BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 January 1922, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

lObTKALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCi-fION ANONYMOUS LETTER WRITER. {•Received This Dav at 10,15 a.m.) PARIS, Jan. 9. The town of Tulle in the department of Correze lias been terrorised for three years by an anonymous letter writer who caused the breaking up of homes through accusations of infidelity and embezzlement. The letters reveal a diabolical intimacy with individual’s lives, and also secrets of the prefecture for the past twenty or thirty years. Some victims have gone mad and two are dead. A committee of townsmen collected funds on a lavish scale to track down the perpetrator and Paris detectives have been imported, all in vain. The Prefect received at the outset, a letter of defiance, which declared that finger prints would fail as evidence, because the writer wore rubber- gloves. The mystery reveals no motive of greed or blackmail, or anything but pure malice.

LAWS OF DIVORCE. PARIS, Jan. 9

A French captain, six times decorated during the war, discovered his honours were a disadvantage. He applied for divorce on flagrant evidence, but was informed that the laws of the special amnesty on minor offences, including misconduct, covers wives as well.

DECISION TO STRIKE

SERIOUS ASPECT IN AFRICA

(Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) CAPETOWN, January 9.

The ballot favoured a strike of miners power workers and enginceis by ten to one. The men cease work after to-night. The Cape “Times” says no more serious situation ever confronted South Africa. It has been flung in the face of the country by deliberate and reckless defiance. The federation had previously offered to keep all essential sendees going, on condition that ceitain mines were placed at their disposal, and all labour withdrawn, except that controlled by the Federation, hut General Smuts was unable to accept this.

A GERMAN OFFER, (Received This Day at 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 9. The “Daily Mail” states a Hamburg firm in a circular offers to tranship and erect in England (and provide the ground if necessary) a five roomed house with furniture complete for £350 sterling. The measurements of the building to be forty-five by sixteen feet and twenty feet high.

SHIPBUILDING. 'Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 9 Lloyd’s Register states the shipbuilding returns show that merchant vessels under construction in United Kingdom at 31st Dec., comprised 351, aggregating 2,050,319 tons, a decrease of 643,000 compared with September, but the present total includes 722,000 tons on which work is suspended. The launches last quarter showed an increase of 159,000 tons, compared with the previous quarter. The tonnage building abroad totals 1,816,//4 tons, including about 400,000, on which woik is suspended . AMERICA'S CASH•'Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 9. The annual report of the Controller of Currency shows what whereas United States was a debtor nation in 1914, it is now the greatest creditor nation in history, as 31,200 banks ca.* marshal cash and credits amounting to over forty-eight billion two bundled million dollars, and the gold lioldinlgs exceed three billion, approximately one third of the world’s supply. The total money in United States is eight billion twenty-seven million 395,000 dollars. STRIKE POSITION. BETJTEII’s TELEGRAMS (Received This Day at 12.25 p.m.) CAPETOWN, January 9. The conference of Chamber of Mines and miners delegates resulted in the former offering to postpone notices to the men, to allow of further time foi negotiations. Later, a meeting of the Labour Federation declined the proposal and endorsed the decision to strike to-night. GENERAL SMUTS’ APPEAL. (Received This Day at 12.25 p.m.) CAPETOWN, Jan 9. General Smuts, addressing the meeting, asked the men to do- what he asked them. He declared they wer® taking a dreadful onus noon themselves. The party which Ind the support 'F public opinion was going to win. If these mines were closed because you refuse my simple reasonable request, the public will look upon it as an outrage. Do not create the impression that you are not reasonable.