MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1919, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

fAUSTRALIAN «£ N.Z. CAIILE ASSOCIATION] sale OF STEAMER. LONDON, March 20. The Commonwealth Government Line has sold the steamer Austrajstrea'm (3534 tons) to the Belgian Government. The price was about £2O per ton. She cost £l4 per ton in 1916. AIRCRAFT OFFER. LONDON, March 21. General Hayes, in a speech at a dinner for British aircraft construction, read a telegram from Mr Hughes announcing the £IO,OOO prize, said it was a splendid offer and he hoped the other Dominions would follow suit’.

AN ASSASSIN’S STATEMENT. LONDON, March 21. Cottin, in a statement, said he was convinced the Anarchists were as ready to kill the Kaiser as Clemenceau. They were against all authority. The medical evidence showed that one bullet was still lodged in M. Clemenceau’s body. JAPAN’S INTENTIONS. NEW YORK, March 21. Count Isliii said Japan will continuethe policy of strict self-imposed restrictions of labour emigrants. Nothing will be further from Japan’s thought than to hastily force the issuo of labour even if the article against racial discrimination be inserted in the League of Nations Covenant. AIR EXPLOITS. LONDON, March 22. A British non-rigid airship toured the coasts of Denmark, Germany, Norway and Scotland, a total distance of 1285 air miles, the time taken being 40i hours, a record.

The aviator pic-klcs flew a new seaplane through the overhead structure at the London Tower Bridge at midday at the rate of 120 miles an hour.

CHANNEL TUNNEL PROJECT. LONDON, March 20. The 'Australian Press Association learns that the Admiralty is prepared to agree to a Channel tunnel being constructed. provided that certain conditions as to its indestructibility are observed.

A MARRIAGE BOOM. LONDON, March 21.

There have been twenty thousand marriages between Canadian Soldiers and English women during the war. There are still three hundred marriages weekly between Canadians and women in England. VIMY RIDGE. PRESENTED TO CANADA. LONDON, March 22. Franco is presenting Vimy Ridge to Canada.

THE LABOUR UPHEAVAL

REFUSAL OF GOVERNMENT OFFER. (Received '/his Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 2)2. Ministers, railwayman and transporters conferred with members of the Cabinet, who later departed lor their conference, declaring the situation to be. one of the gravest. It is reported that the rnilwaymen refused the offer of wages costing ninety millions storing annually, insisting one one hundred and twenty millions. REPATRIATION WORKS. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) ■LONDON', March *22, The Admiralty is willing to employ warships for repatriating overseas troops if crows are available. It is pointed out that American warships arc repatriating Americans, but they •arc in good order because they did not participate actively in the war.

A MEAT COMPLAINT. (Received This Day at 8 a.in.; LONDON, March 22.

The “Stnr” referring to New Zealand's complaint that a million caicases of meat which the British Government purchased during the t\«u await shipment, while inferior American meat is selling at high prices m United Kingdom, declares the .l'ood Ministry throughout has played into the hands of the American meat trade. Britain possesses in Australasian meat supplies a powerful weapon against the trust, but Government declines to use it. Government’s policy irritates Australia and helps to rob British eonsuin-

EMBARGO ON DYES. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, A larch IS. The New York “Tribune” says editorially that since Australia has placed an embargo on lives other than of British origin, America dye manufacturers fear other British dependencies may follow suit.

A N.Z. COMPANY. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 18. The National Mortgage Agency of Xcw Zealand shows a profit of £6l,Sid. A dividend of Is (id per share and a bonus of ils has boon declared, and there is carried to reserve £6OOO, and <»nrrioil iorwiird .C26,81d. BlLT.ilAßT>S(Received This Day at 11.20. a.m.) LONDON, March 18. Tn the final, Inman with a score ol 16,000 defeated Stevenson 0,-168.

UI,STER BY E-KLECI’TON. LONDON, March 20. A hye-elcetion lias been held at North Londonderry, and •resulted in the seat bring retained by the Unionists, the voting being: _ Mr Barie, (Unionist) •>,666 McGillinghain, (Sinn Fein) ... 4,333.

NO RESULTS ANNOUNCED. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 18. Horne, Stanley, and Sir Auckland Geddes attended the Raihvaymen and negotiated for several hours. No result was announced. The Conference resumes on Sunday. Thomas, while emphasising the gravity of the situation, points out neither side will leave anything undone to avert a strike. A meeting of railwaymen’s delegates at London to-night (22nd), resolved that they were not prepared, without a strike to accept less than their full demands contained in the National programme. The resolution comes before a mass meeting on Sunday.

A BYE-ELECTION. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 23. The Petersham bye-election resulted in a narrow Nationalist majority. The voting was:— Shillington, (Nat) ' 2,633 Okie (Labour) 2,377 Majority 256 EUROPE’S FOOD NEEDS. NEW YORK, March 18. Interviewed at Paris, Mr Hoover, Eood Controller, said: The United States must feed more than a hundred million people in Europe. He went on to sa y : —The critical months for the world will be those of April, May and June. After that, the people would begin to reap the harvest, thereby improving the situation. He said the United States was now bearing the burden of delivering the foodstuffs to Europe but the task was too great for one country to bear. France and Italy however, had only enough tonnage for their own needs, and the sacrifice must come from tli c British as well as the American tonnage.

FRESH GENERAL STRIKE. NEW YORK, March 19. The “New York Times” Rotterdam correspondent says :—A well-informed person states that Germany may expect worse conditions soon. The Berlin Reds have already planned a new nation wide strike for Tuesday, 25th of March. Apparently, despite Noske’s Berlin victory, the Bolsheviks continue to gain strength throughout the country.

WHAT MINERS WANT. LONDON, March 22. Regarding the strike postponement it is understood that the miners are urging a compromise, providing instead of 25., an advance of 2s. Gd. a day and! It-llat it be retrospective to January 9th last. They ask this rate on the basis of working six hours. They demand the unconditional establishment of a six-hours day in July, 1920. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. LONDON, March 22. Sir E. Geddes, in the Commons, moved the second reading of the Mays and 1 Communications Bill. He said that a regenerated system of transport was essential for housing, health, agriculture and a groat variety of oth problems on which the future of the country depended. The present system was wasteful, disorganised and semipa rn lysed. Private enterprise must yield to the States’ interest. Private enterprise meant a colossal waste. He was not committed to the. nationalisation of railways and of the other methods of transports, hut it might he necessary to adopt it some day as being the only way of obtaining an economical and unified system. ’lho new working costs due to wages and other high charges would cripple British industries unless some method were found of keep freights and lares down.

JAPANESE AND AMERICANS. NEW YORK, Marc 21

The “Times” Pekin correspondent states that later reports about the Tientsin affair, about a fortnight ago, indicate that some Japanese soldiers invaded the French concession area at Tientsin, in which they arrested two Americans. The United States Consul, Mr Hiutzman, was stoned by Japanese while leaving the Japanese police station. WASHINGTON, March 20. Dispatches from Vladivostock say that American troops are now taking up strategic position along the TransSiberian railway, from Vladivostock, westward of Chita. This move is made in connection with America’s under-* taking to supervise the railway in that region.

THE FRENCH MISSION. LONDON, March 22. General Pan and his Mission have arrived hack here. The General said lus Mission had had a reception such as had greatly strengthened Franco-Austra inn ties. Dr Siegfried said the prevailing social equality was the most attractive feature of Australian life. Australia, |,e declared, was the most democratic country in the world.

ymericans go in warships. NEW YORK, March 21. The United States is using battleships mil cruisers to transports its troops mme. The ships make the round trip jet ween Brest and New York in forty lays. Tlie battleships are carrying 1,200 aiul the cruisers 1,300. exchange decline.

(Reuter’s Telegram.) LONDON, March 20. The removal of British Government control over Anglo-American exchange 1,-is caused a. further decline. At, New York to-dnv. the rate had dropped U dollars. The situation is mowed tul jmxietv in Brittiin, because tho > purniling industrial unrest has cd the prospect of increased l.tio i America.