BEYOND THE DOMINION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 141, 22 March 1909, Page 5

BEYOND THE DOMINION.

I German Naval Programme E The debate in the British House of Commons on the Naval Estimates has aroused great interest in Germany. The Press, however, is sparing in its comment. The Neuste Nachrichten, the organ of the Navy League, is incensed at Germany informing Great Britain that she does not intend to hasten her rate of construction, and characterises the supplying of this information as a regrettable weakness. Admiral von Tirpitz, Secretary of the Navy, stated in the Reichstag today that in the autumn of 1912 Germany would have only 13 ships of the Dreadnought and Invincible types. "Ido not know," he added, "on what grounds Mr McKenna, First Lord of the British Admiralty, arrived at the larger figure. No proposal for disarmament has been made to Germany.

Slave-grown Cocoa The firms of Cadbury Bros., J. S. Fry and Sons, Conply, and Rountree and Co.. cocoa manufacturers, have decided not to purchase occoa produced in the Portugese islands of St. Thomas and Principe on the ground that it is grown by virtual slaves.

French Postal Strike Eight thousand postmen have joined the postal, telegraph, and telephone employees, who are on strike against new regulations that are described by them as oppressive and tyrannical. There are 5,000,000 letters and 277,000 telegrams undelivered, and if the strike continues a famine of eggs, butter. and milk, is threatened owing to the non-arrival of money. Mr Marconi is negotiating for a wireless service between London ani Paris to deal with 10,000 words daily. Business already is in utter confusion.

Porth-Clyde Canal The Duke of Souther I and presided at a meeting called for the purpose of iaugurating the scheme for constructing the Forth-Cylde canal. It is estimated that the canal will cost seventeen millions, constructed to a sufficient depth to admit of the passage of warships. The completion of the canal would permit of the constructing of shipbuilding and repairing yards on the edge of Loch Lomond, twelve miles outside the possible range of gunfire. The work would employ 30,000 workmen for a period of nine years. The Duke of Argyll and Lord Brassey supported the scheme.

New Zealand's Grain Yield The area under wheat in New Zealand U 252,391 acres and the estimated yeitd is 33 bushels per acre, a total of 8,328,903 bushels. The area under oats is 407.037 acres, and the estimated yield 42 bushels per acre, making a total of 17,095,551 bushels. The area under barley is 48,053 acres and the estimated yield 3 bushels per acre, the total being 1,661,002 bushels. The amount of wheat and flour on hand on October 31 last was 1,761,53 bushels.

Railway Disaster The Canadian Pacific Railway Company's express from Boston, while tarvelling at a rate of 40 miles an hour, dashed into the Windsor Street station, Montreal, ploughed over the platform, and crashed into the ladies' waiting room, bringing down a granite pillar supporting the super-structure. The damage done is estimated at 100,000 dollars, £20,000. Five persons were killed and 20 injured, alt of whom were waiting on the station. The passengers in the express were unhurt. The accident was due to the boiler plug of the engine having blown out. The driver and firemen were thrown out when this occurred, and there was none aboard to stop the train.

Naval Supremacy The profound effect produced in London by the naval statement has been re-echoed in the provinces. Unionist papers insist that extra Dreadnoughts be pot on the slips immediately. The radical papers admit the necessity for the Government having a free hand, bat say that social reform will receive a set-back. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Arthur Lee, Civil Lord of the Admiralty from 1903 to 1905, said the nation would demand that the Government at once order eight more Dreadn Mights. The employees at Krtipp's works had, he mentioned,, been increased to 38,000 last year. In his opinion all the trouble WBB due to the Government not carrying out the programme of the Earl of Cawdor, who when First Lord of the Admiralty, defined the two power standard. Mr A. Harvey, Liberal member for Rockdale, announced that he did not propose to move the Reduction of Armamnt Committee's amendment against the increases recommended. Mr T. J. Macnamara dwelt on the value of the pre-Dreadnought battleships. Mr John Dillon, former Leader of the Irish Party, and Mr Arthur Henderson, chairman of the Labour Party, accused the Government of pandering to panic mongers.

A Mafia Threat The Mafia secret society baa sent a letter threatening to kill Mr Bishop, the American Consul at Palermo, if be continues to incite the authorities against suspects.