The Wide World.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 2, 13 July 1910, Page 7

The Wide World.

CABLE NEWS IN BRIBE.

* IMPERIAL. THE debate on the Budget in the House of Commons this week was a sharp contrast to the Budget debate of last year, being tame and free from sharp exchanges. Mr. Asquith, referring to charges made that the Government was responsible for excessive expenditure, said the growth of the Civil expenditure had been enormous, but it ■Would be unjust for any .section of the Ho«se to denounce this unless they were prepared to retrace the steps that had been made in the direction of social reform and similarly the granting of old. age pensions was due to demands from ©Il parts of the House. Mr. Lloyd George remarked that he hoped by 1912, ■when the German naval programme dropped 50 per cent, they would all return to more normal and saner conditions. Mr. Austen Chamberlain retorted that if Mr. Lloyd George disagreed with the Navy Estimates he should resign. It iwas reckless to hold out hopes of social reforms depending on the naval policy ■of a foreign Power. The Regency Bill, providing that Queen Mary shall be llegent should the King die before the Prince of Wales attains the age of 18, lias passed the House of Commons. The Civil List has also been passed. It totals a similar'amount to the last reign of £470,000, with £13,000 increase for the younger members of the family. There is a contingent annuity for Queen Mary in the event of her surviving King George. Captain Mahan, in an article in the ■“Daily Mail” on the British v. German navy construction, argues that a disquieting feature of the situation is the apparent disposition towards slackness in the new votes in Britain, as against the resolute spirit and tremendous faculty for organising strength evident in Germany. The Norddeutscher Lloyd announces that in case of a working agreement between the Orient and P. and O. Companies in October they will cut the first-class fares from Southampton to the Commonwealth to £6O, and secondclass to £32, plus 10 per cent. The company claims that since the English coinpanies are running superior steamers, the Germans ought to be allowed to charge less. The Orient and P. and 0. Companies contend that all rates on mail steamers should be the same. A rate war is feared. FOREIGN. The chief event of the week abroad was the fight for the world’s heavyweight championship between Jeffries and Johnson. Jeffries was never in the Shunt, his negro opponent outpointing him in every stage of the fight, which lasted for fifteen rounds. Johnson, fighting savagely in the last three rounds, Jiit Jeffries when he liked, and knocked thim out with a succession of terrific blows. As was anticipated, racial riots followed all over America. I„ these some thirteen negroes and one white were killed, while hundreds on both sides were wounded. Fearing further riots, many Mayors have prohibited the exhibition of the pictures. . A gang belonging to the Black Hand society waylaid and shot an Italian merchant named Piccolo at Brooklyn. The murdered man was picked up and carried to a hospital, and while he lay there dying the gang went to his home and strangled and knifed Mrs. Piccolo, both husband and wife being now dead. No arrests have been made. A dreadful railway disaster has occurred at Dayton, Ohio, a passenger train coming into collision with a freight train. The engine of the latter crashed through a smoking car and coach filled with women and children, many being killed. Several cars were overturned, and rolled over an embankment. Thirtyone bodies have been recovered. The list of the injured totals 87.

The “Journal des Debats” states that a Russo-Japanese agreement has been feigned, which guarantees the status quo

in Mancuuria, and provides that if the agreements Russia and Japan have concluded with China are menaced, the parties will take concerted measures for 'their defence. COMMONWEALTH. The Federal Parliament is debating the Addrese-in-Reply. Mr. Deakin, Leader of the Opposition, strongly condemned the system of government by caucus, and pointed out that the Government majority was so strong as to enable it to carry the whole of its policy into effect. Mr. Fisher, defending the system, said that Mr. Gladstone and Lord Salisbury had-both consulted their supporters on returning to power. Dr. Heineken, chairman of the North German Lloyd, says that Australia will profit by a good understanding with Germany should trouble arise over the white Australia policy. A Melbourne girl named Alice Car'ton, aged 11, was oeaten to death in a shocking manner with a broom handle by her father's cousin, who acted as housekeeper. The woman subsequently attempted to commit suicide. When she recovered consciousness she stated that she had beaten the girl for telling untruths, and had become distracted when she found that the child was dead, and accordingly attempted suicide. Official statistics show a considerable falling off in Australia’s sugar production. A total of 214,242 tons was produced in 1907, against 161,253 tons last year. While exports fell from 11,077 to 2051 tons, imports increased from 6167 to 99,689 tons.