BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1922, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION,

ELECTION RESULT. LONDON, July 26. l’onty Pridd election resulted: — Mardy Jones (Labour) 16,630 Lewis i 12,56 d The election was due to Lewis becoming Coalition Liberal whip. The Pontypred loss was due to the miners’ vote, the miners believing the present position in the coal industry was due to Government bungling. CABINET’S DECISION. LONDON, July 27. The Cabinet, probitbly as the resr of the Ponty-Pridd Coalition defeat, de. cided last night, to appoint immediately a Select Committee to consider a new employment problem, with a view to further remedial measures. . Several leading members of the Cabinet will servo thereon. MIGRATION PROPOSALS. LONDON, July 26. Tlie Migration Department officials are visting the Labour exchanges in the evenings, explaining the migration schemes. The a|udiences aggregate a thousand nightly. They will subsequently visit the provincial exchanges.

ALLEGED DOPING. PARIS, July 26. A sensation whs eftused iii tho faeing world. The stewards tested the saliva of horses of a well-known owner an dfound every evidence of doping. One horse reached the post kicking angrily, its eyes protruding, yet it won by several lengths. Further revelations are expected. GERM AN DETERMINATION. BERLIN, July 26. A semi-official Berlin- communique states that Bavaria’s action lias created a serious political situation, but the Central Government is determined resolutely to protect its right. The Reich Munich corporation has condemned the Bavarian Diet’s action.

BRITISH ENGINEERING TRADE. LONDON, July 26.

A new crisis threatens the engineering trade, It is due to a ballot on the employers’ amended terms, upon which the recent lock out of engineers ended. 11l the ballot 43,937 voted for acceptance, and 70,901 against. It is pointed out that only 12j per cent of the total' tneji affected voted. The parties are conferring.

AUTO-SUGGESTION. LONDON, July 27

An astonishing case of deatli through auto-suggestion lias been disclosed at < a Shoreditch inquest. Alfred Manning. aged 64, was found kneeling oil the Hoor at the foot of a bed,with his chin resting in a Icciped handkerchief, the upper part of which was fastened, over the bedpost. A doctor gave evidence that then? was no appearance of strangulation and nothing on the body to account for the sudden" death. lie aas of the opinion that the man rested Lis chin on the handkerchief, thought lie was being luingod, and died of heart failure.

FRANCE’S FINANCE. PARIS, July 26.

The official return of assets and debts shows that if France simultanously received her full reparation anc paid all her debts, the excess of assets over debts would amount to >3.779.000,000,000 gold francs.

GERMANY'S DEBTS. LONDON, July 26. The National Association of , Mer - chants and Manufacturers has issued * a, manifesto to the effect, firstly, that Germany should be given such a respite in to the .cash prepafV tions as would, enable her US restore order in her public finances; secondly, they urge tlic cash obligations imposed'by the Treaty of Versailles-should be definitely fixed, at the earliest pos-sible-moment. at a. figure within Germany’s capacity to pay. Thirdly, in order to ascertain this figure, they state the International Bankers’ Committee should resume enquiries, and Report. ’fourthly, the abatement or abolition of the import duties against German goods is advocated, especially those duties necessitated by the indemnity. which might form a part of the return asked from Germany for a settlement of the reparations question.

CROSSE AND BLACKWELL’S BAD YEAR. LONDON, July 26. Messrs Crosse and Blackwell’s loss for the year Was £1,072.000. The chairman reported at the annual meeting tnat the losses were largely due to the duty on sugar exceeding the value of the commodity, making it difficult for jam manufacturers to compete with margarine.

The company is claiming a refund of £600,000 exces profits duty from the Government.