MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1921, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. GABLE ASSOCIATION. DROUGHT FANATICS. DELHI, June 17 Peshawar reports state Wan a Wazirs are .suffering badly from drought. Haji Abdubrafsak lacks supplies-of food and rations, consequently the Wazirs arc deserting him and returning to British territory, with the usual promises of good behaviour. Owing to the drought, Afridis in their anxiety are supplicating Heaven for rain. One of their primitive methods is the preventing of women feeding babies, hoping their cries will cause Providence to pity them and grant the prayers of the parents. Another method is for the men encircling their necks with ropes, a sign they are slaves, and that God will grant them maintenance.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

LONDON, Juno 16

Victoria. Monks, also Arthur Simonds, with no occupation, were committed for trial. Evidence showed the owner inadvertently left a dressing case in a taxi. The prosecution suggests Monks and Simonds engaged the taxi and appropriated the jewellery, portion of which London pawnbrokers handed over to the police. Monks maid gave evidence regarding the pawning and identifying by a jeweller on behalf of her mistress.

THE COAL BALLOT.

LONDON, June 16

Thus far 325,000 miners have voted against acceptance and 128,000 for. A feature of the voting was the immense number of abstentions, apparently duo to the men’s disgust at the way the negotiations were handled and the absence of any advice from the leaders how to vote, and a desire to show othei parties of the Triple Alliance that the miners were able to win alone. There were overwhelming majorities against in South Wales, Scotland, Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshiic but returns from Yorkshire, and Nottingham where it is believed the men favoured a return to work, have not vet been received.

INDIAN FRONTIER BRUSH. - DELHI, June 17. There was a stiff fight, fourteen miles west of Banmi on Kochi road. An armoured car returning from a reconnaissance was attacked from deserted villages. Two battalions were sent to their assistance and forced the Mahsucls to retire. This they did stubbornly to the south hank of the river, suffering heavy losses. Our losses veie 13 killed and 13 wounded. POLITICIANS TN AIRSHIP. LONDON, Juno 18. The airship R3G carried 40 members of the House of Commons, including members of the Cabinet for a trip over the North Sea, covering 200 miles. AMERICA AND JAPAN. NEW YORK, June 17. A resolution lias been submitted to the American Federation of Labour Convention, now sitting at Denver, asking the TT.S. Congress to protect tho nation from the growing menace of Japanese immigration by the absolute exclusion of all Japanese from Ament*. PETONE GAS DISPUTE. WELLINGTON, June 19. Tn connection witli an alleged assault on one of the men engaged at the Petone Gasworks to take tho place of a stoker, tho police state that several men followed a man in a motor car to Taita. Then an argument is said to have arisen. The first report was that the man'was seriously assaulted. This is denied by the police. The police say that a technical assault was committed. Tt is stated that further proceedings will ho taken. LTEUT.-COLONEL FREYBERG. WELLINGTON, June 19. Lieutenant-Colonel (formerly General B. C. “Tiny”) Freyberg, V.C.. D. 5.0., of the Grenadier Guards whose daring exploits are known to many New Zealanders, arrived here by the Arawa to-day. His wounds have been causing him trouble. He has been granted leave and is visiting his parents. WOMEN TN PARLIAMENT. MELBOURNE, June .J. The Women’s Australian Labour Party resolved that the leader of the Labour Party l>e asked to introduce next session in the Victorian State Parliament a Bill providing lor the admission of wpmen to Parliament