MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1920, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

■ AUSTRALIAN d .N.Z. OMILU ASSOCIATION]

WEST INDIES CUSTOMS

(Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) PORT OF SPAIN, (Triniidad) Nov. 7. * The local Government lias announced a revision of the customs tariffs under arrangement with Canada. All foodstuffs, and cattle feed produced in the 1 British Dominions are duty free; also | British made machinery and certui.. common goods and glass-ware. CRIMINAL ARRESTED. (Received This Day at 10.40 a.m.) PARIS, Nov. 8. The police have arrested a band of remarkable criminals believed to be responsible for notorious crimes, led by a butcher named Real Jean. They mapped out the city of Paris into districts, where they carried out systematic motor car thefts and safe robberies, as well as several burders. All the crimes were rehearsed at night under the direction of the leader. A search brought to light several bloodstained relics connected with recent murders.

MOSCOW DEATH SENTENCES. (Received This Day at 10.40 a.m.) ABO, (Finland) Nov. 8.

■ The last death sentences imposed by the Moscow Tribunal during September totalled 1286, mostly on charges of treason or desertion. Twenty persons were executed for drunkenness.

AUSTRIA’S DANGER. PARIS, Nov. 8.

The likelihood of Austria disappearing from the map of Europe is foreshadowed by Sir William Goode, President of tlie Austrian section of the Reparation Commission. Goode states delegates of more powers on his section presented a unanimous report to the Reparation Commissioners, from which it is expected the powers will make the grave decision indicated. It is pointed out that conditions in Austria have reached a point that the corporate existence of the country has become practi. cally impossible.

PACIFIC CABLE. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, November 8

The Pacific Cable Board after placing £353,000 to reserve and renewal fund, has a surplus of £10,433. During the year it eaihued nine million words of paying international traffic and the nett receipts were £642.948. Both are records.

JAPANESE ACTION. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) TOKIO, November 7. Gabiinet has decided to withdraw Japanese troops from Chentao district on the border of Manchuria and Korea, despite the activities of bandits, provided the Chinese Government will agree to maintain order in the region. OUT OF WORK ACT. (Received This Day at 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, November 8. The new Out of Work Act operates to-day. It applies to all employees, including non-manuals excepting agriculturists and; domestic servants, whose remuneration does not exceed £250 annually. Nearly twelve millions, of whom one-tliird are women, are now insured, compared with four millions in 1911. The standard weekly payments range from tenpence for a man to 4Jpence for a girl, provided between the employer, employee and state. The Weekly benefits range from 15/- to 6/- respectively.

RAIDER AS FRUIT CARRIER, LONDON, Nov. 4

The German raider Moewe is now employed in the banana trade between Jamaica and England.

A HARMFUL 'POLICY. LONDON, November 5

Mr Winston Chdgchill, in a speech, stated that the Labour Party’s talk about direct action had deeply offended most British people. There was a growing feeling that a considerable section of organised Labour was trying to tyrannise over the whole public and trying to bully them into submission, not by argument but brute force. Labour was thus impeding the arrival of prosperity and hampering the scientific progress of industry, and so reducing the value of the wages of the working classes. The trade unions must review the position during the next few’ years if they w r ere going to preserve the influence which they had hitherto exercised on British industrial life. One of the deep-rooted fallacies of the Socialist was the belief that the more violent the change the better it was. From that delusion came the terrifying fear which each Labour leader felt, that he might be pushed out of the way by some young and ignorant irresponsible, who would go one better than the trusted leader. The fact that so many Labour leaders were challenging the constitution was proof that the majority of their fellow-countrymen were not on their side.