MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1920, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

by Electric Telegraph—C' ivi ight.i

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. (Imperial News Service). LONDON, April 19. The International Finance Conference to which the Council of the League of Nations has invited twenty-five countries, including New Zealand and othei Dominions, is to ho held at Brussels nt the end of May. The Conference is the result of representations by leading bankers to their-respective Governments * asking for a meeting to consider tho serious world situation. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has expressed the willingness of the British Government to be represented on an understanding that the Treasury will not participate in ally scheme involving a further large Government loans.

Tie American Secretary of Finance has replied tliat the American Government are opposed to -further United States Government assistance for foreign countries and is unable to participate, (but is willing that Chambers of Commerce l>e represented unofficially. These replies indicate direct Government loans will play a most subordinate part in the financial reconstruction of Europe. The Conference will mainly consider means to enable credit again to flow into ordinary channels-

BRITISH CONTROLLERS’ VIEWS LONDON, April 19.

Interviewed after an inspection of the London docks, the Food Controller said he was excellently impressed by the situation there. Tt was difficult to detect signs of the alleged terrible congestion. There was now no evidence of disorder or confusion or of commodities rotting on the quays. Asked for definite information as to the world’s corn harvest, the Controller said the best- opinion in the trade anticipated a somewhat severe loss of wheat- and rye acreage. The estimated loss of acreage in Europe was twelve millions, exclusive-of Russia, while the United States Bureau estimated the yield of winter wheat in the United States at 483 million bushels, compared with 731 million- bushels last vear.

CLOTHING WANTED. (Received this day at 9.20 a.m.) MALTA, April 19. The Governor of Mudros has telegraphed asking for urgent supplies of clothing for five- thousand destitute women and children refugees from Russia.

CONSUL FOR SYDNEY

(Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 19.

Doctor Davis, a professor at Prague, is going to- Australia to establish a Czecho-Slovak consulate at Sydney.

DOCK AWARD. (Received this day at 8.40 a.m.) ' LONDON, April 19.

Dock employers have accepted the ward, giving the workers 16s per day.

CARDIFF RAILWAYMEN,

(Received this day at 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 19. Cardiff railwayinen demand a minimum of £5 weekly, also a fifty per cent decrease in the price of necessaries. They have asked the Triple Alliance to consider a national strike in the event of a refusal of these terms. OMNIBUS WAGES. (Received this day at 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 19.

The London Omnibus Company have offered an increase of os. The strike has been postponed pending a confer-

ence. SOUTH WALES TROUBLE. (Received this day, at 9.30 a.m.) v LONDON, April 19. Two hundred thousand South Wales miners have tendered notice that they will strike, a fortnight lienee, owing to failure to settle the dispute concerning earnings in abnormal parts of the mines. CUSTODY OF KAISER. LONDON, April 19. In the House of Commons, Mr Bonar I/aw, replying to a question, said that the Netherlands’ Government had under taken all responsieility for the safe custody of the ex-Kaiser’s person, and would control his correspondence and his relations with the outside world. They had therefore assigned him residence within the Province .of Utrecht.' The Allies had unsuccessfully endea- ' voured to induce the Netherlands to take other action, but as they had not, seen lit to comply with,the request, it' was not proposed to use force.