MISCELLANEOUS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1920, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS.

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright )

PRiqS OF WOOL. LONDON, Jan 6

The newspapers predict a possible increase in the cost of suit clothes to £2O sterling, due mianly it is alleged, to the bulk of the best quality wool being Government controlled in Australia, and to the scarcity of raw material.

Sir Thomas Mackenzie in a letter to the press, denies any control in New Zealand, and points out the whole exportable surplus was sold to the Home Government. There is no scarcity. The stocks in hand or arriving amount to 2270 thousand bales which therefore witlii the New Australian and Now Zealand clips will make SJ-, million bales. Therefoitc the increase in the price of clothes is neither due to increased cost of wool to the Home Government, nor to scarcity. In New Zealand, farmers are holding meetings adopting resolutions, condemning the exorbitant prices charged for woollen goods, in view of tlio prices they receive for the raw material.

COMMERCIAL. LONDON, Jan. G. Thq Union Bank has declared an interim dividend of fourteen per cent, free of income tax. Waihi J.N.C. shares, buyers 12s 6d, sellers 13s 9d. Dalgety shares £lO, debentures £67 10s. GIANT AEROPLANES. LONDON, Jan G. A now 1 Fokker aeroplane', is intended for the East Indies-India service. Vickers are constructing similarly a large machine in England four times larger than any in existence.

THE RAILWAYMEN. LONDON, Jan. 6

Welsh rnilwaymen almost stolidly rejected Government’s terms. Several branches instructed their delegates to the Conference, to urge immediate strike. The situation,' however, lias not yet reached a crisis. 1340 branches aro consulted wlieredf the ma jority have not declared their intention. Labour correspondents believe the great body of trade unionists support Thomas in his Opposition toi a strike, which the leaders of other great unions condemn. It is pointed out that the whole Triple Alliance must be consulted concerning a strike or Thomas may persuade the conference to submit the question to the new Railway Committee.

GERMAN LOSSES. LONDON, Jan. 7

Details of German war losses are given in uncensored German csaualty lists just issued. Those show that the Army had the following losses:— Killed, 1,718,246. Wounded, 4,224,107. Prisoners and missing, 1,073,619.. The Navy had:— Killed, 24,112. Wounded, 29,830. Prisoners and missing, 21.654. OBITUARY. LONDON, Jan. 6. Lord Cunliffe, (former Governor of the Bank of England) is dead at the age of 66.

HUNGARIAN PATRIOTISM. BUD'A PESTII, Jan. 6. The passage of a train carrying the Hungarian Peace Delegates across Hungary to Paris has been marked bv an unending series of Hungarian patriotic demonstrations. There were crowds, carrying Hags and boards, inscribed: “Long Live Thousand Year Old Hungary!” and “Transylvania Does Not Belong To The Roumanians!”

THOMAS HOPEFUL. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan 7

Hr Thomas, speaking at Kettering, said that the press expressed an opinion adverse to the railwaymen on the wages proposal. The press and public were alarmed at the prospect of another strike, but the leaders would go to V ednesday’s meeting with a full sense of responsibility. A strike must always bo the last resort. If the other side discussed the question in the same spirit, a satisfactory settlement was certain.

SPLITTING VOTES. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7

Mr Thomas, at Kittering, added that the Liberals used to accuse Labour o splitting the progressive vote. The position .is now reversed, and those who want real reform should realise that the Liberals aHo splitting the progressive vote.

CONGESTION OF SHIPPING. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. The congestion at British ports is increasing daily. An unprecedented numbeV of vessels, laden with foodstuffs and general cargo, are lying ofl the mouth of the Thames. Some have been waiting at Southend for a fortnight. The Ceramic and Euripides seem condemned to remain at Plymouth indefinitely- Even when a berth is secured, at London, unloading is often stopped by the crowded sheds and absence ol railway trucks. A steamer recently anchored in the river for eighteen days before she commenced to unload. Numbers of ships have transferred to oilier ports, but these are also badly congested. Prior to the war, liners made, three and a half rounds of voyages from England to India in a year. Now, despite faster passage, they only make, two and a half.

DEPORTED. LONDON, Jan. 7. Kelly, the Aslitown barman, has now been deported to England. No charge has thus far been formulated.

A REPORT. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7

The report of the Administrator of the Australian G.O.A. Fund since Ist September, when it was handed over from headquarters, shows the Board of Control restricted it to the use to relieve necessitous cases of unmarried mothers. The fund in September amounted to £2449 has since investigated 368 cases, approved of 143 applications and rejected 115, and distributed £7OO. "At least 90 per cent, of the applicants were women of clean reputation previously. Wherever possible, the soldier responsible was paraded. A large proportion of the rejections were due to the manner in which soldiers offered to shoulder tlio responsibility. Tn no instance was there an attempt at evasion.

A BANRUPTCY. (Received This Day at 3 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7,A remarkable bankruptcy is reported of a well known foreign firm in Mincing Lane Rubber Market, London. His partner sold £2,000,000 worth of rubber which advanced from 2 to 2s 10s, involving a loss df over £500,000. The partner absconded, and the chief loss falls on the largio firms who resold the rubber, which the bankrupts cannot deliver. It is expected the debtors will pay 5s in the £.

CHARGE OF THEFT. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7

Tlio Court deferred the promulgation of’the sentence on Lieut. H. G. Harris, 12th Battalion of the Australian Forces who was courtmartiallcd on a charge of fraudulent disposal of rations of a total value of £ISOO. He pleaded guilty. Major C. 1. Story, of the Bth Battalion was charged jointly.