BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 February 1921, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

CABLE NEWS.

— BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. A HOPEFUL-SIGN. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) DELHI, Feb. 7. Commercial caravans .have restarted from Trebizoetd for Tabriz, after a long interval, which is considered a hopeful sign. A BIG DEAL. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) PARIS, Feb. 7. Tt is reported that negotiations are nearly completed for Herr Stiunes to take over Austria’s State Metallurgical factories, which are now showing a deficit of 80 million crowns.

MILITARY COUP EXPECTED. (Received This Day at S.SO MUNICH, Feb. 7. '■ An Independent Socialist paper reports that a military coup detat is expected and foreshadows the attachment of Austria to Bavaria. ' SOAP PRICES. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, Feb 7. A sub-committee under tlie Profiteering Acts, reporting on the soap industry, points out that owing to a combine, soap prices were fixed by agreement, not by competition. The profits of Lever’s and Associated Company’s rose between 1913 to 1919 from 10.93 to 16.23 per cent, though the Federation formed at the Government’s request in 1918 in order to ration materials ,demanded only ten per cent. The m sub-committee recommends the Coni-N. plaints Committee to take action, if the prices are not forthwith reduced to a level based on the present costs of labour and materials, and is of opinion the best household sortp on such a basis ought to he retailed at 8J per pound instead of ten-pence. It is pointed out that manufacturers are holding large stocks of materials and are able to offset losses against the excess profits duty previously paid. A GERMAN MONEY SCHEME. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) BERLIN, Feb. 7. W Tlie “Frankfort Gazette” publishes a scheme whereby reparations might be liquidated by the issue of international gold certificates of £IOOO sterling qmd equivalents in France’s dollars not bearing interests, redeemable on agreed dates, either by gold or in goods based on a gold value. The Allied Governments could use the certificate as gold cover for credits.