MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1922, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN ANP N.Z, CABLE ASSOCIATION.

DIED OF FEAR. BERLIN, Jan. 16. Needless fear of death killed a prisoner at the Berlin Assizes. Hoppe, a business nmn H was charged with murdering a woman. The jury gave its verdict in the prisoner’s absence, as is customary in Germany; but Hoppe, listening through his cell wall, thought lie heard the foreman say, “ Guilty of murder,” When Hoppe was brought into court, he was pale and trembling. The judge said: “ You have been found guilty.” Hoppe murmured :“ I know,” and fell dead. As a fact, the jury had found him guilty of manslaughter.

EPISCOPAL APPOINTMENT. ROME, Jan. 16. Dr O’Donnell, Bishop of Raphoe, has been promoted to he Archbishop of Atalia, and co-adjutor to Cardinal Logue. GERMAN TRADE. LONDON, Jan. 17. The “Daily Chronicle's” Berlin correspondent says: Statistics show that German exports have been seriously declining, when their gold value is reckoned. The exports last year were about equal to Germany’s yearly reparation liability. Whereas Britain had £741,000,000 of exports during the first 11 months, Germany’s amounted to £150,000,000. These figures quite dispose of the alarmist utterances about Germany’s propority and her ever-increas-ing foreign trade. As a fact, there was a spurt owing to the depreciation of the mark, hut it was merely temporary. Tlie value of German trade in paper marks shows an increase from 4,5-58,-000,000 marks for the .months of May to 11,1)11,000,000 marks for November; but paper marks increased from 65 to 200 to the dollar in the same period.

N.S.W. POLITICS. SYDNEY, Jan. 17. The Hon. Mr McGirr lias announced that lie will stay in the State Labour Party so long ns it is necessary to fight Dooley ism. Ho says he is not prepared to go to the electors under Mr Dooley’s leadership, hut will, in the event of the detent of iris postponement of elections proposal, appeal'to the electors as the leader of the advanced section of the Labour Party. One member of the .Australian Labour Party Executive states v that he realises a serious split is likely, <l, u, with the obioct of defeating this, the executive will, at next meeting, consider the advisability of expelling Mr McGirr.

NEW HEBRIDES cßhgoived This Day at 8.30 a.m.) SYDNEY. January 18

Tn connection with n proposal made •„t the Inmerial Conference that French interests in New Hebrides should be ceded to Britain in exchange for other colonial possesions, or reducement in the debt due to Britain by France the Director of Messageries Maritimes Coy. has forwarded a letter to the French Colonial Office protesting against the suggestion. He declares thrde quarters of the land in the group under cultivation .is owned by French pub]acts, who number six hundred, compared with two hundred British. The larger portion of the business also is m French hands. The letter urges that in view of these facts the condominium should be abolished and the islands revert to French. The director says a portion of the British favour this change, and he claims to represent the feeling of the residents of New Caledonia and Now Hebrides, where meetings of protest against the proposal were recently held.

A CORRECTION. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, January 18. In correction of yesterday’s Samoan time message, read —New Zealand proposes to alter the international da\ time to bring Samoa west of the line and make the time uniform with Nov Zealand. It is now a day behind. STRIKE FIGHT. /Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) CAPETOWN, Jan. 18. Official.—No progress lias been made regarding the strike. This is a hitter disappointment, and it is now evident that every minor point will he made part of the fight. LABOUR CAUCUS. SYDNEY, Jan. 18. Tiie pivs.s wore debarred from the caucus meeting, which was stormy till towards the close, when calmer councils prevailed. Efforts were made to heal the .Ministerial rupture. .V special resolution imposing secrecy on members was adopted.,Mr Mc-Cirr reiterated his intention to abandon his seat for Federal polities.