements with the police whereby they will spend s the week-ends in gaol, • thereby obviating ' the loss of employment. December 6. The Governor has granted Sir T. Bent 1 a dissolution. ' SYDNEY, December 3. 1 The yacht Coronet has sailed, it is believed for Melbourne. Ifc has tran- : 1 spired that those on board belong to am r American religious body known as "The '" Holy Ghost and Us," of which Sandford, > the owner of the Coronet, is the founder. r December 5. The 20 Chinese stowaways on th« steamer Eastern had formed a cavity be- ■ neafch 300 tons of cargo consigned to Mels bourne. All their faces wer« covered with' i revolting sores. The heaviest flood on record has occurred at Norfolk Island. All the low- - lying lands are under water. BRISBANE, December 1. Mr Milward, manager of the Pacific Cable Board, arrived by the Aorangi. Interviewed, he said that the cable continues to progress. He regarded a penny rate as impossible if ifc were intended to produce a sufficient revenue to cover the interest and working expenses; otherwise ifc would require an enormous subsidy. The increased traffic would necessitate the duplication of the cables many times. He believed there was a possibility of existing rates being considerably reduced, and would favour some reduction if on paying lines. He hoped to see the wireJess system extended to the islands of tie Pacific.