BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1921, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

tCSIUAI.IAN AND N.Z. CABLE A5501.,../lON damaged AUSTRALIAN FLOUR . CAPETOWN, Dee. (I. | Booth, Chairman of Colnmitles in the ! Assembly, who has just returned trout England, where he interviewed the AusI tralian Rreinier on the question of damaged flour, said the interview was 'entirely satisfactory. Hon Hughes promised to go thoroughly into the mat- . tor and giv*, full support to the. propos.il for payment of damages if the complaints were well founded. The agreement, had yet to lie laid before the Australian Parliament. The big 1 sum, of £('>00.000, with interest, was ini voiced, hut Africans could rest assured j that the matter would be all right.

j SHIRRING FINANCE. i {Received This Day at 10.15 am.) I LONDON. December 7. | At a mooting of tho \* and 0. Coy, • Lord Inehcapo said they wort* passing ! through a period of unprecedented de- ! pression. In common with other shipi pin<: companies they had had a wrelrhjed year. Government control of coal had caused enormous prices during the ! spring. Tliuii nime tin* coal srtrihe j and tin* joiners strike, which drove

to iitmi i enornmii*; imienses afloat and ashore. Trade Gluons and Wages Hoards had kept production costs so high that they would lie unahle to purchase from us and steamers had been leaving Mritain with only ha Hast cargoes and often not even those. The

greatly lessened demand for raw matterial made it increasingly difficult to find homeward cargoes, as exemplified hy the scarcity of cargoes. The Peninsular Branch last financial year dispatched eleven deamens /Mnahle. of carrving 101 thousand tons measurement c-ttrgo. These had sailed with space for six'tv-eight thousand unfilled. Tlie Hoard’s policy of late years in refraining from large increases of dividend would eventually prove to have heen the right, thing. They had to realise th»* war loan investments at a serious luss. in order to pay for new ships. As a result of high wages which had hern slightly reduced, hut were still much heyond what shopownors could afford to pay <>.*>() British ships of 1.117.002 tonnage was laid tip in I'nited King-

Join ami probably as much again in I ports outside Hie Kingdom. Oonsequ- ' onl1v thousands of captains, oHieers. engineers and men were unemployed, while those remaining in employment | were drawing pay much above t •••- ; mimic rale. These "ages must come down if British shipping is to hold its own. ! Replying to a sli.Treholder’s question. Lord Inehcape said the eisslit, balance of LfiSft. 1(1.7 included £.'ISI.OOO transferred from the insurance account. ; Tile Orient Steam Navigation Coy., transferring lift y tlion.-niul from the underwriting account, has a balance of £2fi0,:520 and declares a dividend of 12 J per cent tax free; transfers £7.110 to general reserve and carries forwaul £7.0.103. i A Tl'l! KISII REVOLUTION. | 'Received Tills Dnv aL 9.10 a.i11.) | PAR IS, Dec 7. i A tclceiru from (’•instant im |>la states a revi Intimi under Enver I’aslm lias spread .■i“r the who!,. I’.atnnm region and .s ! nkeil up with the Soviet Giivoruineet

LI/I’I.M ATUM TO FINLAND I 'Received Tin’s Dnv at. ID.La a. 111.) LONDON. Dec. 7 ! Tcliit. lierin has seal an iillimatiim in; tlii* Einnisii Minister in Mnscnw pm-I testing against the Einui'li Government | despa teli ing a note to the League ol | Nations urging a smtlcment ol tin* Kaielian dispute. The Soviet desires' 1 hut Finland . lose her limit ic lo Karelia and aim lalo* other mrasun . ami 11 11 eat ells to resort lo force ill the eteul of a refusal. LATER RESULTS, tßeceived This Day at JU.l’i a.in.) OTTAWA, Dec. d. Later election results show Liberals have I'-’ll seats ;('mi-, n atives l.'i ; Farmers .‘l7 ; Labour The child is.su-* ol Lie election is the taiiff. Liberals advocating a tarilf for levcnuc only ami ilu- <'oiiscrval ivc, a high tarili preaching' againsl ccoiiomi. domiiiatit>n hv United Slates. Mi Mcighen opocars to lie losing in his own I itlillg.

INDIGNANT WOMEN. ItONDON. Dee. (i. Women footballers are. mout imlignant at the oflieial action of the football Association debarring them playing on club grounds. The Association’s resolution expressing a strong opinion that football is quite unsuitable for females and ought, to ho discontinued is regarded in particular with resentment. The prohibition will not prevent them playing. They state this game is not frivolous, ami certainly uiiprejudieial to health. They have already realised Cl0(1 000 sterling for charity.