GERMAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1922, Page 3

GERMAN NEWS.

f AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. I A GERMAN MURDER, i ißeceived this day at 12.25 p.m.) j BERLIN, Aug. C. Wilhelm Blume, a man of wide cul- ' tore and considerable literary gifts, whose ! ranslations of English splays proda:in Dresden, were a. great success ,has coniessed to a series of oold-.dooded murders, whereof one was carried out in the Hotel Adlon, the best known Berlin hotel. In Ger--1 many, postal orders are paid in consignees own house. Officials, who : hand o.ver the money have long been favourite quarry for garrotters, who usually overpower the postmen at a quiet corner of the streets. Blume, however, lured postmen to his own ' rooms by himself sending money through the post. Unfortunately the landlady, entered wnile he was killing the postman so Blume cut her throat. He later lured another postman to Adlon, where he got behind the man and slipped a noose over his head and strangled him. The schemes were so I cleverly plaiuned that no suspicion rested on Blume who moved to Dresden where he founded the Dorian Press, but It is literary activities ceased When his earlier murderers seem ed to no forgott-n Blume attempted another murder in a porch in a Dresden house. This time his plans were badly laid and the tenant telephoned for tbe police who caught Blume on the spot. Blume met the police with revolvers in- each hand, shot one of them and fled, but his retreat was cut off. He tried suicide, but both revolvers missed fire. After Blume was wounded in the hand, be was overpowered. GERMAN DOMESTIC CHANGES. (Received this day at 9.50 a.m.) | LONDON, August 5.

Refpirinp to tbe domestic changes in Germany a competent British observer long resident in Beilin, say* the constant depreciation of the mark has bad tbe pnradoxfal effect of devastating domestic budgets and simultaneously greatly strengthening the. authority of unions. Labour is coming into its own. but the time has not yet come to disorganise the country order and force the issues, hound to come of their own accord. Consequently sporadic strikes are being smoothed over-night. The leaders say there is no doubt about tbe growiag force of Communists who arc seceding in considerable number but arc still held in check. No increase in wages can complete with a rise in prices which are leaping ten marks instead of one or two at a time. Great industrials are still forced to buy huge quantities of provisions and let their hands, buy below the increased market rates. Upon hearing the dollar has risen, prices arc altered. Paste pots for fresh price tickets are standing ready in every shop. The people are more reckless than ever, the spending class fluctuates according to results of the oxchance speculation. The same faces arc not often seen in expensive places, hut the gaps are promptly foiled. Civil servants journalists and similar people think themselves fortunate to got a meat dinner once weekly, pensioners formerly well to do are ill a miserable state 'i lid landlords who formerly lived comfortably on tbe proceeds of tenements of six to twenty flats. Statistics now- give Herman workers rent at fonrpenec half penny, compared with Britishers ten shillings. An unskilled worker’s family is just enabled to live by spending all but a fraction of the entire income on food, whereas the landlords are reduced to beggary.