GENERAL CABLES.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 939, 11 July 1903, Page 1

GENERAL CABLES.

A RETRACTION

By Telegraph—Press Association—• Copyright. LONDON, July 9. Edwin Emmett lias unreservedly withdrawn the allegation made before the Transvaal Concessions Commission in 1900, that the agent for •the dynamite concession bribed General Botha prior to the war. LATE SIR I-lECTOR MACDONALD LONDON, July 9. The late Sir Hector Macdonald’s estate has been valued at £4,402, everything being bequeathed to his sou. THE AMERICAN SQUADRON. LONDON, July 9. The American squadron’s visit to England has been prolonged for a week. SOMALILAND MANOEUVRES. LONDON, July 9. General Egerton has left Berbera for Bohotle with a force of 200 Indian troops and 3000 camels. CHURCH ATTENDANCE.

LONDON, July 9. A census or church attendance made by the Daily News has been concluded. It shows the attendance on a given date at the Anglican churches 410,153, at Nonconformist chinches 416,225, Catholic churches 93,572, and at the places ol worship of other bodies 62,990. PLAGUE IN CHILI. LIMA, July 9. Bubonic plague has made its appearance at Peruvian ports. .VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE. CAPETOWN, July, 9. A violent earthquake lias been experienced here. A BIG LOAN. CAPETOWN, July 9. Lord Milner has submitted to the South African Intercolonial Council a statement showing the allocation of the 'thirty-live million loan as follows Acquisition of the Transvaal and Orange Colony railways, 14 millions; repatriation and compensation to: burghers, 5 millions ; new railways, 4 millions ; public .works, 2 millions ; land settlement, 3 millions ; previous liabilities, 6 millions, including first year’s deficit ol the Transvaal and debts of the late Republic, and compensation lor .Cape and Na-? •tal loyalists. . ANTI-BOTHA CRUSADE. CAPETOWN, July 9. ,

Many leading Dutcli in South Africa., strongly, disapproving of Botha’s hostile attitude, are starting an an-ti-Botha crusade. AFTER THE MURDERS. BELGRADE, July, 9, The King of Servia has abolished the censorship of foreign newspapers. AUSTRALIAN NEWS. HOBART, July 10. The Chamber of Commerce has decided to urge the Federal representatives to support the repeal of the provision prohibiting the employment of colored labor on mail boats, on the ground that it is an attempt to interfere with the liberty of British subjects beyond the Commonwealeh dominion, SYDNEY, July 10.

The Assembly has restored the Liiquor Bill to the business paper at the stage reached last session. An industrial agreement has :heen ■arranged between the New South Wales Ship-owners’ Association and Melt’s Dock on the one part and the Ship-painters’ and Dockers’ Union, in regard to hours of labor, wages, ana other conditions. The arrangement will be registered under the Arbitration Act.

The Herald’s special commissioner estimates that the wheat crop this year will show an increase of 122,000 acres, The prospects are now favorable,' and with moderate spring rains an average of 10.9 bushels an acre should be realised, giving a total yield of 13,418,000 bushels. The Herald, commenting on the Naval Bill, says that Sir E. Barton and his colleagues seem to think that they will do well enough to get the 'agreement passed, and the Admiralty lias so far impressed its views on the Prime Minister that he apparently attaches little or no importance to the defence of the ports of the Commonwealth, deeming it sufficient to give all possible heed to the position on the naval side as it affects Great Britain. The way in which the naval forces have been treated since the Commonwealth took charge is little better than a scandal. The Governor of Western Australia has seen fit to lift a warning voice at the Federal Government allowing coast defences to get so far back. The Herald states that only the King’s representative can enter a protest sufficiently powerful to penetrate the deaf ear of Ministers.

BRISBANE, July 10. The annual report of the Mount Morgan mine shows that 262,819 tons of ore were treated, yielding 143,584 ounces. The sum 0f£150,000 was paid in dividends. MELBOURNE, July 10. Mr Reid, in his speech on the Naval Bill, said that one fault of the new arrangement was that under it we were promised no purely Imperial squadron. The extension of the sphere to China and East Indian Waters was a complete change of the attitude of the Admiralty, and in no way to be attributed to Australian selfishness. Referring to the change or Imperial policy and Mr Chamberlain’s proposals, he said that the relationship between the colonies and the Imperial Government demanded serious attention. He denounced any •attempt being made to draw the Commonwealth policy into the general policy o£ the Empire. Sir John Forrest vigorously supported the Bill. The debate was adjourned.