MISCELLANEOUS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1920, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright ) A FRENCH DIVORCE CASE. PARIS, February 7. The only evidence brought by a French cavalry officer seeking a divorce, was a photograph circulated by the German Propaganda Department showing a group "of German officers laughing and chatting with his wife, who was detained in the occupied area, and seemed happy in their company. 'Hie Court unanimously decided that the wife’s attitude was a grave insult to her husband and granted him a divorce. NOTTS VIEWS. ROME, February 9. Signor Nitti, in an outspoken speech in the Chamber, said if the London Treaty with Italy was found to eorraborate with the Allies in clearing out D’Annunzio from Fill me-—“ Let us have no exaggeration like calling the Adriatic an Italian lake.” He denounced the Conservatives who wore inciting the Army officers to breaches of discipline and the newspapers were hounding on the Italian people against the Jugo Slavs.

AMERICAN DECORATIONS. WASHINGTON, February 9. Mi- Danels, before the Senate Committee investigating war decorations, he said Admiral Rodman refused to take a British order, as it involved kneeling before its King, and a simple present was substituted.

LABOUR, MEMBERS RESIGN. LONDON, February 7. Messrs Barnes’ and Roberts’ resignations have been accepted; Government therefore faces the House without a labour wing, and the Coalition have censed to include one of the most important strain of our national life.

BRITISH R/FJPR.ESENT! AT IVES. LONDON,. February 7. General Sir Douglas Haig is mention- [ for the Vieeroysliip of India. Lord Athlone succeeds i ,ord Devonire in Canada.

GELIGNITE STOLEN. LONDON, February 7. At Dublin a large party disarmed

and bound the watchman and then removed half a ton of gelignite from the steamer Arelow on Saturday.

CONGESTION IN THE THAMES. LONDON, Feb. 6. The congestion of meat-laden ships in the Thames is unprecedented. The cold stores which ordinarily accommodate 1,G00,000 carcases ,nre now crammed with an additional 50,000 carcases. Eleven ships .carrying 1,130,000 carcases of mutton, are lying in the docks, and are compelled to discharge gradually in accordance, with the deliveries from the stores. The C. and D. Line steamer Port Hacking, with 3000 tons of New Zealand meat, which arrived at London on December 13th has at last commenced to discharge her cargo. Twelve steamers are awaiting berths at other ports, and nine others arc on the point of arriving.

THE PACIFIC CABLE. , LONDON, Feb. G. The balance-sheet of the Pacific Cable Board for the year ending March 31st, 1919 shows that the. net traffic receipts wore £554,515. The credit balance of, £9580 is to be applied to the reduction, of the outstanding balance of capital advanced.. . ■ i.. -.- «■•

The year’s transmisson totalled 8,300,000 paying words o'f inter-colonial traffic, and 200,000 free words.

THE COATING SESSION. LONDON, Feb. G. The Prince of Wales will accompany the King and Queen at- the opening, of Parliament on Tuesday.

The King’s speech emphasises the importance of the financial problem, and also the Irsli Home Rule Bill, unemployment insurance, the co,il policy, and import restrictions.

The “Daily' Express” predicts that incomes of under £250 per annum will ho exempt from taxation, and that the Government will obtain substantial revenue by the adoption of a sliding scale and the limitation of profits of industries.

CAIRO TO CAPE TOWN. LONDON, Feb. 9. Captain Mitchell has arrived at Khartoum. Ho made two forced landings, owing to a leaky water-jacket on his engine.

NO SOUTH AFRICAN VISIT THIS YEAR. CAPE TOWN, Fob. 5. The South African Rugby Board of .Control regret they are unable to accept the invitation to send a team to New Zealand in 1920, but they are prepared to negotiate for sending one during 1921.

GERMAN PILOTS. LONDON, Fob. 6

A curious instance of the effect of the depreciation of German currency in international competition has occurred in the Channel pilot service. A German pilot cutter appeared off Dungcness without delay after the signature, of the Peace Treaty. She was. provided with pilots working at cut rates, which they wero well able to do in view of the value of foreign currencies. | The first vessel piloted was a British ship, and many Amercnn, Japanese, and Norwegian vessels have since availed themselves of the German pilots’ serI vices. The English pilots are petitioning the Government and Trinity House I to remove the .Gorman cuttci.

BRITISH WATERSIDE WORKERS LONDON, Feb. 6. »Ir Ernest Bovin, the Dockers’ Union organiser, and known as the Dockers’ King’s Counsel, was applauded at the termination of his three days’ speech at the Court of Inquiry. Lord Shaw,, in commanding silence, said lie was not surprised at the demonstration.

Mr Bevin denounced the inhumanity of the, casual labour system. He submitted a model budget providing a minimum of £6 per week for a family of five persons. The employers, estimated that the ments demand for a minimum wage of lGs a day would cost £10,000,000 a vear. ,

Mr Bovin argued that they were able to pay the way demanded. He declared that the shipping companies’ profits for the first thirty-one months of the war amounted to £350,000,000. The New York docker was 100 per cent, better off than the British docker. He. declared that it was the duty of all shipping companies to ensure the doek- ' ers a minimum subsistence based on fivo days’ pay weekly. Mr Bevin spoke of the tragedy that the mere breakng of a teacup caused to a poor family ,and concluded that! if the dockers’ claim was refused, the only alternative was to close the schools and reduce the feeding of labouring men to an animal basis. Soeietv ought not to create aspirations for thp beautiful while denying the wherewithal to satisfy them. H would be better to keep the workers in dark ignorance.

FOR OLYAIPIA GAMES. PARIS, Feb. 8.

The International Boxing Union has resolved to decide the amateur world’s championship at the Antwerp Olympia games. At Sydney £lll7 has been raised to send team to the games.

Australia has no objection to Now Zenalnd athletes accompanying the Aus tralan team to Antwerp.

SHUT ING DEPARTURES. ( LONDON, Feb. 7. Projected sailings of ships for New Zealand from London, include the Reinuera, March 4th. for Auckland, AVellington, Lytelton and Dunedin. Most of the cargo steamers, sailings have been postponed about a week from the dates previously cabled.

AFFAIRS AT FIUME. D’ANNUNZIO ARRESTED. ROME, February 9. D’Annunzio, has been placed under arrest at Nigra, near Finnic. . CABINET RUMOURS. (Received This Dnv at 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, February 9.

On the eve of the reassembly of Parliament, there are the usual rumours of impending Cabinet changes, which will affect both Sir E. Geddas, Lord Inverforth, Hon. AlacPherson and Lord French. - •