LATE CABLE NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, 5 February 1902, Page 2

LATE CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright New York, Feb. 4. Thirty acres have been devastated at Watcrbury and four million dollars worth of damage done. London, Feb. 4. The Times Brussels’ correspondent says that the Sugar Conference is aiming at a reduction of the surtax to a uniform rate of five francs. There are eleven hundred and fiftynine cases of small-pox in London. Seventy-three were reported yesterday. Mr Roberts, a Unionist, has been elected for Bcoleshall by 5231 votes against Mr Vaile, Liberal, 4119. A renewed heated debate has taken placed in the House of Commons over Hungarian remounts. Mr Balfour promised enquiry as to remounts in South Africa. Replying to Lord Carrington in the House of Lords Earl Raglan said he believed that last year a proportion of Argentine beef had been supplied to the soldiers, but owing to the more settled outlook Lord Kitchener had decided to widen the area of competition. Three firms had tendered, the Bergl Company' beiug the lowest. There wero no grounds for the colonial proteste. Everything that could reasonably be expected had been done to encourage colonial meat. Lord Stanley states that Bergl Co. informed the War Office that a number of prominent South African firms wore providing a capital of half a million to work the contract. Lord Stanley believed that Wernher and Beit, South African capitalists, were not connected vvith the scheme. Lord Raglan said that before the contract had been finally clinched, and ho understood before the colonial protests had been received, the contractor gave a written undertaking to give Australasia preference as far as possible. If prices were reasonable Australasia should furnish the bulk of the requirements. Lord Carrington is pressing enquiries further. Melbourne, Feb. 4. The death of a butcher named Latham, of Richmond, who was found by an employee named Elliott with his throat cut, is shrouded in mystery. The police to-day arrested Elliott on a charge of murder. From a letter written to Latham by Elliott’s wife, the presumption is that prisoner committed the crime through jealousy. Brisbaue, Feb. 4. The landlady of the City Hotel has died of the plague. The ease of a boy supposed to have tho plague at Gladstone turns out to be incorrect.