CABLE ITEMS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XIII, 27 September 1902, Page 789

CABLE ITEMS.

The Queen is on a visit to Denmark.

The Queen and Princess Victoria have arrived at Copenhagen.

The Shah has left on his homeward journey. The British cruiser Retribution has sailed from Jamaica for Colon.

Dhuleep Singh, an Indian Prince, has become a bankrupt.

An order for a battleship of the type of the Edward VII. has been placed with Clyde shipbuilders.

The Czar reviewed 89,000 troops at Kursk and then started for Petershof.

A Parliamentary return shows the British national debt to be £768,443,486.

The Admiralty has ordered nine 25knot torpedo-destroyers from private builders.

Sir E. Barton has cabled from Canada that he will reach Australia on October 13. •

The next British estimates will provide for a large number of submarine boats.

The Bank of England’s profits for the half year ended August were £702,213.

The South Africa Chartered Company will found a Pasteur Institute at Bulawayo, in Rhodesia.

General rains have fallen in India, and good autumn harvests are anticipated.

The Tsar entertained the Shah of Persia at a banquet at Kursk, cordial speeches being made.

Ismay, Lurie and Co. deny the reported sale of the White Star Line of steamers to the Shipping Trust.

The time-limit of the FrancoAmerican Commercial Convention has been extended twelve months'.

Mr Balfour and Lord Kitchener visited the King at Balmoral last week.

The Shah and suite spent two hundred thousand sterling during their visit to Paris.

The official Royal procession through the city and South London takes place on October 25th.

A fire at the Victoria Bocks destroyed three million paving blocks of Jarrah timber.

The Kaiser pays a visit to the King, extending over a week, at Sanringham, early in November.

The South African and Australasian Cold Storage concerns have agreed to the proposed amalgamation.

Germany, America and Japan arc negotiating- for commercial treaties with China similar to that conceded to Great Britain.

The Kaiser will pay a visit to King Edward early in November. The King of Portugal comes to England next month on a similar visit.

An explosion Ims occurred in the Algona coal mine. Norfolk, West Virginia. Seventeen bodies have been recovered.

Nicholas Fish, a millionaire, has been killed in a street brawl in this been killed in a street brawl in New York City.

The Venezuelan rebel forces have defeated the Government troops near Caracas (the capital). General Casco has retreated to Cuayaho.

The craters of La Soufriere volcano, St. Vincent, are again active. A shock of earthquake has been experienced in San Francisco.

The annual report by the New Guinea authorities show during the

past year the imports into British New Guinea were valued at £72,000, while the exports totalled £ 50,000.

The German Crown Prince is expected to attend the great durbar to be held at Belhi when King Edward is proclaimed Emperor of India.

The Dutch Budget, estimates the year’s expenditure at 164,500,000 florins, leaving a deficit of eight millions.

The second-class cruiser Isis has been attached to th’e trainingship Britannia to take the senior cadets on cruises to sea.

The New Zealand Midland Railway debenture-holders are willing to accept the Government's proposal if the amount is fixed at £150,000.

The British warship Terrible has returned to Portsmouth from the China station. Her arrival was greeted by tremendous enthusiasm.

The further export of the skins and feathers of wild birds for the purpose of trimming women’s hats has been prohibited in India.

The English rifle team won the Palma, trophy at Ottawa with a score of 1459. The American team scored 1447, end the Canadian 1373.

H.M.s. Penguin, the surveying ship, will shortly return to Auckland and continue her survey work on the. New Zealand coast.

The arbitrator has given an award in favour of reducing the wages of 70,000 Scottish colliers by 6J per cent, to a minimum of 5/6 per day.

A demonstration, attended by a hundred thousand men and women, at. Leeds, demanded the withdrawal of the Education Bill or a dissolution of Parliament.

Owing to the fatalities caused by an explosion on the warship Victory on August 20 small quick-firers are to supersede muzzle-loading guns in firing salutes in the navy.

The Governor of Newfoundland has secured the services of the British warship Calypso (a third-class cruiser of the old type, built in 1883, 2770 tons) for that colony.

The United States cruiser Cincinnati has landed 50 marines and a quick-firing gun at Colon. The marines accompany passenger trains for the purposes of protection.

Howitt, of the Adelaide Rifle Club, won the King’s Prize at the National Rifle Meeting, with a score of 254 points. Colonel Oldershaw, with a score of 250, was second.

Edmund Jellinek, a clerk in the Vienna Laender Bank, has disappeared. Irregularities in cashing cheques and a deficiency of one and a quarter million kroner have been discovered. The deficiencies of Jellinek, the hank defaulter, amount to £lBO,OOO. Two-thirds of the money was invested in various concerns. His partner in the motor business, named Pollak, has been arrested on a charge of complicity.

A gendarme went mad in the streets of Malaga, and killed seven people and wounded five others with his rifle before his comrades shot him dead.

The report of the Commissioners of Prisons in Great Britain foreshadows a scheme for the detention under special conditions of persons guilty of grave habitual crime.

A meeting of 20,000 people in Phoenix Park, Dublin, protested against the recent proclamation of the province. of Connaught under the Criminal Law Procedure Act.

The Kossuth centenary (in memory of the celebrated Louis Kossuth, the leader of the Hungarian revolution of 1848. who was born in 1802) has been celebrated with national rejoicings in Hungary.

The Commonwealth Rifle Match was won by the Victorian team with a score of 1553. South Australia scored 1519 and Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland followed in that order.

There are prospects that the miners’ strike in Wales will be the cause of the Danish railways order for sixty thousand tons of coal being transferred to Germany.

It is understood that Mr. Pierpont Morgan .has purchased Mr. J. R. Ellerman's five steamers engaged in the Antwerp-Montreal trade. Mr. Ellerman continues the management under Mr. Morgan.

At a meeting of Sydney butchers serious allegations were made regarding large quantities of meat supplied in Sydney. It was stated that fully half was unfit for human consumption.

The “Daily Express’ ” correspondent at St. Petersburg states that Admiral Makaroff has invented a sounding instrument which will give warning of the approach of torpedoes and submarines.

The Southern Cross wrecked at Tahiti is a schooner of sixty tons, built at San Francisco two years ago for the French Protestant Mission, and was trading to the Marquesas and Tuamotu Islands.

Mr. Vaughan, Government storekeeper, Suva, died suddenly last week. He was accorded a military and Masonic funeral, there being a large attendance.

Prince Francis Joseph of Braganza, who came to London, though not officially, for the Coronation, and who was committed for trial on a serious criminal charge, has been acquitted.

A gentleman from Wellington, who si visiting - Grafton, New South Wales, is endeavouring to place an order for several million feet of New Zealand timber for the purposes of wood blocking’ in Australia.

At a Jewish workers’ meeting, at Whitechapel, the announcement was made that an American trust, with a capital of six millions sterling, was being formed, in order to capture the British clothing trade.

The Sydney Arbitration Court has ordered the members of the Wharf Labourers’ Union who struck to return on the old conditions pending a definite settlement.

The Government has issued a five per cent, gold loan of £4,240,000, the minimum being fixed at 94J. The interest is free from taxation and is guaranteed by the revenue from the tobacco monopoly.

The New South Wales commercial agent in South Africa reports that there is much room for increased trade with New South Wales in nearly everything imported. Prices of food stuffs of all kinds are exceedingly high. According to the “Daily Mail’s’’ Karachi correspondent 13 mountain guns, 18 field-pieces, and SOO cases of ammunition and gun carriages, arrived at Peshawar, via Karachi, from Germany, and were allowed to proceed to Cabul, Afghanistan. Turkey is now favourable to the four Russian torpedo vessels recently detained passing through the Dardanells to the Black Sea. The Tsar washes to inspect them at Livadia, and promises not to interpret the sanction as a precedent. Great Britain, in a note to the Powers, endorses and emphasises the Hon. Colonel Hay's circular regarding' the amelioration of the condition of the Jews in Roumania, and recommends concerted action in the matter. A large crowd farewelled the Australian cricketers at Waterloo Station. There was much cheering and singing of “Auld Lung Syne.” The team play their first match in South Africa at Johannesburg on October 10. Floods in Southern Bengal destroyed 25 villages and two bridges.

The damage is estimated at two lakhs of rupees. Six thousand people are rendered homeless, chiefly along the Brahmin River.

A report dealing with the operations of the German East Africa Company shows that it has made no profit excepting from the coinage monopoly. The prospects are not improving, though the company has received a subsidy of 4,800,000 marks.

Two French traders named Buret and Desamblane, who were sentenced in Nigeria for the murder of a British subject named Keyes, have been handed to the French authorities for re-trial at Senegal, West Africa.

The Czar has warned a deputation of elders from Poltava, Khakoff, and neighbouring districts, against a repetition of the recent disturbances there. He assured them that he would not leave real grievances go unheeded.

M. Saravoff, ex-Minlster for the Interior for Bulgaria, who some months ago was accused of certain acts with a view to provoking Turkish atrocities, has been arrested at Nish, in Servia, where he fled.

Advices from Cape Haytien (Hayti) state that General Nord, after three hours’ fighting at the village ol Limbe, against 3000, abandoned his position, guns and ammunition. His losses are heavy. Four thousand of the enemy are advancing on Cape Haytien.

The new' first-class cruiser Berwick has been launched at Glasgow. [The Admiralty recently decided to call one of the new battleships of this type the “New Zealand”; while another will probably be called the “Maori.") '

Mr Percival Spencer, the wellknown aeronaut, in his own airship, sailed from the Crystal Palace for 30 miles, with detours across London, alighting at Harrow. Hydrogen was used as the motive power at a cost of £3O. The speed was 15 miles an hour.

The “Dully Mail” states that a British Railmakers’ Association, comprising eight firms, with a share capital of 12 millions, has been successfully formed, and will control prices and regulate the output.

A stowaway on a steamer from Newcastle, supposed to be Shaw, one of the men concerned in the murder of Constable Guilfoyle at Sydney, has been arrested at Perth.

From the description received the police are of opinion that the stowaway arested at Perth is not Shaw, who is wanted for the shooting of Constable Guilfoyle. The man is detained pending identification. The German and Engli-h steamshipowners’ conference at Osten'l has decided to increase the outward freights to La Plata 20 per cent. The New York to La Plata rates will be similarly raised. The German and British steamship lines trading’ to La Plata have signed a three years' agreement. The English makers of chemical apparatus invite Professor Evans, of Canterbury, to formulate- more specific charges than those which he has made in regard to apparatus. They admit the lack of uniformity of gauge, and regret the absence of the decimal standard, and add that most of the criticisms are too severe. A son of Mr John Kensit, the wellknown anti-Ritualist, has been sent to prison for three months in default of finding sureties that he would not hold meetings in the streets of Liverpool. Sixty thousand people have petitioned for his release, including several Liverpool Justices of the Peace. The Shearers' Union delegate who took part in the recent attack on a waggon containing non-unionists, at. Widgiewa station. New South Wales, has been sentenced to six months* hard labour. The owner of Widgiewa Station is commencing an action against the Australian Workers’ Union for £SOOO damages for causing delay in shearing and other losses conscqucn thereon.

The Republicans of eleven States have decided to renominate President Roosevelt for the Presidency. The New York Republican Convention overruled Boss Platt, who recently declared that the convention would not pledge itself to support President Roosevelt’s candidature.

The “Daily Mail” states that Newfoundland has agreed to renew the ■nodus vivendi, under the French Treaties Bill (in connection with the coast fisheries), for another year in order to facilitate a settlement in 1904.

Mr Hay, Secretary for State, has addressed a circular to the foreign Ambassadors emphasising the peril of the immigration of hordes of paupers to America. He also, on humanitarian grounds, urges the signatories of the Berlin Treaty to compel Rouznania to ameliorate the condition of the Roumanian Jews.

A man armed with a revolver and ■ loaded bomb, entered the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Skagway, in the far northern mining district, and demanded twenty thousand dollars. The clerks fled from the bank. The bomb accidentally fell and exploded, wrecking the bank and killing the robber.

After Mr Booker Washington’s address to the Negro National Convention in the Baptist Church at Birmingham, Alabama, the cry of “Fire!” was raised, and a stampede occurred. The exits became blocked, and a crown. One hundred and fifteen were killed, the majority being smothered. Many other negroes were injured.

Mr. Chamberlain, in a letter to friendly societies, says it is hopeless for any Government to deal satisfactorily with old age pensions while extravagant expectations as to what is possible prevail, and societies themselves are divided on the question. He blames the obstructive attitude of the Trades Congress.

The death is announced of the Queen of the Belgi ns from syncope. Her Majesty’s death was very sudden, as she expired while at dinner. The funeral of the Queen will be of the simplest. The body is not lying in state. [The Queen of Belgium was Marie Henriette, daughter of the late Archduke Joseph of Austria. She was born in 1836 and married King Leop id 11. in 1853.] The Spanish Ministerial Party deny the idea of an entente cordiale with France and Russia. The Radical newspapers are sympathetic in regard to the scheme, but an independent organ points out Spain’s vulnerability in the event of Great Britain becoming her enemy, and recommends an alliance with Britain. The Socialists’ National Congress at Munich passed a resolution denouncing the action of the Socialist Poles in Silesia, in refusing to support the Nationalists on the ground that it would be to co-onerate with German Socialists. The resolution added that the Polish movement was almost as troublesome t< the German Socialists as to the Government. The Toronto “Globe” repudiates the protection campaign being conducted by Mr Tarte, Minister for Public Works. Mr Tarte replies that the bulk of the Canadians are with him, expecting an increased protection, with a revised tariff next year. The impression prevails in Ottawa that Sir W. Laurier is unable to heal the split in the Ministry, and that Mr Tarte will probably retire. Mr William Allan, member of the House of Commons for Gateshead, has made a vigorous attack on tne Admiralty. He referred in the course of his speech to “our phantom fleet and skeleton crews.” He declared that the navy was short of fourteen tboueand firemen, two thousand engineroom artificers, and nine hundred engineers. He described the dockyards as congested with crippled cruisers. The French Minister to the Vatican ■upported the newspaper “Matin’s” request for an interview with the Pope. Cardinal Ram poll a, the Pope's

secretary of state, in a letter to the French Minister, stated that the Pope had resolved not to utter a word for or against the French policy, or calculated to fan party politics. The interview was refused.

The “Post” reports that the trials of the typewriting telegraphic system invented by Mr Donald Murray (formerly of Auckland and Sydney) conducted between London and Edinburgh were very satisfactory. The system will be used for commercial purposes later on.

Herr Sverdrup’s Polar expeditionary vessel, the celebrated Fram, has arrived at Stevanger, Norway. Sverdrup states that he explored Ellesmereland. A discovery of deserted Eskimo dwellings showed that the northern-most limits of habitable parts had receded during recent times.

The Penzance express, when slowing to 20 miles an hour on approaching the station, collided with an engine shunting at Westbourne Park. The engines were locked together. The first van, containing luggags, received the brunt of the shock.

Several passengers had limbs broken and others were badly shaken. The skull of one of the engine-drivers was fractured and his condition is critical.

The Federal Postal Department hopes that the laying of the Vancou-ver-Fanning Island section of the Pacific cable, with the extension to Fiji, will be completed by the middle of November.

The Federal Postal Department will shortly have to settle the Pacific cable rates. It is considered highly improbable that there will be any attempt at cutting. The charges are to be the same as on existing rates.

The Hon. A. J. Balfour, receiving the freedom of Haddington, feelingly acknowledged the congTatulations of all parties on his accession to the Premiership. The fact that he was a “brother Scot” was, he said, patriotically received by Scotchmen. He added significantly that the working of the British constitutions was so admirable that it enabled necessarily varied elements to assert their rightful position and allowed subordinate patriotism to grow and flourish without interfering with the larger patriotism, which was the essence of the life of the great Empire.

President Roosevelt has decided not to attempt tariff revision in the coming session, but he will persevere in his attitude in regard to trusts. He insists upon reciprocity with Cuba.

Mr Henderson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, in a letter declining to be renominated for Congress, states that he does not believe that trusts are curable, or that the people can be benefited by free trade wholly or partly. President Roosevelt has vainly urged Mr Henderson to reconsider his decision.

The “Daily Express” states that the War Office is preparing a sweeping re-armament scheme, which includes unprecedentedly powerful quick-firing horse artillery, fitted with new mechanism, minimising labour and lessening the exposure of artillerymen. Marconi claims to have surmounted further transmission difficulties, and affirms that it is possible to communicate between the squadrons in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. A Marconi station is being established in Rome. The British Admiralty effected wireless communication with sub-marine boats in recent experiments. A writ has been issued dissolving the State Parliament, Victoria. The elections take place on October 1. The Premier has issued a manifesto urging the people to support the policy upon which the Ministry was defeated. He promises to introduce a Reform Bill providing for the dissolution of both Houses within six months after passing its concomitant, measure, the Redistribution Bill, and concludes by asking: “Are you prepared to tnke part in stopping financial drift and cet-ablishlng sound economic and constitutional conditions?**

At the inquest on Major McCabe and Mr McMurray, who perished in reselling others at the Mt. Kembla Company's colliery, the jury returned a verdict that their deaths were caused by carbon-monoxide suffocation while nobly endeavouring to save life.

The coroner and others eulogised the heroism of these and other rescuers.

Severe gales were raging on the British coast last week. Nine Calais cod vessels foundered in the North Sea and 50 fishermen were drowned. The steamer Bewick, of Hartlepool, was lost off the Firth of Forth. The captain and ten of the crew were drowned. The British steamer Mehsdale also foundered in the gales. The captain and thirteen of the crew were drowned.

Bush fires have swept ten sugar farms at Pimpana Island, and are still raging in the Mambour district. In the dense smoke from the bush fires the steamer Duke of Sutherland stranded on the reef ar Lizard Island (on the Queensland coast) on Friday. Steamers have been sent to her assistance. The s.s. Duke of Sutherland, which lately stranded on a reef near Lizard Island, on the coast, is reported to be safe, though surrounded by shoaly patches. She is expected to be got off when the lightering of her cargo has been completed.

Floods destroyed a bridge at Mangapatrian, precipitating the MadrasBombay mail train into the river. Eight European passengers (including four soldiers), 40 natives, the guards and the driver perished. All the first-class passengers were saved. Two Roman Catholic Bishops had a marvellous escape in the accident. They were carried several miles down a roaring stream before they were rescued.

Sixty-two bodies have been recovered in connection with the recent railway disaster at Mangapatuam.

The jury returned an open verdict in connection with the death of Mr W. H. L. Ranken on Tinderry station, New South Wales.

[The body of Mr Ranken had been twice exhumed. At the first inquest a verdict of suicide was returned, but the relatives were not satisfied that the deceased had taken his own life, and on a post-mortem examination being made after two medical men gave it as their opinion that death was due to violence, as the skull had been smashed by some blunt instrument. The Attorney-General thereupon ordered another inquiry to be made.]

Besides the peculiar sect known as the Agapemonites, 100 of the public

were admitted to the Ark of the Covenant, at Clapham. These angrily protested at the Rev. Smythe Piggott’s renewed claim to be the Son of Man come again in the flesh. Three thousand people followed Piggott’s carriage homewards, hooting. The mounted police prevented violence. The Rev. Smythe Piggott (the leader of the Agapemonites sect),who gave out that he was the Messiah, has left Loudon, and the services of the “Ark of the Covenant” at Clapham have been discontinued. Some doubts and murmurings exist among the Agapemonites.

A cyclists’ church parade was held at Wynyard Park, the seat of the Marquis of Londonderry, PostmasterGeneral, in aid of the Soldiers’ Help Society.

Lord Londonderry, in the course of a speech, regretted that instead of showing practical sympathy with disabled, sick and unemployed soldiers, the people cheered the Boer generals, who were mainly responsible for the prolongation of the war. He hoped the country would remember its duty. It would be a disgrace if unhappiness and discomfort were allowed to come upon those who had nobly fought and bled for us.

The United States cruiser Panther, taking 320 marines and six fieldpieces, has been ordered to Colon in connection with the Columbian revolution, in order to protect the Panama railway. The United States cruiser Ranger, at Panama, placed guards on a train to co-operate with the warship Cincinnati’s marines in protecting passengers, owing to the Colombian revolution.

Mr Moody, the Secretary for War, will send 600 marines to Colombia, if the commander of the warship Cincinnati declares they are needed. The commander landed 80 bluejackets and •two quick-firers, and had notified that neither the Government nor the revolutionists will be allowed to obstruct traffic on the Panama railway.

Lieutenant Peary, the Arctic explorer, has arrived at Sydney, Cape Breton, in the Windward. He reports that the highest latitude reached by the expedition was 84 degrees 17 minutes. The icepack north-west of Cape Hecla was impracticable. He made some important discoveries.

[Lieutenant Peary’s expedition has been in the Arctic regions since early in 1900, in the auxiliary steamer Windward. Reports received last year stated that Lieutenant Peary had reached 83.50 north, the highest north yet reached in the Western Hemisphere.]