BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1923, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION, J INDIAN LAWS. I DELHI. Eel). 22. Ihe Legislative Assembly imanimoii.sly pa-.-ed the Racial Distinction Bill with one important amendment, providing for appeal against whipping. I he bill is regarded as important, since it repn-ents a compromise between European and Indian interest-. A bill was introduced to amend the Ugnl Prm lit ioner.s Act by permitting qualified woilieu to heroine eligible for onrolinriiL- as legal practitioners. The -dect Committee unanimously invented the removal of sex disqualification. It is expected government will shortly give (.‘licet to the measure. SDCTII AFRICAN AFFAIRS. CAPETOWN. Fell. 22. In the Assembly, the Premier mile timed that negotiations are still imiccediug uith Portugal regarding the Mozambique Conven.tion. There is no prospci i ol a eonclii.-inii before 31st .March, when the Convention expires. Meantime a pint i-ioiial agreement has be< n teach. I to extend the provisions tegarding the supply of Natives for the .Mine- for -ix months; hut other portions will lapse, including the South African government'.- guarantee !*> give the Delagoa railway a certain per outage , l traffic. IT v t mile in the products of South Africa and Mozambique ceases. 11l ft ply In a qtle.-t inn. the Rremier declared the Union Govern.milt had HO* 1 1 -on culls lilted nve; Iho iin-t it 11tionai i-'-irs counei'ted ..oh IGuva. Ho declined I o -übini t Ihe imp i*. r to the British Government utile-- invited tu do so. WEI.I. KNOWN FRENCHMAN. PARIS, Fell. 22. Obituary M. Dclea-so. ex-politician and 1 1 i 11 1 > i;) •• 1 1 . at Nice. NOTE I) FRFNCIIMAN. PARIS, Feh. 23. The death i- announced of M. '!'!•>■- phile Delca.-sc, at flu- age of 71. I!* was the nio-t neeted French Foreign Minister in pre-war days, and wa - |tfmia.lly prnmiuent in Hie eunfliels of foreign policy with (lenminy in Mnroco and elsewhere. The late M. Delcasse had been suffering l<*r several mouth- from heart trouble, and was obliged to live in the South of Frame. lie attended a charity eoneer! in the evening, and

appeared well. Ini;, v, hen returnifig. | fell down in the road, owing to a. ( sudden attack of cerebral congestion. He wa- found dead. Madame Delcasse D herself -o ill that ii has been impossible to tell her of the death of ] her husband. j BLACK I \ R(>!'R . CAPETDWN. Feh. 23 In the Union A-embly, the Premier, General Smuts, announced that negotiations were, still proceeding with Portugal regarding the Mozambique Convention. There was no prn-peet of a conclusion before March 31. when the Convention expire-. In the meantime, a provisional agreement had been reached to extend the provisions regarding the supply of natives for Ibe mines on the Rand for six month-, but other portions will lapse, including the .South Africa Government's guarantees to give the Delagoa. railway a certain percentage of traffic. Free trade in the products of South. Africa and Mozambique ceases also. In reply to a question, the Premier declared that the Union Government had not been consulted over the constitutional issues connected with Kenya. He declined to submit the matter to the British Government, unless invited to do

WIFE'S EXTR AY AO ANTE. LONDON. Feb. 22. Mr Justice Mc-Carelic (who is a baeliolor himself i is hearing a ea-e arising from Captain Nash's wile s alleged desire to he London’s best dressed woman. The firm of 1 alio l , ol Baris and London, are suing Captain Nash for (.'(2)7 for dresses supplied to Mrs Nash within a period of only six months. During the hearing, Justice McCanlie asked defendant's counsel whether ho thought it woman dressed In please men or to please women.® Counsel : I think to annoy other women. Justice MeCanlie: What proportion of a husband’s income ought to be devoted to decorating his wife.Counsel: That depends on their station in life. For people like the Nashs with a flat and a house in the West End. lour hundred a year ought to he enough. This appears, at present, to be the husband's total income. He was an officer in the Army.

The .Judge: Wluu is he to do? Counsel: File a petition and retire from the scene! Justice .MeCanlie: He can retire from matrimony, but not Irom his responsibilities as a hu-bami. Ihe hi" holds him to them. .lastiee MeCanlie. in view of the social importance of the question involved. reserved judgment. RENT AVAR IN BRITAIN. LONDON. Feb. 23. A battle is likely in the Commonover the Rent Increase Bill, which is likelv to prove the big struggle ol He' session. Mr Douglas Hogg has introduced tin. Bill, lie explained thai it legalises nut increase notices as from December last. Landlords could not recover arrears that were not eolleettd lie!ore December. but any arrears kept bars Jiu December l-t would be retovt'iable. He admitted that n u ospreti vc legislation was laid, hut the public had been warned in December ol th.- <>ovei'iinient's intention in legislate. The Government wished to do a fair thing in difficult circumstances . Sir John Simon urged that, under this Bill, tha tenants who had gone on strike and refused to pay _tl»c increased rents would be let off, while those who bad paid such routs would be penalised. A number of labourites, particular!) the Glasgow contingent. indignantly demanded tile rejection of the Bill, on the ground that it altered a judicial decision. They also threatened that such legislation would give a Labour Government a precedent for retrospective legislation connected with the land.

Sir R. Horn (ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer) supported the Bill, but reluctantly. as a rough and ready solution. lie pointed out that the newfound zeal on the part of the Labour Party for could only be attributed to the fact that on this occasion " legality could bo combines! with loot. Hero angry interruptions took place. Mr Skelton .retorting, asked the Labourites to bohave ‘more like a kmdervarten and less like a bear garden. ph Labourites then tried to shout Mr Skelton down. The Speaker s intervention closed the incident. PROFITS SURTAX. LONDON. Feb. 22.

Replying to a question in the House ol Commons regarding the large profits of the industrial concerns, Mr S Baldwin (Chancellor of the Exchequer hinted that the question of a special ■ urtax would lie raised in the fortlicopitng Budget debate.