GENERAL CABLES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 441, 13 June 1902, Page 1

GENERAL CABLES.

CHINA’S TREATY, By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. LONDON, June 11. China has agreed in the treaty that she is naw negotiating with Great Britain te provide for the removal of barriers which impede traffic and cause the •silt to accumulate in Canton river, the work to be done within two FIRE ESCAPES. Indignation is expressed in London that no fire escapes exist above 50 feet in height. * FAST STEAMSHIPS. The Canadian Ministers proceeding to London are authorised to co-operate substantially with the Imperial Government in any decision favoring a fast Canadian steamship line. COLONIALS AT ROME. ROME, June 11 Mr Barton and Sir John Forrest are visiting Rome. Roman newspapers are cordially, welcoming them, recalling MiBarton's expressed sympathy witli Italians in Australia. FRENCH PREMIER. PARIS, June 11, The new French Premier promises old age pensions, military and judicial administration reform, and revision of disciplinary punishments in the Army, RACIAL RECRIMINATIONS, ' VIENNA, June 11. The Kaiser’s recent anti-Polish speech has led to racial recriminations in the Lower House., The Reiclisrath sitting was abruptly closed. ARREST OF TEACHERS. ST, PETERSBURG, June 11. Fifty teachers of national s cliools in St, Petersburg have been arrested in connection with the circulation of a revolutionary propaganda' AUSTRALIAN ITEMS. MELBOURNE, June 11. Tiie Senate has reduced the duty on felt hats and caps to 25 per cent., and placed bags, sacks, packs, and bales for tiie carriage of compressed fodder, potatoes, onions, ore, wood, Ilessian Hour bags, sugar-bags, a nd corn sacks 1 on the free list.

Admiral Beaumont has advised Mr Deakin that - the French Government has issued regulations witii regard to the New Hebrides similar to the British, in reference to the recruiting of native women and the importation of fire-arms and spirits. The effect, is to remove an French traders had over British. The action is regarded as showing that the desire to work in harmony with Great Britain is growing,

HOBART, June 12At the Midlands Sheep Show, Mr T. Gibson took the bulk of the championship awards in merinos^

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

BRITISH FISCAL POLICY By telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. LONDON, June 11. Tiie House of Commons, in Committee, decided by 279 votes to 193 to maintain the corn tax. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman said he believed the tax raised hopes and fears in different quarters, and was threatening friction between .the Motherland and the colonies, Mr Austen Chamberlain said tiie Opposition would ask Sir M. Hicks-Beach to declare that- Great 'Britain will never, under- any circumstances, consent to preferential relations with the colonies, hut it would be a strange proceeding,to slam the door 'in the faces 1 of the colonial Premiers and condemn their proposals before hearing them.

IMPERIAL COMMERCE.

SPEECH AT CONFERENCE. By; telegraph—Press Association—- . Copyright., SYDNEY, June 12. Mr Robert Reid, in his Presidential addresst at the Chambers of Commerce Conference, dealing with the question! of preferential trade w thin the Empire, said lie hardly thought it fair we as an Empire should go on opening our doors to all the world, while they shut theirs in our face. On the other

hand, we had beaten all records by the enormous trade we commanded, whilst our accumulated wealth-growing power showed no sign of decay. While we should rejoice at trade done within the Empire on a differential basis, it would be unreasonable to expect the Motherland to do anything to jeopardise her present mercantile supremacy of the world. Touching the shipping combinations, lie declared if combinations were to increase and grow, nothing would sa,ve usi from d saster but the ownership to a certain extent of the large lines of steamers which act as a bridge between Australia and the Northern Hemisphere. Referring to the question of ocean cables, lie said the Eastern Extension Company’s in-

troduction of a three shilling rate was! only brought about by the New Zealand Government’s decision not to submit any longer to the disability of an extra charge, and that if they did not come to terms they would lose the New Zealand business. It was high tme the merchants of the Empire awakened to the importance of Stateowned cables, where the - increase in traffic would not be followed by enormous rates, to the hindrance of commerce and ultimate destruction of a great commercial empite. If the Government possessed its own cables it would not be under the thumb of any foreign Power.