BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1922, Page 1

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

ITJSTIIALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. Portuguese trans-atlantic FLIGHT. LISBON, April 1. The Portuguese aviators have covered the first stage of their trans-At-lantic flight. They reached the Canaries (710 miles away), in seven and a half hourß.

BRITISH CONTROLLER RESIGNS. LONDON, April 1. Major General Sykes has resigned the Controller-Generalship of the Civil Aviation Department owing to the small scale to which civil aviation has been reduced. He intends to enter politics.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS. LONDON, March 31. The League of Nations Financial Committee has appointed an expert committee to examine the question of double taxation, aiming to secure an international understanding for the abolition of double taxation by a con-. vention of all nations in the world. ABSCONDING FINANCIER. April 1. The “Daily Express” Brindisi correspondent Btates that it is rumoured that Bovan, the missing financier has been discovered at AthenSj to which the extradition law is not applicable hut the Greek Government may deport him.

FLOATING DEBT. LONDON, April 1. The past year’s revenue in Britain totalled £1,124,879,000. The expenditure was £1,079,186,000. The floating debt is now £1,029,620,000. The revenue increases . are: —lncorporated profits tax, £16,866,000; income tax, £4,721,000; estate duties, £4,462,000; postal service, £3,390,000; and the motor vehicles duty £4,023,000. The decreases are: —Excess profits duty £199,759,000; stampß, £6,953,000 excise £5,491,000; special receipt* from surplus war stores, £117,133,000.

ENGLISH TURFITES AGITATION.

LONDON, April 1. A meeting of bookmakers and sports men pnssed a resolution demanding the amendment to the Gaming Act of 1835, under which cheques paid for bets are recoverable, according to the House of Lords judgment (cabled on October 25th, 1921). The chairman stated, claims against bookmakers for a refund of cheques totalled over a quarter of a million.

BRITISH SOVEREIGNS. VISIT TO BELGIUM. LONDON, April 1. The King and Queen will visit the Belgian royalties on May Bth. Thereafter they will inspect the principal British and Overseas cemeteries in BeL gium and France.

AIRSHIP SCHEME. LONDON, April 1

Commander Burney R.N.R. Vickers Company, who is largely responsible for the proposed Imperial airship scheme, states the company proposes to build six new airships at a lower cost than airships were ever built before. They will contain a retaurant and sleeping cabins, smoking and bath rooms and will be capable of carry ing ;100 passengers at rates, below first-class steamer fares, in addition to 10 tons of mails and good*. Mr Ashbolt (promoter) interviewed, said: “Though my scheme did not succeed, it prevented the destruction of the Government airship six months ago. The position now lias wonderfully improved. Money is available for this new project, which I believe Australia will consider favourably.”

DAIRY PRODUCE,

LONDON QUOTATIONS.

LONDON, March 30

Butter is very firm and in strong demand, colonial salted and unsalted fetching practically the same prices, and secondary within a shrilling of. the choicest. Quotations are;—Australian, i76s to 178 s; exceptionally good 180 s; New Zealand 188 s: to JlQ(0s; Danish 205 s to 210 s per cwt. Cheese is firm, but trade is slow. Quotations are;.—New Zealand; white 94s to 96s coloured (scarcer) 98s to 100 s; Australian white and coloured 86s to 88s, exceptionally good 90s per cwt.

TRADE 1 AND IMMIGRATION. IMPERAL ATMS LONDON, April 1 The British Government entertained Mr Bar well (South Australian Premier) and fff|fMitchell at luncheon. Mr Wood (Under-secretary for the Colonial Office) presided. He said the war had left an infinity of grave troubles that were awaiting solution. The only hope of a successful solution lay in the closest .00-operat|ion, between all parts of the Empire, particularly in the placing of the surplus population of England in Australia. Mr Ba swell and Mr Mitchell adopted inter-imperial co-operation as the keynote of their response. The former said that Australia’s greatest need was the early and. rapid development of her illimitable resources. South Australia in the next two years would take, perhaps, only 5000 immigrants yearly, but after that an unlimited number.” “The more we take the more we shall want,” he said. Mr Barwell strongly appealed for trade co-operation. There should be some agreement to keiep trade within the Empire,

GERMAN PAPERS STOP. BERLIN, April 1. Owing to financial difficulties no fewer than 148 daily newspapers in Geriliaiiy have closed down.