GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 167, 2 December 1912, Page 6

GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

The following cables appeared on November 15 and lfi in Australian papers employing the independent Press cable service:—

The Rhenish Westphalian railways hare been completely disorganised by the abnormal pressure of the goods traffic. The existing conditions are declared to be unprecedented. For the first seven months' of the current year the Prussian railway revenue has increased by £4,500,000 compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. Immense deposits of coal are reported to have been discovered at Katanga,,on tin; banks of the-Lukuga river, in the Congo Free State. A number of leading emigration agents, who for the last two years have given almost the whole of their time to promoting emigration to Australia, have made up their minds to devote their attention in future to Canada. They declare that they are disgusted at the indefinite and intermittent policy of assisted immigratioit adopted by the majority of the States, and at the poor prospect of the long-existing shipping congestion being relieved. As a result of the heavy emigration that has taken place, there -is a shortage of farm laborers, and wages, arc rising in the North of England and in Scotland. The Pekin correspondent of the Daily Mail reports that Russia's action in recognising the independence of Mongolia is having a far-reaching effect in China. Telegrams are being received iri Pekin from the interior demanding the impeachment of the Government. The Foreign Minister has already resigned. It is pointed out that, while proclaiming her adherence .to the policy in favor of the maintenance of China's integrity, the United States has witnessed, without a word of 'protest, the separation of Mongolia and the bringing of that region under Russian suzerainty. The delay that has taken place in the recognition of the, ne.w Republic has, the correspondent says, materially assisted Russian policy, and has shaken the Chinese Government. The British memorandum, threatening that unless China have a written undertaking not to interfere in Tibet, Great Britain would not recognise the Republic, 'is still unanswered. This, it is said, is regarded as an unfortunate blunder on the part of Britain. A Times leader, discussing Empire loyalty, and referring to the unprecedented offer to the Imperial Government of a Dreadnought'.by a Malay State, goes on to speak of the invitation of Mr. Fisher to British Ministers to visit Australia. "It should be considered,'" says the leader, .'''and there should be every desire to accept the invitation. Meanwhile, the conference at Vancouver in the spring would be more practicable as a meeting place. Such a conference is urgently required, and is of paramount importance. The Imperial spirit is shown on evoSrv side. • It should not be flittered, by disjointed efforts and uncoordinated aims. ; The sooner a second defence conference is held the better ion all of us."

A boy at Preston, in Lancashire, who, for the'edification of some of his juvenile friends, undertook "to imitate the feats of the fire-eater, has just paid dearly for his foolhard.iness. Taking a mouthful | of benzine, the lad applied a match to J his lips and ignited the liquid. He suf- j fcred the most-intense agony, and died shortly afterwards from the effects of Ms terrible burns'.

An oil company, under the aegis of the Government,, has been formed in Germany with .a capital of £3,000,000, and a charter for 30 years. The company will sell Standard oil.

" -The Norwegian- Government have approved of a', contrast "for the erection of a high-power wireless station by the Marconi Company.

Examined. ; before; the Imperial Trade I Commission, Mr. Charles Bright, electri- J cal adviser to tile Commonwealth Go- | vernmetit, 'declared that the present position, of t'hd Pacific cable was highly undesirable iii both a national and an Imperial sense. Witness considered that a cable was required from the west coast J of Ireland to Halifax, with an iuterme- I diate one to Newfoundland, and that its construction would cost £500,000. The Imperial telegraphic' communications of the Empire, iniiis''opinion, should be far more closely controlled, if not actually worked, by the' State. •' He suggested the appointment 'of a permanent-board of representatives of the whole of the Empire to replace the ■ present body controlling the Pacific cable. Mr. Shaw, of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, advocated a reduction of the Suez Canal dues. The canal was paying a dividend of 28 per cent., -and the receipts were steadilyincreasing,'but shipowners were not receiving fair consideration. Reports, from Gmunden state that the bitter feiul between the Hohenzollerns: and the Duke of Cumberland, in consequence of the" Absorption of the Kingdom of Hanover by Prussia in 18GG, is about to be ended' in consequence of a love romance which involves Princess Victoria Louise, tlie Emperor's only daughter. It is declared, that the Duke of Cumberland will agree to renounce his claim to the throne of Hanover, as the successor of his father, George V.. and that the- Emperor will appoint Prince Ernest August of Cumberland the Regent of Brunswick. The negotiations for the termination of.this feud are said to have begun in .consequence of the tragic death of Prince George William of Cumberland, last Mav. While motoring near Friesack (Prusia) Prince George met with an accident and. was instantly killed. The Emperor sent the Duke of Cumberland a warm message of sympathy in hearing of the death of his eldest son, and the Duke in return ordered Prince Ernest, his youngest son, .to go to Berlin to thank the Emperor. . During this visit Prince -Ernest met Princess Victoria Louise at a Court dinner, and became infatuated with her. This, attachment is now said to have culminated in plans for the marriage of the young couple, but before this can be done, the family feud must be ended. . The story gains credence in well-informed circles in Berlin, but it is impossible to secure confirmation at this time.