BEYOND THE DOMINION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 127, 1 February 1909, Page 5

BEYOND THE DOMINION.

Demands of Labour Party —

A conference of the Labour party is being held at Portsmouth, Mr Keir Hardie presiding., Mr Philip Snowden (Socialist memper for Blackburn) demanded that the cost of dealing with poverty should rest on unearned incomes. The resolution of Mr J. Ramsay McDonald (secretary to the Labour party), opposing the increased taxation of the masses, and urging a supertax on largj incomes, special taxes on State-conferred monopolies, increased estate and legacy duties, and a substantial beginning with taxation of land values, was carried.

Indian Reforms— A deputation of Indian Mohammedans waited on the Secretary of State for India today, and suggested that of the six members of the Viceroy's Executive Council, one should be a native Mohammedan, and another a Hindu. Lord Morley, in reply, emphasised that the pppointment of an Indian member was intended as a signal proof that race was no disability to the attainment of this tremendous trust; but no man would be seletced either as a Hindu or as a Mohammedan. While ready to make one of ; he six a native, he saw no chance of appointing two natives. Lord Morley added, with reference to other suggestions made, that separate electoral colleges for Mohammedans would possibly be arranged. He declared that the Government's reform scheme had been generally welcomed in India, and emphasised the goodwill of the Indian Civil Service, and said he also had received encouragement from President Roosevelt's recent utterance concerning British rule in India. Germany's Policy —

Sir R. J. Cartwright (Canadian Minister for Trade and Commerce) stated in Parliament yesterday that there had been pcurparles with German officials regarding the surtax on German goods. Canada's legislation, he said, was not directed v against Germany. It was within the power of Germany to obtain more favourable tariff relations with Canada by placing Canada in the same position with regard to the German tariff that she held before the introduction of British preference, which caused Germany to shake the mailed fist, and put Canada in an unfavourable position to send goods to Germany. Canada's surtax had.followed, and as Germany was selling sevenfold in Cana la compared with Canada's sales in Germany, the latter wsa beginning to see the error, of its ways.

Broken Hili Strike — Tom Mann, Edmund H. Gray, John May, Sydney Robertson, and Wattle Stokes, the ringleaders in the riot at Broken Hill on the 10th inst., have been committed for trial. The twentythree other prisoners will be dealt with summarily. Plague in Austarlia — A barman in a Brisbane hotel died yesterday of plague. A plague-stric-ken rat has been found on one of the wharves at Darling Harbour, Sydney. Saloon Smasher in LondonMrs Carrie Nation, the Kansas saloon smashei 1 , who is now carrying on a campaign in Great Britain, appeared on the stage of the Canterbury Music Hall, Westminster Bridge, London, the other evening, to deliver an address, but the audience would have none of her. Jeering and interruption began as soon as she appeared, and her turn was brought to an abrupt conclusion by a fusilade of rotten eggs, followed By a quantity of water, which drenched her to the skin. Conquest of the Air — The American Senate has instructed the Secretary for War (General Luke E. Wright) to award each of the Wright Brothers a gold medal in recognition of their services in the advancement of aerial navigation. Cuban Independence — The second Cuban Republic has been inaugurated, under General Gomez's presidency, with Mr Charles Magoon, the United States representative, as provisional Governor. It is reported that the new administration has begun with every appearance of success. Trade is active, the revenues are increasing, and the citizens are united in a desire 'and determination to preserve peace and stability.

A French MurderessMarie Gilbert, a farmer's wife, has been sentenced to penal servitude for life at the Cher Assizes, France, for poisoning her mother-in-law and her cousin, and for attempting to poison four others, her motive being to inherit their savings and property. Foreign Tariffs — The Tariff Commission, in an interim report on the iron and steel trades states that 77 firms replying to their circular asking for information as to the effect of free trade upon their business replied that they were unaffected by foreign in the Home market. In 300 manufactures, the foreign tariffs, especially those of FAncei Germany the ftnited States, and the Central European States, seriously interfered with exports man branches of the engineering trade suffering. Where colonial, preference haii been operated upon engineering products, it had been of great benefit. China's Infant Emperor — Pu-Yi, the infant Emperor of China, is reported to be suffering from confluent smallpox. It is officially reported that the condition of the infant Emperor's health is not such as to' cause anxiety. ■"•''■/ Tottenham Tragedy— Trie funeral-of Constable Tyler, who was shot during the pursuit of the Russian desperadoes at Tottenham on Saturday, w,sa attended by huge crowd, including, 5,000 policemenr The murderer Jacob," who subsequently committed suicide, was huried-secretly in a disused corner of the Walthamstown ; Cemetery, for the purpose I of avoiding an anarchist/demorfstration. H * &:\*£» <*&&'*t.s3? k ,£fefe .iV'. •V'-fV-fr£S&'

American Catholics — Including persons affiliated by family ties to members, whether they belong to the organisation or not, the census gives the Roman Catholic Church in the United States a total oc 22,474,440. This total includes the Philippines and other islands under.the Americanfiag, and gives 4,235,451 in the United States proper. The New York correspondent of the Times says that these Useless for purposes of comparison, inasmuch as other Churches enumerate their actual members.

Tidal WavesExtraordinary waves which washed the shores of California and British Columbia, rising much higher than the normal, support the theory that the seat of the recent mysterious earthquake was under the Pacific Ocean.

Anarchist Students — Three Hindu students at Kolhapur have been sentenced to four years' imprisonment for stealing explosives to make bombs. Six bombs were found the other day 'in '.he technical institute at Tomsk, in Western Siberia. It is believed a factory exists in that town. America and Japan — Governor Gillett, of California, in a special message, warned the Californian Legislature against any antiJapanese legislation. Yielding to his appeal, the State Legsilature has postponed consideration of the anti-Japan-ese measure now before the House, with a view to its modification. Both sides of the House requested the recall of the Japanese Consul-General at San Francisco, for asking Governor Gillett to prevent the passing of anti-Japanese measures.

Eeuter's Tokio .correspondent telegraphs that Marquis Katsura, the Japanese Prime Minister, speaking in' the Diet last week, justified the policy of the Government in reducing armaments. Count Komura, Foreign Secretary, expressed confidence in the sincerity of the American Government in its dealings with Japan, and said that he did not believe that the proposed legislation would in any way affect the relatione existing between the two countries.

Renter's agent at Quito, in Ecuador, reports that three Japanese, supposed to be spies in the service of Peru, or Japanese army officers, were discovered near Cuenca (Ecuador) mapping the country along the frontier and lodged in gaol at Guayaquil. The Earthquakes — The official reports of the recent earthquakes show that they affected 184 Calabrian towns and villages with a population of 1,000,000. The mysterious earthquake recorded a few days ago by European seismographs, and apparently equal in violence to that which recently shook Calabria and Eastern Sicily ; has been located in Chinese Turkestan. America's Navy— President Roosevelt has appointed a Commission of eight experienced naval officers, firstly to inquire into- the fundamental principles or organisation to ensure efficient naval preparations for war and peacetimes, and, secondly, to consider recommendations concerning changes in the present "organisation to accomplish that result. An Editor gets 12 Months — At the Old Bailey on Wednesday last, Henry Hes's, editor of the Critic, a London financial publication, received four concurrent sentences of 12 months in the second division for fraud in connection with the Commonwealth Consolidated , Limited, including the misappropriation of £1428, and a false statement that £IO,OOO belonging to the company was in the bank, and another £15,000 in the hands of an unnamed firm. The jury recommended leniency in view of prisoner's previous unblemished character. Captains Kissed—: Captains Sealby, of the sunken liner Republic, and Burns, of the immigrant steamer Florida, were, on landing in New York, carried shoulder high along the pier. Women mobbed them, and smothered them with'kissse. The New York State Senate has passed a resolution eulogising the conduct of Captains Burns and Sealby.