MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1923, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

aC3TRAT.TA.N- AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. IN THE COMMONS. (Received this dav at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March '■ In the Commons, Mr Barlow proposed amending the unemployment insurance bill extending the benefits te October. He warned guardians not to try to improve upon the present generous scale of benefits. He said in many areas the guardians relief and insurance benefit together were equivalent to the standard rate for unskilled labour. Mr dynes complained tile measure was insufficient and disappointing. Mr MacNainara urged public utility schemes and Empire settlement schemes should la* used to decrease nilemployment. Mr Mayday disapproved ol insurance by industries, because industries with the lowest percentage of unemployment would contract out of the scheme leaving the residue o! casual seasonal trades to bear the burden. Mr Sidney Webb said six hundred thousand unemployed were not getting the unemployment benefit. Owing to the increasing stringency of the administration, there was a growing tlisxatisinction against the Government on this account. The Bill was read a second time without division. LONDON. Mareli (i. Mr Bonar Law announc'd in the Commons that Him runieut had decided to appoint a ( ommii tee to inquire into the co-operation of the three services fiotn the point of view of national. Imperial defence.

Replying Viscount Cur/.in he said he had iminid a speech in which Mr Bruce was convinced en imperial Conference should he held at the earliest possible moment, lie said he was in communictitinu with tic Dominions and hoped it would he possible to bold a Con ft're me later in the year.

Sir Joyn.sou links answering questions. said tin', expenditure on the Empire Exhibition to dale totalled threequarters of a- million. It was e-limntrd it would have reached £2. (35,•!■'!'! whin tic exhibition clo vd. A PROLONGED EIGHT. LONDON. .March 5. A three quarters of an hour fight Look plate between thirty national soldiers and seventy-live rebels using muchine guns. The Nalionals retired, but renewed the light, in the evening capturing two Irregulars . EXCIIANG E. (Received this (lav at S a.m.) LONDON. March o. Foreign exchanges.- Paris 77.05 francs; Stockholm 17.57 kroner; Chris-j tiania, 25.75; Copenhagen 2-1..13; Timlin 10(5,000; Rome 0-; Calcutta 1(1', ; Yokohama 2-f 5-8; Hongkong 27.1 : Montreal -178; New York 170 3-8. Bradford woo! is unchanged awaiting the London opening. THE DEFEATED MINISTER. (Received this dav tit 8 a.m.) LONDON, Mareh ■>. Sir A. Boscnwen has resigned. It is expected Mr Neville Cluubcrlain will succeed Sir A. .Boscnwen. Tin* “Daily Chronicle” -ays Mr Bonar Law’s inability to find seats for colleagues on the very morrow of a general election is humiliating beyond precedent. One need not be surprised if the buffeted, damaged Ministry n*• hack to drydock for reconstruct ion r repairs. TO SAVE THE “VICTORY." (Received this dav at 9.3(1 a.m.) LONDON, March tl. An anonymous well-wisher of the Navy sent- fifty thousand to a fund to save Nelson’s Victory, cabled on Oct. 20th. Admiral Sturdee is receiving smaller subscriptions front all parts of the Empire: also gifts of a few shillings subscribed by school children. GERMAN BIRTH-RATE. BERLIN. March fi. Germany is alarmed at the birthrate. which has fallen from twenty-nine in 1913 to 25.(i last year. The death rate for tho same period increased from 1(5.8 to 18.5. Berlin’s population in 1922 declined four thousand. GERMAN FRAUDS. (Received (his day at 10 a.m.) BERLIN. Ain reh (!.

Since the war Germany has been fertile in novel frauds. All cigarettes are subject to ail excise duty ol forty per cent, and a luxury tax of six per cent, more. The lac that the tax lias been paid is certified by a band gummed oil the boxes. Forgers found it a, highly profitable- source of iucom:i ill counterfoiling tin* baud. About live hundred million < igarottes, being twenty-five per cent, of the total escaped duty annually owing to forged excise bands, representing a loss to tin’ Exchequer of two millions sterling.

FRANCE AND CANADA. (Received this dnv at <1.30 a.-n.) LONDON, A!arch (!. As a return fur hospitality accorded to tho French train exhibition in Canada during 1921. also to promote closer relations with Canada, a Bill backed by M. Milk'rand and M. Poincare was deposited in the Chamber, authorising an expenditure of thro- and a hall million francs on the organisation of a- Canadian travelling exhibition which will tour France from May to September. Theexhibition will consist of a great convoy of motor vehicles, a number of which will be specially constrm trd lor exhibition purposes. SOVIET'S AIR ARMY. (Received this day at 19 a.in ) LONDON. March. G. French newspapers after investigating in Russia, declare thu Soviet has concluded a contract with a German group of aerial designers and manufacturers which arc developing on a largescale. enabling the Gormans to evade the treaty provisions. The newspapers regard this as the most serious menace. They believe the Germans arc taking advantage of the facilities to evolvei giant metal troops carrying, aeroplanes. The idea of a Red army of the air is said to greatly appeal to the Soviet. The “Echo de Paris" declares one ol the factories in charge of German employs a thousand workmen. GREEK DANGER. .Received this dnv at 9.30 n.m A LONDON. March G. The “Daily Mail’s” Brindisi correspondent- states travellers from Athens declare a counter-revolution is brooding. Guns are mounted at commanding points round Athens. The people pro tired of increased taxation and military domination. General Metaxas. formerly King Constantine’s chief of staff, is prominently mentioned in connection with the movement, MIGR ANTS TO COLONIES. 'Received this dnv at 8.30 n.m.) LONDON, March 6. Tn the Commons, replying to Air Page Croft (Bournemouth) Sir Joynsnn~ Hicks said migrants from Britain during 1922 totalled to Australia 37 773: to New Zealand 11,651; to South Africa 5.396; to Canada 42,606.