BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1923, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. BYE-ELECTION. (Received this dav at 9.30 a. n.) LONDON, February 10. Mr Boscawen. in an election address at Mitcham, where Worsfold, Conservative, resigned owing to ill health, says Government proposes a new Housing Bill to overcome the present shortage of houses, and will co-operate with the enterprise through local authorities. Rent restrictions must he removed gradually in order not to inflict, grievous hardships on the working class, middle class and tenants. hampering coal export. LONDON. February 10. The Coal Exporters’ Association have adopted a resolution pointing out that though tlie export demand was never greater and many mines had to close because several coal ports, particularly in South Wales, were congested. which was due to the Trimmers and Tippers Unions refusing to allow more than two shifts to work per day. SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN. LONDON. February In. The Admiralty have begun to pay a sum aggregating five millions to widows orphans and dependants <*f seamen who Inst (heir lives as a result of the .submarine campaign ; also to those crippled or otherwise sulli riug. Individual amounts range from 839 in £-!*! sterling. arsenic in tea. 'Received Ibis dav at 9.30 ii.'iO LONDON. February Id. Arsenic lias been discovered in Chinese green tea. of which large'quantities have been distributed to retail shops. A frantic effort is now being made to truce the tea, and to withdraw it. The arsenic is due to the green colouring matter with which this tea is ‘’filed,” as the trade term has il. Hitherto the iiutiioril h s have cover tested tea for arsenic.

LIGHT SKMI-TMESEI ENGINE. (Received (Ids dav at 9..30 a.m.l LONDON. February Id. The Air Ministry is building a sixteen hundred lioi-e power aviation engine. which will bo the must powerful in the world. It will be on llio semiDiesel principle, burning crude oil instead of petrol. The Height of the semi-Diesel engine has been a bar to its use in aircraft hitherto. This drawback is tluw being overcome. It is hoped the new engine will be free from stoppages nliich are so frequent in the petrol engine. An air liner fitted with two sixteen bundled horsepower engines should be able to carry a. hundred passengers across the Atlantic in twenty-four hours. M A If.RIE D FEM AI. F, TEACH E RS. (Received this day at 10,30 a m ) LONDON. February Id The London County Council, after a three hours’ debate, adopted a resolution that henceforth all women teachers must resign on marriage, unless specially exempted, or they have incapacitated husbands, or their husbands desert them. The decision will not affect the present teachers. twenty-six per cent of whom are married. The Progressives and Labour voted for the employment of married women, and tlm Moderates against. Rev. Stewart Tlendlan declared: ‘’Why should the schools he staffed entirely by vestal virgins?” Mr Scott Ledgett thought the proposal struck at the root of equal freedom for the sexes.

The majority held that women could not successfully teach and run homes simultaneously. FINANCIAI. MATTERS. •'Received this dav at 10.30 n.m ) LONDON, February IT The “Daily Telegraph’s” Paris correspondent says the financial market has been buoyant for several days. Today it was effervescent, and purchasers were so eager. Tt was difficult to find nil the securities wanted, and prices went up by leaps and bounds. .Sterling is quoted at 77.83. The stiffening of foreign currencies gave a new fillip |o securities, but when tli» general financial and political situation is considered, the Bourses lemnrkuble activity dues not indicate n sound situation. Turkish and even Russian funds advanced with everything else NEWSPAPER POSTAGE. LONDON, February 15. Hon. Xevill" Chamberlain. Postmas-ter-General. informed a newspaper deputation that he was unable to reduce the postage rates, as the newspaper', already involved the l’o-t Oil: r in a heavy' nnnn.l loss. BRITAIN’S UN EM 1 ’l,O YE D. LONDON. February 15. The registered unemployed In Britain is 1.386.000. ITALIAN SHIP BTUI. 1)1 N'O INDUSTRY. ROME. February 15. With a. view to aiding the Italian shipbuilding industry and preventing the spread of unemployment. < love nment have decided to grant a subvention of one hundred and fifty million lire towards shipbuilding for the period of 1923-26: also shipbuilding will lie exempted from customs duties on all material imported. Including machinery. In addition to this, now ships will be exempt from all taxes. EMPIRE EXHIBITION' TROUBLES. LONDON. February 15. Official —The Empire Exhibition Executive Council considered Sir .TovnI son Hicks’ report and adjourned. Tt is learned the adoption of the report was postponed because it was feared ail I Act of Parliament will lie necessary to validate Air Traverse Clarke’s appointment. Lord Devonshire is consulting tile Crown Law officers with a view to finding a solution not needing a reference to Parliament.

THE BERF.SFORD ESTATE. LONDON. February 15. Lord Marcus Beresford left €35.641 sterling. He bequeathed all liis racehorses and bloodmnres to the King as “a. small token of humbled respect and gratitude for his kindness to me.”

ANCIENT EGYPT. LONDON, February 15

A Luxor correspondent states to-day’s removals completed tlie first chamber. As fwo statues are guarding tlie inner tomb they will ho left in that position for the actual opening. The principal object brought out to-day was the celebrated lion’s conch. The heavy gilding was astonishingly fresh and flashed in the sunshine as if it were done yesterday. instead of three thousand years ago. It was built originally of many pieces, ft was taken to pieces for removal. The reassembling proved that the parts fitted together as perfectly as when made. A minute examination of the small box in the laboratory reveals the tiny figure of Aklmaton. which was apparently a pendant worn on the neck. The fascinating ornament was once broken, but was carefully mended.

Mr A face, an expert from the New York Metropolitan Museum lias undertaken one of tlie most intricate tasks of his career in reconstructing the Corselet. parts of which were found scattered in various places and is a veritable jigsaw puzzle of thousands of minute golden links of different shapes, portions of which are intact and prove to bo quite flexible. They are fasten: d on like a chain mail.

SCOTS .MONEY BOX. (Received this dav at 11.30 a.m.) LONDON. February 10.

The '‘Daily Mail” reveals that by a curious trick of late the lamons Scots' money box which was believed to have perished during a lapse of centuries. 1 1 :is been rediscovered in London, An Englishman in U !W (i purchased it while searching for antiques in a Whitechapel marine store, tie did not know it-: significance until recently, when he showed it to a S: ofeli friend, who repurclia-- d if on behalf of tlie Royal Scottish Corporation. The box was instituted in l.tjll by a number of Scottish craftsmen forming a society styled tile .Scottish Box. The idea was for peri: dical contributions for relief of distressed Scots which was really the forerunner of the modern friendly societies. The box hears the inscription 1011 and 108.1. CRICKETERS’ ALMANAC. LONDON. Eel, lA. In \\ isdoii'- Cricketers' Almanac. Sydney Pardon \\ tdie .“English cricket in 1922 was appreciably boiler than in 1921. bo ! do not cherish the illusion that own with Hobbs’ help we could have beaten tlm great Australian Eleven, on a. hard wicket, because wo stil lacked tlie requisite bowling. Many of our bowlers bad remarkable records in County Cricket, but we had none of the old le-t match standard. Winn one or two of these came forward, and tliev arc overdue, we mav regain our

old .supremacy. Watching the batsmen make their big score, day after day. I constantly wondered how would we have fared if Gregory ami MacDonald bad been bowling at them.’