LATE NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1917, Page 4

LATE NEWS.

{rut raise association.— oomienj. LONDON, May 18. (Latere have been deceived from British prisoners showing they are forced to work on the Russian front under fire.

PIOK3ETS AT WHITE HOUSE. * WASHINGTON, May lb. Until the suffragettes remove their pickets from the White House the President refuses to appoint a committee to consider the suffrage question.

A Slander Action. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 16. A slander action was heard at the Supreme Court, the plaintiff being May Selfon, of Stratford, and the defendant Lowry Baskin, a member of the Stratford County Council. Plaintiff claimed £750 damages for alleged slander. \

Plaintiff’s* counsel said that defendant had considerable friction with the

borough engineer. The Council had provided the engineer with a motorcar, and at the February meeting, Mr. Baskin took the engineer to task for alleged improper use of the car. He said that he had seen the car. going through the streets at night with no lights, and later on with a woman in it. There could only he one inference taken from it. The car bad been seen standing on - the roadside with no lights. Counsel for defendant said that defendant had not meant to injure plaintiff’s character. No member of the Council had got up to defend the woman, ay they did not think her character was being attacked. His Honour, in summing up, said that he did not think defendant had any malic© against plantiff, but tile question was whether the aspersions made on the engineer indirectly dragged in the defendant, and did defendant allow himself to get into such a state of mind as to he reckless in what he said. The jury, latter retiring, Returned with a unanimous verdict for plaintiff, who was awarded £350 damages.

The Finances

AUCKLAND, May 18. The Hon. A. M. Myers stated this evening that the surplus for the past financial year would bo a substantial one, but the details were not yet available. as the accounts* had not bee* finally closed. He added that the delay in announcing the returns was due to the Treasury being under-staffed, owing to the enlistment of so many of the members of tl>e staff and to the unusually large number of accounts with the Imperial Government in connexion with the Expeditionary Fore© that required adjustment. In Ireland. LONDON, May lb. / (Lord Middleton, on behalf of the Unionists of the south-west of Ireland, in a letter to Hon. D. Lloyd George, insisted that the 'Sinn Fein movement -.had gaiiaed /immenisely (in strehg|di since the rebellion. Their operations are actively seditious and pro-German, anl their declared aim is an Irish Republic. Any division in Ireland would enormously increase the forces, of disloyalty. The southern Unionists ara willing to consider their readiness to enter a conference on the future government of the Empire after the war, hoping thereby that the Irish question may be settled on broad Imperial lines.

Engineers’ Strike. - iLOKDON, Mar 18. Severn members of the Engineers’" Strike ‘Committee who were arrestel and charged under the Defence of the Realm Act with impeding the supply of munitions were remanded. The police also raided a meeting of Shop Stewards at Walworth anl seized papers, but no arrests were made. The (Sewards have been most active throughout the country in organising strikes. The Council of the Amalgamated Engineers advised the delegates and Shop Stewards now atttending the conference in London to return to their respective districts direct. The engineers must reftunn to work and then open negotiations through the trade union leaders. LONDON, May 18. There is little change in the engineers’ (strike. The strikers’ committee will interview the amalgamated executive with a view to a joint deputation to the Minister of Munitions. LONDON, May i». The police raided the headquarters the strikers’ delegates in London. LONDON, May 18. Two members of the Sheffield strine committee have 'been arrested and brought to London. LONDON, May lt9h. ' The Sheffield strike committed have passed a resolution for the strike to continue until the leaders are released. LONDON, May 19. At the conference with the engineers executive Hon Lloyd Gebrge presiding the following proposals were accepted: —“The Engineers Executive and shop stewards to issue instructions to the men to resume work forthwith.”

‘" ‘The Executive Council to negotiate with Government regarding the existing difference to endeavouirto conceive this practice with a view to avoiding future stoppages. “No further arrests to be made and the arrested men to be released on their own recogniances pending the hearing of their case.” Obituary. LONDON, May 18.—Mr J, N. Maskelynie, the famous illusionist, »a dead aged 78 years.

LONDON, May 18. General Putn'ik, former Servian Gommander-in-Chiielf, is dead.