BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1923, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. TALLOW SALES POSTPONED. LONDON, July 25. Owing to the dock strike the tallow sales have been postponed. SAILS WITHOUT CARGO. LONDON, July 25. After her departure had twice been postponed, the steamer Hobson’s Raj is sailing for Australia, the Commonwealth Line announcing that as the passenger list was fully booked up it had no option but to despatch her without the cargo now alongside. 2,800,000 TO THE £. LONDON, July 25. The exchange rate at Berlin was » 2,800,000 marks to the £ after touching three million. Ii.A.WJLA. WOOL SALES. LONDON, July 23. The B.A.W.R.A. wool sales have been fixed to he held at Liverpool on Ith October, and at Hull on I2th Octoher. THE BETTING TAX. LONDON, July 25. lii giving evidence before the Betting Tax Commission Sir Ernest Beachwell, of tho Home Office, thought that tho licensing or the registering of bookmakers premises would decrease street betting. The Home Office was wholly opposed to legalising betting and making bets recoverable by law. It was the considered opinion of the Homo Office that a considerable amount of the unemployed dole went into tho hands of the bookmakers.

PRICES RISE WHILE YOU WAIT. LONDON, July 26. Regarding tho mark's fall, an exam- w ple of the effect of the rising prices is given by the ease of a woman who purchased a pair of white cotton gloves. For tlie gloves she agreed to pay 29,000 marks. She said she would take them. She had left one glove on, and was taking the notes from her purse to pn\. when the hells began to ring, and rod lights flashed. The shop assistant then said: “Sorry madam, the index figure has changed. The gloves are now 60,000 marks!” The customer protested, hut she paid.

Yesterday morning, tho Reichsbank having sent large notes to the Ruhr, was paying out mainly 5000-mark notes aml only the most modest- of its customers could get home with the proceeds of their cashed cheques without a cab. Million mark notes are promised in another week, which, it is hoped, will ameliorate tho situation.

DIABETES CURE. LONDON. July 25. Dr Banting (discoverer of Insulin, tho cure for diabetes) maintained his reputation for modesty when the British A Medical Association discussed the insulin cure. He took his seat at tho back of the hall, being obviously anxious to evade notice. When the president called his name, the whole assembly of doctors craned their nocks to get a glimpse of his frail, youthful figure. Dr. Banting spoke very few words, most- of which were in appreciation of the way the medical men had received liis experimental work. Dr. Hinder acknowledged Dr Banting’s wonderful contribution to science, hut lie uttered warning against undue optimism. Some eases might ho benefited little, and others not at all.

NAUGHTY CHILDREN. LONDON. July 2G. Doctors, discussing naughty children, -- at the British Medical Association’s Congress at Portsmouth, described how some revel in naughtines for the sheer pleasure of reducing their parents to a state of nervous prostration. Dr Cameron, one of the gratest authorities on children, instanced the ease of a girl, aged 10, whose mother was distressed because the child was horribly interested in deaths and murders. He continued:—“When eve returned to the waiting-room, where the child was left, while her mother consulted me. wo found a. charming little girl, all smiles and dimples. She had selected a book on skin diseases from the hook case, ami was looking at an unpleasant illustration. Her mother turned pale, and threw up her hands in horror. Then the child closed the hook with a smile of utter satisfaction, having achieved her object, which was simply to make her mother shiver.” *

.MR LLOYD GEORGE’S ARTICLE. LONDON, July 25. Mr Lloyd George’s 23rd article deals with the Lausanne Treaty.

BULGARIAN RAILWAY DISASTER. VIENNA, July 20. The latest details of the Bulgarian railway accident show that 200 were killed. Three hundred were injured. Up to date there have boon 100 terribly mutilated bodies found. The accident .is attributed to faulty signalling. SUICIDE PREVENTED. PARIS, July 25. A Pule, working in the devastated areas, (limbed a tree, and shouted to tho villagers below:— “T am going to jump into another world.” The Pole then tied his braces round his neck and slipped them round a branch. Meanwhile a Gendarme came up, and he pulled out a revolver, and threatened to shot the Pole if he jumped. The Pole, however, did jump. The the Gendarme, climbing the tree, cut the hi aces. The Polo is now in the hospital with a broken leg. a fractured arm, and a sore throat.

THE PLIGHT OF HUNGARY

LONDON. July 20.

Lord Curzou, in the House of Lords, said the Government was giving its full support- to Hungary’s appeal to the .Powers to raise a loan, as Great Britain desired to prevent Hungary s i ollapse with its incalculable consequences. He hoped the Reparations Commission would reconsider its decision and refer the question to the League of Nations. Earl Grey said that the success achieved in regard to Austria might rcadilv he applied to Hungary. INTERNATIONAL LOAN. LONDON. July 20. Negotiations with Berlin renaming the issue of an international loan on •t gold basis have been concluded. The loan will shortly he issued, and the total will Is? one and a half million sterling, interest at'five per cent, and will mature in twelve years.

PI LOTLESS AEROPLANE. /Received this day at 8.50 a.m.) PARIS, July 20. The first long journey by an aeroplane. wirelessly controlled, was made 1 v a machine which Hew from 1a ns to Tours and returned, tho distant® bein* ‘>Bo miles. The aeroplane missed Tours by three miles, hut- returned without a deviation.