BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 26

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

LONDON, May 22. The Earl of Meath, in a letter to the newspapers, says that there are only 10 out of 63 county education authorities in England and Wales who have not directed the teachers in elementary schools to give instruction to their scholars on Imperial matters on Empire Day. Tire Princess Duleep Singh was fined £1 for refusing to pay a dog license. Her refusal was by way of protest on behalf of the suffragettes, to the militant branch of which she belongs. The conference of railway clerks’ associations defeated a resolution deprecating Labour M.P.’s charging fees for speaking at propaganda meetings in the provinces May 23. Owing to the depression at the Ebbw Vale steelworks, the coke ovens, employing 5500 hands, will be indefinitely closed on the 31st inst. Sledmere, in Yorkshire, Sir Tatton Sykes’s historic home, has been destroyed by fire. His art treasures (including Romney’s “ Adam ”) and his furniture were saved with difficulty. May 24. Mr Botha announces the settlement of the Transvaal Indian trouble. The concessions include the exemption from the thumb-print test of well-educated Asiatics applying far trading licenses. The Oommissioners of the 1851 London Exhibition have formulated industrial bursaries of £SO to £l5O each to enable talented science students to tide over a year or two while gaining experience before securing remunerative employment in engineering and chemical works. At present many students are forced to enter the teaching profession. Sir J. G. Ward, in a letter to Truth, denies the accuracy of an article con cerning the Mokau Jones estates. The article also sharply reflects on the New Zealand Government. Sir Joseph declares that the imputations against Dr Findlay are without foundation. The' Mokau matter had been fully investigated. May 25. Mr Fisher denies the statement cabled from Melbourne that he and Sir W. Laurier expected to arrange a Vancouver service in such a manner as would pave the way for an All-Red route. Mr Fisher is gathering data in connection with the Commonwealth Bank pro. posal. May 26. The presentations at the fourth Court j included Lady Ward and Miss Ward, Mrs Fisher, Mrs Atlee-Hunt, Mrs Batchelor, Mrs James Hislop, Mrs (Dr) Findlay, and the Misses Edith and Cora Feldwick (Invercargill.) Lady Forrest presented Miss Muriel Wilhehm’na, North.

| IVlloS IVXuiilUl VV JilitJilliilldj Ol til. I May 27. ( The colliery-owners have placed at Mr Churchill’s disposal a sum of £IOOO as a prize for an electric lamp' to be used in mines. The City of London and the city companies asd business houses are spending £IOO,OOO on illuminations during Coronation week. The King’s Birthday was officially celebrated to-day. A royal precession, including representatives of foreign armies and navies, witnessed the trooping of the colours. The Attorney-general has intervened to prevent the sale of John Bunyan’s copy of Foxe’s “ Book of Martyrs,” which the Bedford Literary Institute were desirous of selling by auction in order to raise funds. Mr M'Gowen (the Premier of New South Wales), when passing through Kingsway, noticed some riveters working on a huge girder. He asked permission

to help, and dexterously completed the job before revealing his identity. May 28. The battleship Bellerophon and the cruiser Inflexible collided off Portland as they were leturning from the manoeuvres. The impact cut a seven-foot hole in the Inflexible's bow. The watertight doors, the use of collision mats, and the discipline of the crews averted disaster. 7\lay 29. The Times protests against rumoured substantial reduction in the Indian army owing to financial difficulties consequent upon the extinction of the opium revenue and the necessity for increased expenditure for education. PAEIS, May 23. The Suez Canal Company intends reducing the dues from January 1, lai2, from francs to 6| francs a ton (i.e., sd). May 26. There was an enormous assemblage of notables at the funeral of M. Berteaux, the Minister of War killed by an aeroplane. President Fallieres was present, and Sir John French represented King George. BERLIN, May 23. The Federal Council has agreed to a bill dealing temporarily with the commercial relation with Japan. May 24. The heirs "of the Russian field marshal Von Muennich are suing the Kaiser to recover £4,000,000, the value of the Ruegan Estates, conferred on him by Frederick the Great, and since lapsed to the Prussian Crown. The Bill providing for a constitution for Alsace-Lorraine has been read a second time. May 27. After agreeing to a compromise, the Reichstag passed the third reading of ihe Alsace-Lorraine Constitution Bill. MADRID, May 29. In a collision between the Carlists and Radicals .at Barcelona eix . were kille i and many injured. LISBON, May 24. Ministers and bishops are in active conflict in connection with the separation of Church and State. - Ministers are prosecuting the bishops for issuing protests,, and have ordered the civil governors to take an inventory of the cathedrals and churches. ROME, May 29. The parapet of a new reservoir at Lea.ri collapsed, .and eight persons were drowned, six being rescued with great difficulty.• The populace attempted to lynch the mayor, who was blamed for the reservoir's faulty construction, and the architect was arrested. ST. PETERSBURG, May 24. • In response to Montenegro's appeal to the Powers, Russia has made friendly representations to Turkey that concentration of troops in proximity to the Montenegrin frontier constitutes a danger to peace. May 26. The prefect of Police ordered M. Bulafc, the Labour Leader in the Duma, to be imprisoned for six weeks for non-pay-ment of a fine of £2O imposed for not informing the police that he had two visitors staying in his flat. CONSTANTINOPLE, May 24.

The Ottoman gunboat Rifahiya had a sharp fight with soma gun-runners in the Red Sea. She afterwards sunk two dhows and bombarded Khoko, the base for the illicit trade in arms and contraband.

SOFIA, May 28. As a result of a fusilade between the Turkish and Bulgarian frontier guards at Kustendil, a district Turkish officer and two men were killed, and one Bulgarian was wounded. ADEN, May 22. The Yemen rebels captured the fortified post of Shaar, and took 150 prisoners after a six months' siege. NEW YORK, May 28. A heat wave in Chicago caused 15 deaths in 24 hours. The temperature was 95 degrees in the shade. A fire in the Dreamland building on Coney Island' destroyed three million dollars' worth of property. Orders have been issued for the nelea.se of a quantity of smuggled jewellery that was recently seized iby the Customs officiails at San Francisco. The jewellery will be returned to New Zealand, as will William and Maude Rogers, who are charged with the theft thereof. OTTAWA, May 26. A general election in Canada is expected in August, the prorogation being anticipated on Sir W. Laurier's return from England. Before the Finance' Committee of the Senate it was admitted by a witness that the production of paper had been restricted so that there would be no oversupply, which would have brought down the prices. It was also stated that the paper manufacturers were opposed to reciprocity between Canada and the United States.

LOS ANGELES, May 23. Bert Connors and John M. Parks, prominent union men, have been ar-rested, and charged with attempting to dynamite a building here last September. The arrest created a sensation.

TOKIO, May 24. It is officially stated that Japan is prepared to participate in the negotiations for a general arbitration treaty Avith the United States.

May 27. Beginning this year and completing in 1914, Japan ifi adding five 28,000-ton warships to her navy. Four of the vessels are cruisers. One of the number is to ho

built at Barrow. Each cruiser will carry 13±in guns. The fifth vessel will be a battleship, and is to be built in Japan.