MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1920, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

(By Electric Telegr'aph—C<* ayfight./ REPRIEVE REFUSED. LONDON, April 9. The Home Secretary has • refused to reprieve the man Holt, convicted of murder, who was alleged insane. Mr Marshall Hall, who defended him, took the unusual action of writing a letter expressing his belief that Holt was insant, and pointing out English law does not hang madmen. The Home Secretary states the final decision was reached only after a special medical enquiry into Holt’s mental condition. The execution is fixed for Tuesday 13th.

STARVING SOLDIERS. LONDON, April 10. The distress among the Australian discharged isoldiers who are awaiting return passages is now becoming acute. A number of men are on the verge of starvation. The “Anzac Buffet” Fund is unable tv do more than give a small dole to many discharged men; who are averse to charity in view of the fact that they are really entitled to a gratuity. The Canadian authorities are coping with a somewhat similar situation, but they are providing their men, who are awaiting shipment, with board and lodgings, and' charging it against the payments to which the recipients are entitled. A plan akin to this is needed to relieve the Australians.

BIG PEARL ROBBERY. , PARIS, 'April 10. An errand hoy in Paris found pearls worth no less than thirty thousand sterling lying in a gutter. They are the proceeds of a recent robbery.

BRITISH ATTITUDE. OTTAWA, April 9. Mr Tom Moore, the President' of Canada’s Trades and Labour Congress and Canada’s Labour representative at the International Labour Congress held in England"■ under the League of Nations, has returned. He says: “Bolshevism is slowly but surely dying 5n 'England. Free speech is killing it. English labour is learning the unsoundness of its doctrines, not only from those wishing to discredit the Soviet movement, but from the Radicals themselves. English Labour is becoming disgusted with the Reds, and repudiating their movement.” He added, however, the following: “ The British workers are undoubtedly and rapidly moving towards State control of capital, and especially State control of key industries. There are Bolshevism “ soap boxers” around, who are openly advocating Soviets for Britain, hut nobody pays much attention.”

He thought that any attempt at revolutionary action would be quickly nipped in the bud.

HINDENBURG’S BOOK. # TRIBUTE TO COLONIAL SOLDIERS. LONDON, April 7. Hindenburg’s book, ‘‘Out of My Life,” is mainly concerned with operations on the Russian front, where he was Commander-in-Chief till 1916. He takes the Junker view that England was mainly blameable for the war, owing to commercial jealousy, hut ho says the war was also due to French chauvinism and Russian greed. He regards tfie German as the Lord of the Battlefield, though he admits there was a great- deterioration in later years. The French were, he says, better fighters than the English, and their artillery wag responsible for the worst crisis.

The elite of the English Army were the colonial troops. The Americans were brave, but unskilfully led. Hindenburg pays an indirect tribute to the Australians and Nciv Zealanders in justifying Germany’s assistance to Turkey, because she thus “kept 10,000 of the finest enemy troops away from the European fronts. He mentions the Vil-lers-Bretonneux reverse in 1918 ns finally destroying German hopes of a decisive victory. Finally, he regards the Australian attack on August Bth, 1918, as Luderidorff did as “Germany’s day of doom.” Hindenburg says; “This was'our first great disaster from which there was no recovery.” The book concludes with a stirring call to young Gormany to prepare for the future.

BYE ELECTIONS. (Received this dav, at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 10. Stockport bye-election for two seats resulted:—

Greenwood (Coalition Unionist) 22,847 Fildes (Coafitiim Liberal) 22,380 Sir Leo Money (Labour) , 16,042

Perry (Co-operative) 14,434 Kendell (Independent) 5,644 Territt (Independent) 5,543 O’Brien (Worker’s Republican) 2,330 Dartford bye-election resulted:— Mills (Labour) ..., 13,610 Wing (Liberal) 4,562 Mellor (Coalition Unionist) ... 4,221 Applen (National Party) 2,952 Fehr (Independent) 1,802

LOST THEIR DEPOSITS. (Received This Dav at 12.25 p.m.) JAINDON, April I], Three of the lowest candidates in the Stockport bye-election and two in Dartford will forfeit their deposits. COAL STRIKE BALLOT. (Received this dav at 12.25 p.m) LONDON, April 11. Ballot returns for English districts to date show majorities against a aniner’s strike. Scotland, Lancashire and Cheshire arc expected to favour a striko, for which South Wales cast a 49,020 majority. Complete returns are unlikely to result in the requisite twothirds majority for a strike. THE COMING BUDGET. (Received This Day at 1.5. p.m.) ® LONDON, April 10. The “Times” lobbyist states the coming Budget will increase the wine duties and motor taxes and recasts income tax adding relief to mlirried people. It solves the problem of taxation of excess profits. VOLUNTARY TRAINING. (Received This Day at 1.5. p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 10. The Senate overwhelmingly adopted voluntary instead of compulsory military training, which the Army reorganised Bill announced.