CABLE BREVITIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 73, 18 December 1937, Page 5

CABLE BREVITIES

Presa Assn.-

(By Telegraph—

-Copyright.}

Swiss President BERNE: The Minister of Justice, M. Baumann has been elected President of Switzerland for 1938. M. Motta will remain Minister of Foreign Affairs. Italy Leaves I.L.O. © LONDON: The Geneva correspondent of The Times says that Italy has notified her withdrawal from the International Labour Office. Carnera's Illness LONDON: The Budapest correspondent of the Daily Mail understands that the boxer's Carnera's illness is not due to fighting but was possibly caused by his abnormal size. He has been run down for a fortnight and unable to eat. Cycled for a Year LONDON: Rene Menzies, aged 48, and only 4ft. 4in. tall, has pedallea since January 1 this year &fi average^ of 175 miles daily, in the hope of breaking tho world 's one year record. Menzies has covered 58,905 miles and hopes to add 2000 by the end of the year. Face Powder from Wood LONDON: Mr G. H. Donald, of th,e Princes Eisborough research laboratory, converted a 24 h.p. motor to run on burning woodchips, doing 50 miles for the expenditure of sixpence. Other commodities that can be manufactured from wood are sugar, chocolates, face powder, sausage skins, cattiecake, linoleum, tar, creosote, and artificial silk, "Social Taxalion" LONDON; The police have arrested Arthur Kent, alleged Communist leader, and his wife, and Tom Johnson, an oflicial of the Committee of Industrial Organisation, and charged them with burglary of property valued at many thousands of dollars, taken from scores of Beverly Hills homes. Kent declared that the stolen property represented "compulsory social taxation." U.S. Citizenship Renounced NEW YOEK: Miss Barbara Hutton, heiress to the Woolworth millions, on a surprise one-day visit to the United States renounced her American citizenship. She said: "My dufll nationality has resulted in various legal complications. I siucerely regret that circumstances beyond my control compelled the action." She is nowiDanish. Oil Dividends RUGBY: Sir John Simon, in the House of Commons, stated that the total amount of interest and dividend received by the Government on its holdings of shares and debenture's in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company since 1914 was £15,989,345. No expenditure had been incurred in looking after this investment. — British Official Wireless. Loan Company Capital LONDON: Mr Harold Brown, presiding at a meeting of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., stated that the scheme for the xeorganisation of the company 's capital was now operative. The assets exceeded the liabilities by £3,600,000, the totai . reserves, £885,000, exceeding the depreciation by £159,000. A sum of £136,000 was available for dividends, which, on preference shares, would absorb £50,000, allowing £31,250 for a 24 per cent. dividend on ordinary shares. Earnings were about 7 per cent. on the revised ordinary capital. The report was adopted. Petrol from Coal RUGBY: The foundation stone has been laid of new works at Werna Tanv colliery, in tlie vale of Glamorgan, of the first oil from coal plant to be set up in the speeial areas. The Government and the Nuffield Trust provided half the required capital of £650,000 for the works, which will be of the low temperature carbonisation type and will' turn between 500 and 750 tons of coal daily into smokeless fuel, petrol. Diesel oil, tar, acids and other by-products. Werna Tarw will be connected with the neighbouring Raglan colliery, whieh is to be re-op&ued after lying idle for four years. The two eollieries will give employment to several thousands of men. , — British .Official Wireless^