MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1920, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:

f AUSTRALIAN N.Z. CABLE ABSOLUTION)

BOWLING. TOURS. LONDON, December . fi. §ir. Janies .Mills wap the guest of a. Bowling Association dinner. He said the Mew Zealand teiup was liigtrly anticipating a visi| to. jthe Motherland in mi.. He lloped it would lie possible for an team to return the visit. Me , was sure of the, welcome No.v 2ea~ lariders .would receive here, and promised the..,English a great welcome in New Zealand.

iitJssiM Pbf Ijlation, HELSINGFORS, Dec, 4,. effects of Russia’.!?. sufferings are indicated, by thp preliminary census returns, .which show the population to have.- decreased ten, .percept, owing to |hc. ( laH. in the birthrate, and, increased inortahty, especially, jtyphus., The population,, of decreased by forty-five .per cent, find of Petrograd by seventy-one per cent. FtiiffiiNG TO jPQiANP;. LONDON.,,. Dec, 4, ... As the result of victories, thir.ty r tilipusand of Petl.bura’s soldiers with, woynen find childreni.fipe again .fnvading a demoralised, .diseased jnde.scribfible condition. This is the, third .time tliat.Poland has had to receive a.refugeeing army. The propects are TIN PLATE INDUSTRY. . . _ fjONPON, pec, Notices were served } on twenty-five thousand Wclsb pnplaters for cessation of work on the 24th, owing, to falling prices and.decreasing .demands, with the object ..of readjustment bf Wages, so as possibly to avert unemployment. obltuAry. LONDON, Dec 5. Obituary,—The pioneer . in photography, Sir William Abney.

BELGIAN COAST SENTENCES. Dec. The Belgian Court of, Assizes sentenced 8 cattle dealers to terms of„imprisonment ( ranging from twelve years penal, to imprisonment for life, with fines totalling seven | and i .a ) hn,]£ million francs, on charges of, supplying cattle to the enemy duping .the German occupation. All the condemned are fugitives from justice, and the majority have taken refuge in Holland.

GENERAL SMUTS

OPENS NEW CAMPAIGN

CAPETOWN, Dec 5

General Smuts lias opened the New South African Party campaign in Pre-' toria. After giving reasons for recommending a dissolution of Parliament, he said his appeal for the formation of a ; new party 'had met with' a great response from moderates of all parties, who desired to escape from the present* dangerous inipasse, and to secure racial peace and internal development of the country, such as racial unrest and wild , and dangerous talk about breaking with l the British Empire. Even many in the | ranks of nationalists and labour were weary of the barren party cries of what was happening to-day. It was not a mere party matter, but a national event of the first importance. He reviewed the question of imperial connection and declared the secession movement like a; flash of lightning,-has made the Moderates suddenly realize the danger ahead, threatening the . peace and unity of South Africa. He commends the League of Nations aria British Empire unity movement arid declared it was nonsense to call the latter movement Irriperialisrii.

JAPANESE STATEMENT. TOKIO, Dec 5

Major General Sato, the spokesman of the \Var Office, in a statement regarding missionaries, said it was a coincidence that many plotters executed were Christians, hut the plotters in many instances allied theriiselves with the mission in order to gain security This afforded "the missionaries, the opportunity of accusing Japanese troops <jf cruelty, but they were themselves the cause of the tragedy. He regretted the Koreans were not awake to the fact that their grievance was against these mischief . making missionaries. Japfin allowed full religious 'liberty, hut would riot allow treason, which threatened to uridemirie the'foundations of the Empire.

AMERICA AND JAPAN. TOiKiO, December 3. * The Japanese newspapers assert that the Cabinet has reached a decision that Japan will maintain her stand agai v-:t: the United States demand for the con--, trol of the'cables between Shanghai an! Guam and Yap. It is said that Japan is willing to, arrange for a. joint controlwith tlie United States. . . It is understood Yisjcount ITcliida lias proposed that the question should be submitted to the League of Nations. .NO INFORMATION. WASHINGTON, December 4

... Tlie State Department and .the Navy Department have announced that the.’ have no information regarding the tepbr.fed conceritration of Japanese troops iri Frirmosa.

Metal Prices «, LONDON, December 5

There 'lias bqeh a recovery iri the values of riletal. Tt is attributed to a more confident tone. ~ A rumour Has bhrin that the, Straits ’settlement Government intends o fix a mmiihum, price for fin. There are 4693 tons of .'tin. .stocks ayiiilahle in. Srjgjp, while. tli|re W aisp the following, other metal stocks--Copper li62fcns : ; ’tead, 14919 tons; and spelter 16953.

ANNEXING PROPOSAL. RIO DEI JANIERO,. Deo. 9. Thp . Presiient of Brazil, Eenor Pespa, has announced. that. Brazil will use its good offices in support of,the priposal that Germany shall annex Austria. t - ... . , The Brazilian Minister at .Vienna has stated that the Austrian Government had,-explained .that such annexation would ..be *he only solution of Austria * problem. RACING STAKE RAISED.,, ■ LONDON, December 6. The sum of, £SOOO will be added to the next Grand . National making it worth about £7OOO, which exceeds the value of r v