MISCELLANEOUS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1919, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS

(AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] 7. IN NORTH RUSSIA. (Received This Day at 1.5. p.m.) PARIS. March 24. iA British North Russian communique says a strong party of Bolshcvike on 17th March captured the village of Bolsheozers westward of Obokerskaya. The enemy position nrebz zerskaya. The enemy positions are being bombarded.

BRITISH WAR GRAVES. I AUSTRALIAN N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION & REUTER.] (Received This Dav at 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, March 23rd. 'Lite Foreign Office is publishing the terms fof the Frnnco-British treaty, relative to war graves. It explains that the French Government recognises the Imperial War Graves Commission as the only official British organisation entrusted with the preservation of British soldiers graves in France. The French Government lias presented the land for cemeteries to the British authorities in perpetuity .

i TRADE CONFERENCES, j LONDON March 26. 1 Trade Union circles believe the latest negotiations make a national lai bour upheaval unlikely. | Nevertheless it is feared the Miners i and Railwayman are severely criticising | their leaders because the national 1 i iTgramuie has not fully been achieved . ' it is exported that a conference on , Thursday will ratify the terms propos- | ed I The South Wales Miners Executive has urged a resumption of work pend- : iag the reference of the proposed terms i of settlement to a national ballot. ! a conference of miners has been sum- , moned at Cardiff for Sunday. 1 MAIL SERVICE STEAMERS. (Received this day at 9.25 a. •*.) LONDON, March 21. A leading authority on Australian shipping, interviewed regarding the prospect of a post-war mail service, ridicules the suggestion that the Australian Government should purchase large speedy vessels for the conveyance of mails and perishable goods. Every- . one wants such vessels, which don’t. exist. The only vessels now purchas- j a'bje are some standarised ships. Many mall boats were used for mine-layers, and were absolutely gutted, rails being laid on the decks for mine conveyance. There is no seasoned timber for their j re-conversion into passenger boats. The staff of artisans is quite innde- j quate. It will be a couple of years be- j fore a full supply of fittings are a'vn'lible. ' '

, SHIPPING QUESTIONS, i (Received this day at 10.10 a.m.) ; LONDON, March 21. i Mr Massey at the Australian and New Zealand Club said it wifi be twelve months before, it is possible to restore anything like the old basis. "He thought ! the owners were doing their utmost. It was impossible that the new mail contract could be anything like as favourable as the old one owing to the vessels costing two and a half to three times as much. • If the P. and 0. Coy. secures the mail contract, it- will use white crews in the Australian trade, bu it is impossible to man the mercantile marine with British labour alone. Negotiations between the Board ■of Trade and ship owners are proceeding regarding the terms that vessels shall be released from Government control, and a condition was that they worked in the future to secure precedence of Government cargo. All ships will probably be banded to the dock owners within a month. The Ministry of Shipping was going out of business. HOSTILITY IN UKRAINE. (Received This Day r.J- 11.20. a.m.) LONDON, March go.

Hon. IV. Churchill, in the House of Commons, said the French forces in Ukraine met with great hostility on the part of the people, and were obliged to retire, giving up Kherson and Nikolaoff. French, Greek and Russian forces are defending Odessa against the Bolsheviks.

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE. LONDON, March 26. Hon, Bonar Law in the Commons, said Imperial preference would lip carried out at the earliest possible moment. He emphasised the argument, that preference to sugar would increase the Imperial production. Victory was impossible without the Dominions, where fore any increase in the Dominion’s productive powers and man power would he a good thing for Britain herself.

* JUDGE SANKEY’S REPORT. (Received This Dav at noon.) LONDON, March 26. The Miners Conference decided to recommend members to accept Judge Sankey’s report, and demanded that Parliament withdraw the Military Service Bill. RED CROSS CONFERENCE. (Received this day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, March: 25. The International Red Cross has summoned a conference of world’s medical specialists to Cannes for April Ist, to prepare for peace time Red Cross activities, to seek thromrb *» central organisation to afford the latest scientific discoveries to combat disease'and do for diseases what the League of Nations will do to prevent war. Dr Truby King of New Zealand, is included in the British delegates.

FRENCH FINANCE. (Received this day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, March 25

The financial situation in France is causing disquietitude. The franc has depreciated considerably and during the past week had touched 27.50 for one pound sterling. With an average of 27.44, it is a rise of 1.44 on the week. The depreciation is said to he due to the modification of the financial relations between Britain and France. ' The feeling in financial circles is that 1 ranee should make, a plain statement of her budget will he balanced, and that she is relying too much on a German indemnity, instead of putting her house in order.

REBATE 1 ATjON COMMISSION (Received this day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, March 25

The Repatriation Commission is practically making little progress. Indeed it has not yet arrived at an agreement in principle. It may end in the Council of Ten having to solve the problem,