MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1920, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

NEW WHEAT M ARVEL. SAN FRANCISCO, July 18. .Millions of acres in the Central West will lie planted this year with a superwheat, which yields from three to five bushels ah'"acre more than the varieties now grown.

The super-wheat is known as “Kanred,” developed through fourteen years of careful experiment, with a single head brought from Russia. It promises completely to replace varieties now grown in the hard wheaL areas, and to increase materially the grain production of the United States.

Approximately half a million acres were seeded with Kanred* wheat last autumn. If the seed from this harvest be sown next fall, the acreage will be six or seven millions, and after that it is believed that use of the new varietywill become general. The Kansas Crop Improvement Association, composed of 500 farmers, is endeavouring to have all the pure seed replanted. ft is expected a fourth of the hard wheat acreage in Kansas, and large acreages in Oklahoma. Texas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota will be sown with Kanred. Eventually Kanred will ho grown universally in the hard wheat country, in the opinion of specialists at the Kansas Experiment Station in Manhattan, in the State of Kansas. Turkey- or Tvharkof are the two varieties of wheat most commonly grown, says a statement issued from Manhattan Experiment Station, and Kanred has demonstrated its superiority- to these classes of wheat. It has been successfully grown in every State of the hard wheat bolt, and it is confidently believed by experiment station workers to be better than any other varietygrown as far north as South Dakota.

SMUGGLING RUSSIAN DIAMONDS. NEW YORK, Aug. 13. Evidence given in connection with the deportation of the Soviet Ambassador, Martins showed the Customs seized 135 diamonds, addressed to a comrade of Martins from a Swedish sailor. Large quantities of jewels, supposedly belonging to tlie Royal Family, have - been transported during the last six months. There is a regular Bolshevik courier sen-ice between Sweden and New York. Martins denied knowledge of -complicity.

CROWN PRINCE’S LETTER. (Received this day at 8 ami.) PARIS, Aug. 14. The “Matin” publishes the Crown Prince’s letter to the Kaiser of July, 1017, strongly urging peace. The Prince declared the spirit of the German people was deplorable. “If peace does not come before the end of the year, a revolution is imminent. U is no longer any question of victory, but of the life of the German people. Our dynasty is in danger. That is a great misfortune, but as nothing compared with the danger threatening Germany.” LABOR DEPUTATION. (Received this dav at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. The council of action will despatch Messrs Adamson and Gosling to Paris to confer with the general confederation of workers and French Socialists anent the Polish situation. EXPLOSION OF CARTRIDGES. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14 A terrific explosion occurred in a factory at Luton, where ammunition was being broken down. O.vor a . million round of cartridges were destroyed. Tiie explosions continued for three, hours. No one was killed, hut six persons were injured. CORNISH MINERS. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. Owing to a crisis in Cornish tin-mining industry, 30 miners have sailed for New Zealand under a three years’ engagement to a mining company there . A FRUIT COMBINE. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. Lending London and provincial fruit and vegetable firms have amalgamated under name fruit produce exchange with a capital of £1,125,000. They also propose to establish subsidiary companies in America and Australia.

A KING’S MEMORIAL. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. The King contemplates the erection of a memorial on Gallipoli to the lost legion of Norfolks which mysteriouslydisappeared. A majority of the men worked on the Royal estates at Sandringham. GREAT WASTE. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. A report on public accounts containing glaring examples of prodigious waste, gives instances in connection with the erection of hutments which verge on being scandalous. Much money was spent in the Ministry of information without any attempt at securing Treasury approval. The Commissioners found there was much unnecessary loss through remiss administration. Seven hundred thousand was advanced to the Y.M.C.A. of which one hundred thousand was repaid. It was eventually decided it-should he treated as a war office grant in respect to such services ns education. The Food Production Department made a loss of four million on various schemes which were over optimistically undertaken.

JAPANESE FINANCE. (Received this (lay at 8 a.m.) TOKIO, Aug. 14. lnouy, Governor of the Bank of Japan interviewed, said the live y-ears of war witnessed a great change in the financial and economic situation of Japan, primarily in the remarkable development of foreign commerce. The increase of her specie reserves resulted in the expansion of bank notes circulation, which naturally contributed to the advancement of industrial business activities. ' Imports and exports are increased three times what they- were before the war, hut foreign commerce in the near future would probably show a decrease in imports and exports, although imports still continue high and possibly will exceed exports for some years. Japan’s merchant marims tonnage was three million. The preponderance of imports over exports in the future constituted a menace to Japan. Our pre-war foreign investments were negligible, but they- now total about 2,200 million yen. It' is therefore inconceivable that Japanese business will he faced with the necessity of raising money to meet an unfavourable balance of trade, or our specie reserves suffer too heavy a drain. Japan’s currency- sy stem will he quite as stable as ever.

A SHIPPING* DEAL. (Received till*; day at 8 a.m.) LONDQN, Aug. 15,

The “Sunday Express” states a British syndicate including shipowners and hankers lias bought out three German, Austrian, Hungarian companies controlling ninety per cent of the shipping interests of the Danube, comprising one hundred steamers, barges and tugs. OLYMPIC GAMES. (Received Tins Day at 8 a.m.) ANTWERP, Aug. 15. King George sent a message to the Empire competitors at the Olympic games, wishing them good luck. _.■ Sweden has four hundred competitors. America comes next and New Zealand last. JAPAN’S POLICY. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) TOKIO, Aug. 15. Japan is expected to soon call a national mass meeting of its citizens to obtain theii view on foreign affairs, owing to the increasing gravity of the international situation. The Japanese press consders the Chinese Cabinet is decidedly- pro-American and anti-Japan-ese in sentiment.

LABOUR COUNCIL OF ACTION. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 15. Mr Hedges, Secretary of the Miners Federation, contributes an article to Uie “Sunday Express” declaring the Council of Action is the most significant thing since the birth of the Labour movement in Britain. The Council’s success is due to the spirit of opposition to war. It is not a challenge to parliamentary Government, but a challenge to Government procedure at variance with the. people’s will. If Government challenged the people’s right to express its will in this form, it would mean civil way. The motives bringing the Council into being are transient. There is no question of establishing a Soviet Government in Britain.

GREEK FEELING. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) ATHENS, Aug. 15. The attack on M. Venizelos is causing popular demonstrations, also reprisal attacks on anti-Venizelosists. Several of their houses and newspaper offices were wrecked and set afire. Ex-Pre-mier Dragoumas was fatally shot. FINANCIER ABSCONDS NEIV YORK, August 12. Porizi, credited with making two millions sterling by- Exchange speculations, which were interwoven with the Hanover Trust Company, whose doors were closed to all visible assets, has allegedly diappeared, and owes one million sterling. It- is estimated that Porizi’s liabilites amount to seven million dollars, but he claims that his personal assets will meet these. Great crowds hover round Porizi’s office, pressing their claims. PRINCE AND INDIA. NEW YORK, Aug. 15. The New York “Times” prints an article stating advices received by the New York branch of the well known London Bank having important financial interests in India, to the effect that the British Government has decided it would not ho advisable for the Prince of Wales to visit India until conditions became more settled.

GENERAL STRIKE OF SEAMEN. BRUSSELS, August 13. The in ter-Allied Seamen’s Conference here has adopted the Belgian delegation’s motion in favour of a general strike of the Allied seamen with the object of obtaining an eight hour Jay, and a 48 hour week. A French amendment was also adopted in favour of submitting the strike proposal first to a commission composed equally of ship-owners and seamen, before launching on the-strike. ’[’ho motion and the amendment were adopted practically unanimously