BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 April 1922, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS

RV TELKCUAPII— PER PRESS ASSOCIATION 1

EN(; IN KM RING CONFERENCE, LONDON, April 14. Following on a breakdown of the negotiations to-day, after a prolonged conference, engineering employers announce' that the following proposals were submitted to the unions Firstly that the Unions shall become partners in a scheme for avoiding strikes, and shall agree that no stoppage of. work shall occur during, the negotiations; secondly that in case of any material alteration in wink ing conditions, the management shall, as far as possible give the workers directly of their representatives iii the dio)) 10 days notice, wherein the work-

ers have an opportunity for ills eiission with the management.

The unions reply that the masters must give the trade unions officials 10 days notice before proposing any alterations, in addition to giving the employees ten days’ notice. The masters replied that they considered it evident the trade unions were not prepared to allow the management to exercise their material functions. The masters theil closed the negotiations.

LONDON, April 15

The engineering negotiations lasted 18 hours and only ended at dawn on Good Friday.

EXITED STATES NAVY. WASHINGTON, April 14. Resident Harding lias informed Representative Longworth that be flatly favours a navy of 86,000 men He opposes a reduction to 67,000 as provided by the House Naval Bill. TROUBLE IN SYRIA. CAIRO, April 16. In consequence of French repressive measures following the disturbances .'n Damascus, Beyrut, and outlying districts, serious anti-French rioting habroken olit. in Syria. Martial law has been proclaimed in Damascus.

BIG HOTEL FIRE

TOKIO. April 16

The Imperial Hotel, the oldest and largest in Tokio, was destroyed l>v fire in the afternoon while the bulk of the guests were attending the Empress cherry blossom garden party in Shinjuku gardens, at which the Prince of Wales was a. guest. Marines from warship Renown gave valuable aid in salving the belongings of the guests. The fire was so fierce that the building was destroyed in half an hour. Some members of the Prince of Wales staff were quartered at the hotel and lost everything. A quantity of valuable presents from the Prince of Wales to the Prince Regent were temporarily stored in a room and were also destroyed, along with the personal effects of four hundred foreign guests.

A NEW ENGINE OIL. fßeceived This T)av at 8 30 a.m.»

NE WYORK, April 17

The National Advisory Committee for aeronautics, a body organised during the war, announced having developed an aircraft engine not using petrol, lmt employing heavy fuel oil, thus eliminating fire accidents in the air. It is believed the engine will also be employed in automobiles.

WHEAT PRICE J UAIPS. NEW YORK, April 17 There were wild scenes in the Board of Trade pit at Chicago when wheat for May delivery advanced in a sensational manner. Opening at 143 J cents per bushel the price shot up four cents in a lew minutes.