The Wide World.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 15, 13 October 1909, Page 8

The Wide World.

CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF.

Imperial. ZYA ANY prominent English peers, ■ I ■ whilst disapproving of the . j I 1 Budget, consider that its re- / jeetion would involve great risks. The Nationalists complain of the new licensing dirties, as being ruinous to distillers and small brewers in Ireland. Lord Rosebery has declined to make any more Budget speeches. The Nationalist party has split on the question of licensing duties, Mr. Healey opposing and Mr. Redmond supporting them. The Nationalist opposition has considerably reduced the Government majority. Mr. Asquith was compelled to make considerable concessions to the Irish party. The conviction continues to grow that the King is using his influence in favour of the Budget. He summoned Mr. Asquith to Balmoral. The committee stages of the Finance Bill have been finished in the House of Commons. Mr. Lloyd George announced that if the committee stages of the bill and the third reading of the Development Bill were finished this week, the House would adjourn until the 18th to allow members to consider the amendments. The Government’s action was quite unexpected, and many members of the Commons believe that a Budget compromise is in the air. The suffragettes are issuing writs against the Home Secretary and the officers of Windsor Green Gaol for assault in the forcible administration of food. Mrs. Pankhurst threatens to give no peace to either Conservatives or Liberals till women are enfranchised. Miss Laura Ainsworth, the first of the Birmingham hunger-strikers, has been released. She was immediately taken to a nursing home. The newspapers publish realistic accounts of her forcible feeding, similar to the procedure adopted with imbeciles. Mr. McKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty), in reply to a question whether the Admiralty intended to lend the Commonwealth 2000 men in connection with the naval agreement, and whether the loss to the Imperial navy would be made good, said it was premature to make a statement. The Imperial personnel would not necessarily be decreased, since there were many British bluejackets already on the Australian station. The King is to open a hospital at Montreal by pressing a button in Buckingham Palace. The “ Daily Chronicle” and “Lloyd’s Weekly’' propose to issue supplements devoted to colonial matters. It is feared that General Botha's coalition scheme for South Africa will prove a failure. Sir Robert Stout has received an honorary LL.D, degree from Manchester University. Canadians think that Germany should restore Canadian products to the conventional tariff when the Canadian surtax would be removed. The CanadianPacific railway is to amalgamate with the Allan Steamship Line. Canada has taken possession of Banks' Land and other Arctic lands. Lord Grey made a remarkable series of speeches at Calgary favouring a Canadian navy. His remarks have provoked much criticism. Owing to competition of taxi-cabs, horse cabs have reduced fares in London to sixpence a mile. Miners’ wages in Northumberland have been advanced 11 per cent, owing to the increased price of coal. Mrs. Rendell was executed at Perth for the murder of the Morris children. General Baden-Powell has been knighted for his services in connection with the Boy Scout movement. The King has given the Edward medal to Lyons and Shields for gallantry at the Mount Morgan mine. Dr. C. W. Wallace has discovered from old records that Shakespeare drew profits amounting to £6OO per annum from the Globe Theatre TJie documents are considered of arrest importance. The secret cypher passages in Wesley’s journal have been deciphered. The Liberal League has accepted Lord Rosebery’s resignation as a member. Sir A. Conan Doyle han published a powerful indictment of Belgian misrule and atrocities in the Congo. He is heading a movement for a ma-* meeting forcing the Government to take decisive action.

Foreign. Many Americans are inclined to favour Cook and discredit Peary's claims to have reached the Pole. Both a Tammany and an anti-Tainnrany candidate are standing for the Mayoralty of New York. The new American Minister for Ptkin was stopped on the eve of his departure. He is said to have been too talkative. “The New York Times” announces an important invention in connection with turbines, which will enable eteam to accomplish 15 per cent more work. A new electrical furnace for making steel has been invented in Germany. Don Carlos has taken a cavalry brigade to Morocco. War is anticipated between Spain and the Sultan of Morocco. The Riffs have been re inforced by other tribes; and the Sultan has imported aims and ammunition from Belgium and Germany. The Mahdi has gathered an army of 40,000 followers in Arabia. The Pope has issued an ediet against Adria for stoning Bishop Boggiani. The Japanese Premier says that Japanese finances are sound, and relations with America excellent. A fund is being formed in Greece to carry oirt military and other reforms. 140,000 people in Denmark petitioned the King to investigate the Alberti frauds in a State Court, bus he refused to interefere. Lord Kitchener has arrived at Shanghai. German shipping liners show greatly increased receipts from North American traffic. Prinee Ludwig, of Bavaria, thinks the PanGerman propaganda may endanger the Austro-German alliance. Last year 7016 persons were tried by court-martial in Russia. The Moscow theatre has engaged 16 girls from Abdul Hamid’s harem- The Rheims police captured 7 men and 3 women alleged to be German spies. Conan Doyle is protesting against the Congo atrocities. The railway from Pekin to Kelgan, a distance of about 100 miles, has been opened. The line was built by Chinese engineers from the earnings of China's northern railways. A firing party detailed to execute Garcia, one of the leaders of the Barcelona riots, hesitated to shoot, and then fired wide twice, whereupon the lieutenant commanding shot Garcia with a revolver. Twelve hundred trials are still on hand. The Marquis Katsura, Premier of Japan, has stated that the rational finances are now on a sound footing. It was possible for the Government to readjust taxation, and funds were available towards the redemption of the national debt and the raising of the salaries of civil servant?.

Accidents and Fatalities. A chemist’s shop in Sydney was destroved by a terrific explosion, and several adjoining buildings were damaged. There were many narrow escapes, and a number of people were injured. The A.gent-General for New Brunswick, Mr. C. A. D. Miller, fell from a window at Margate, and was killed. Alpine accidents this year exceed all previous records. 150 were killed and many injured. Prairie fires in Alberta have done damage estimated at several millions and many lives have been lost. Canon Reith, of Greenwich, dropped dead in the pulpit. The death is announced of Mr. Watson, Chairman of the Cunard Co.; also of Mr. Albert Pulitzer, of the “New York World,” who committed suicide. Chang Chitling. a Chinese patriot, is dead. In the recent floods in East Java 600 persons were drowned. Thirty lives are imprisoned in the Dunsmuir colliery in British Columbia owing io a fire, which broke out in the mine. Hopes of their rescue are very faint, and fourteen bodies have been already recovered. Twenty-five girls in a dynamite factory in Rome were terribly injured by a cauldron of phosphorus catching fire. A similar accident occurred at Milan, where 16 men were horribly injured by an explosion of boiling tar. Sports and Pastimes. Mr. Orville Wright took the Crown Prince of Germany « s a passenger in his aeroplane. Tn one as- nt Wright reach-

ed 1200 ft, double the previous record. M. Rougier won prizes valued at £3OOO at a German aeroplane tourney. M. Latham won the speed prize. Count Zeppelin is arranging for an aeroplane passenger service. Russia has voted £250,000 for aviation. The Wrighta do not intend to give any further exhibitions.

The crew of the American ship kf?n—sot* beat the erew of H.M.s. Drake for the Battenberg Cup. The Princess Royal and the Duke of Fife entertained the Australian cricketers at Mar Lodge. Twenty balloons started in the GordonBennett race, the winner being Mr. Misc’s balloon American No. 2.