OUR MAIL BUDGET.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11248, 11 April 1908, Page 2

OUR MAIL BUDGET.

SUMMARY OF WORLD HAPPENINGS. LONDON, February 25. Of 1698 deaths m London last week, 126 are attributed to influenza. Damage amounting to £24,000 was done by floods, due to the bursting of a Parisian water main m the Rue <ie Rivoli on Sunday. The Queen has purchased a. number o{ pictures 'by British women artists. Miss Botha, sister of General Botha, was married m London to Mr It. C. Hawkin, secretary of the Eighty Club. Mr Carnegie has given half a million marks to the Robert Koch Fund for the campaign against tuberculosis. Mrs Weightman Walker, who was married m New York, distributed £200,000 among her relatives arid certain charities. The Edward Medal was presented by the King! to two miners fpr gallantry m *"*■ suvin^ life. The' theft of £1000 worth of jewels from a trunk m the luggage van of a, Great Northern express has been -reported to the police. - Two men have, been found guilty of a dastardly outrage on, a Glasgow lady typist. They have been sentenced respectively to twelve years and ten years' penal servitude. - ; It is probable that the Dowager Empress of Russia- will pay another visit to Queen Alexandra m the near future. Speaking, at London, the German Ambassador said that trade relations ought not to be a source of rivalry between Britain and Germany, but rather more aiid more a bond of union. ' The Portuguese Government is appre- ; hensive of another attempt against the monarchy i The troops m Lisbon are un. der arms, and the public buildings die guarded. The Standard Oil Company has lost its appeal to the United States Supreme Court, against the fine of £5,848,000 imposed on it by the lower , At Berkeley, California, ion the 20th, v ten tons^oL*sjrHamite stored m the pack*~mg"'ho"trseT*bf the Hercules Powder Works exploded. Four whites and 24 Chinamen were killed. Two Japanese - officers were killed aad three seriously injured, by a boiler explosion on the cruiser Akashi, while -lying m a Japanese port. . • It was announced at:the meeting! of the British South Africa Company that arrangements had been made with the Salvation Army to. procure-, settlers for Rhodesia. . Speaking at a dinner of London mayors the Lord Mayor of London said that during the past 25, years the City had given £1,125,000 for technical education. The British Government is demanding compensation from the- Republic of Liberia fpr the deaths of .two Englishmen, who are said to have been slowly poisoned by natives; • ■ ' Lord Croiner, presiding at a lecture by Sir Hanbury Brown on "Irrigation m Kgyp't under British Direction," said that m the/next 15 or 20 years about £20,000,000 might very advantageously be spent m Egypt and the Sondan on; irrigation. ■■;'. A New" York grand jury has indicted the millionaire brothers E. R. and A. F^ Thomas for irregularities m their administration of the affairs -of the Provir dent Life Insurance Company. The Italian "Black Hand" Society ha 6 threatened t{> blow up the American army magazines at lona Island, m the Hudson river,, owing, to the discharge of some Italian workmen,.' The guards have been doubled. ..■",-.'. Extraordinary revelations regarding an anti-British, agitation; fostered by Germany m. British South Africa, are made m a book published m Berlin, entitled "In the Service of Downing Street." ' ; The New York State Senate -lias refused to remove Mr Kelsey; superintendent of insurance, and Governor Hughes has again been thwarted. Mr Hughes, m his message said : "The department could hardly have been, less effective had it been a branch of the insurance companies themselves." ' V The Railway Committee of the Gana 7 dian House of Commons has approved the Bill increasing the capital -of ttie Canadian Northern Railway. Company from £6,000,000. tp>£10;000,000, and. granting the company a,, 'cliarter to extend its line to the Pacific coast. PANIC IN JAPAN. A serious financial panic has developed m, Japan. During the past week twelve Japanese firms, the majority of them; dealing m metal, have failed at Osaka, Kyoto,., and. Kobe, with total liabilities of from £500,000 to £600,000. Three small Tokio banks have likewise suspended, and other banks are being subjected to runs. by their depositors. SAILORS AT BULL FIGHT. A bull fight m which one matador was fatally injured and another dangerously hurt was the feature of . the festivities given at Lima, Peru, m honor of the crews of the American battleship fleet. A despatch to the Herald from Lima states that 3500 officers and sailors were present at the. bull fight, which was also attended by the President of Peru and hie Cabinet, and many other high Government officials. £31,500,000 IDLE. Transvaal Government statistics just issued show that there are 402 mining companies m the Transvaal, with a total nominal capital of £122,485,455, of which £109,585,777 have' been issued. The actual cash invested is £82,501,231* -Only 50 companies, with an issued capital of £27,161,101 are producing gold and paying dividends. The mines which are shut down have a total issue capital of £31,500,000. , - . .;■'•';■. 10,202 MINE VICTIMS. During the ten years ending with 1905, 10,202 persons were killed m the mines of the United Kingdom, according to the minutes of evidence before the Royal Commission on Mines. Falls of roofs and sides accounted for 4793 deaths, haulage accidents for 1823 deaths, and surface accidents for 1267 deaths. Explosions of fire damp or coal dust were l'esponsible for 720 deaths. SEDDO'N MEMORIAL. A memorial to the late Mr Seddon, Premier of New Zealand, was .dedicated on Sunday m the parish of his native place, Eccleston, St. Helens. It took the form of new choir stalls, the gift of Mrs S'eddon, and there was a crowded congregation, among whom, were members or the New Zealand football. team. The dedication service was. conducted by the Bishop of Liverpool, who m his sermon remarked upon the fact that SoutliWest Lancashire had.. given, the world two great Premiers, William Ewart Gladstone and Richard John Seddon. The Bishop went on to pay a high tribute to Mr Seddon'6 work and character. WIRELESS BOND OF EMPIRE. Signor Marconi spoke of the wonders of wireless telegraphy before 200 shipowners and merchants at' Liverpool. "Despit the reluctance of the British Government to support me," he said, "wireless telegraphy is rapidly coupling -up the colonies with England. -During last year 1,861,500 words were transmitted." SECRET INQUIRY. We are informed (says the Daily Express) on high authority that a secret inquiry into the state of the navy has been proceeding for some time. The committee of inquiry consist of a Cabinet Minister, two other members of the Government, and a permanent official. The scope of the inquiry! is believed to have covered every branch of naval organisation and material with the exception of the education of officers. On© of the results of the "inquiry is stated to be the large vote of £700,000 for naval stores. The committee of inquiry are believed to have discovered a serious deficiency m the supply of naval stores, which has led to the present heavy expenditure and the promise of a still more serious outlay m the future. WOMAN SUFFRAGE. A slight reflection of the European woman suffrage movement has appeared m the United -States, but the ladies have been unable to beguile the New York police to arrest or even to notice them, and the demonstrations have been mild and harmless. At Albany ladies have appeared m force, demanding the omission qJ. the word "male" from the State Constitution. But even on this simple amendment of the qualification of voters t'hev were not unanimous, for a contingent of ladies appeared m opposition. American women seem supinely satisfied with or--according to the point or view — «upinelv indifferent to their political sratus. and it is difficult to arouse them as their British sisters have been, btill,

without resort to similar tactics, the movement is more advanced here, as m some Western States women enjoy full electoral rights and use them intelligently.