BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 February 1921, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. GEORGIANS CLAIM SUCCESS. LONDON, February 24. A Georgian official telegram claims that the Bolshevik attack on the 20th. was repulsed and two thousand prisoners and a large amount of booty captured. Tillis is entirely out of danger.

PROPOSED ARMY REDUCTION

PARIS, February 21

A report of the Chamber of Deputies Committee dealing with the Army estimates proposes a reduction of sixty million sterling on a total of 260 million, submitted by government. AN APPEAL REFUSED. LONDON, Feb. 24. In an application for a writ of Habeas Corpus, by John Allen sentenced to death by a Military Court,..the Chief Justice of the Irish King’s Bench 'refused the application, on the ground that, the Court had no power to interfere with a Military Court. HEAVY DAMAGES. J EDGE’S SCATHING ~ REM ARKS LONDON, Feb. 24. George Marple, of Sheffield was awarded £12,500 sterling owing to fraudulent representations by E. T. Holley, in connection with the sale of Jubilee Cotton mill, during the recent boom. Justice Russell in a scathing .judgment, described Holley and his associates as professional pickpockets of the worst kind, and ordered that the documents he impounded to enable the authorities to determine whether it were possible to punish them. The evidence showed that Holley and his codirectors arranged that a fictitious dividend of thirty-three per cent, he paid out of capital in order to foist Jubilee

shares upon the unsuspecting public. DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED. CAIRO. Feb. 24. The death sentence passed on six of the Vengeance Gang, cabled on 28th July, has been commuted to .fifteen years. Other sentences were proportionally reduced. Three prisoners are hunger-striking. The military authorities three times unsuccessfully pressed for llio carrying out of the,;death penalty.

MINERS’ RESOLVE. LONDON. Feb 24. The Miners’ Conference passed a resolution that they would oppose by every means in their power the decontrol of coal, which was prejudicial to the interests' of the ti'ade and nation generally. The executive are preparing a scheme of levy for the support of unemployed miners. CIVIL AVIATION.

LONDON, February 24. In a leading article dealing with tin threatened paralysis of civil aviation “The Times” says : —“Government assistance, by special .grants and a separate Air Ministry, is imperative. Tin French subsidy of half a million ster ling means a further heavy blow ti British industry. The French companies are undercutting the British in tlie Paris to London service by of per cent. Their passenger fares ar now five guineas and ’their goods rates sevenpence-halfpenny per lb. The Hand l e y Page firm are the only British company left in the competition and it i;feared that they will be forced to close down.”

BRITISH IN PERSIA. LONDON, February 24. The' “Daily Herald” (Labour), commenting on the coup d’etat in Persia, following the capture of Teheran by the Cossacks division, asserts that it amounts to a British coup to prevent a Russo-Persian 'understanding. The Cossack division, it says, is under British control, and a British General is commanding it.

TRADE UNIONISM. LONDON ,February 24. i Statistics published by the International Labour Office of the League of Nations show that- the total trades union membership in the 20 chief countries rose from 10,835,000 at the end of 1910 to 32.690,000 at the end of | 1919. Growth occurred in all , countries. The membership in European countries only at the end of 1919 is given at 26,000,000 as compared with 8,500.000 in 1910. j CHANGING THE' CLOCK. I LONDON, February 24. I Summer time in England begins on April 2nd and ends October 2nd. ® new SOUTH WALES FINANCE. I | (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) j ’ LONDON, February 25. j Commenting on the London Chamber of Commerce protest -against New South AAkiles Large Holdings Bill, ano possible effect on the English investor, the '‘Ti,mes” reminds Mr Stovey of Mr Theodore’s experience and adds that it is of no use politicians coming to London for capital, which in Australia they appear to devote their best efforts to destroy. The*paper also suggests amending the Trustee Act in order to limit the borrowing power to, a definite

percentage of tho revenue. HIT AT BRITISH MINERS. LONDON, Feb. 25. The Coal Owners’ Association has notified the miners that they cannot discuss a wages settlement on a national basis, and that the owners are willing only to consider a reversion to the procedure of district settlements. MR HOOVER- AND CABINET RANK.

j (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.A ' NEW YORK, February 25. 1 Air Hoover announced that he has accepted a Cabinet position, as Secretary of Commerce, but has reserved the right to continue to act as director of the European reliof work.