NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1923, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL.

TAX OX AA’ORDS. ROME, Aug.. 1. Italy is favoured witu a comparatively low income tax, but. to make tipi for it. taxation is levied on almost every conceivable commodity. Some genius has recently devised a .scheme to levy a tax on all shop signs, or other public inscriptions, written in a tongue other than Italian. The proposed tax is low, but it has raised a storm of protest. Hairdressers declare that their business would he ruined if they were to abolish the French word •‘Coiffeur” from their shop fronts. And how—they ask - is it- possible to translate “l’ostiches’ 1 or •‘Undulation Marcel,” for which no Italian equivalents exist ’ u:c only Italian word for “hotel” is alnergo,” which is only applied to inferior hotels. The status of any firstclass hotel would he ruined, the owners claim, if ‘'albergo” wore written up outside it. The hnrs are perhaps in the worst plight of all, for there is absolutely no Italian word for '‘liar.” or for some of the best known drinks, such as “\ermoutli” and "Fernet.” Owners ol eat-ing-houses also claim that they cannot po-sibly give up the French word •‘restaurant.” The Italian Touring Club is protest tug violently. As the words “louring Club Italiano" appear on every signpost throughout Italy, the sum it would have to pay would be enormous. I10FX1) TOOKTi lii 1< I.N THE SKA. LONDON, July 21. (IGorge Watts, lib, of Cambridgcroatl, Sc. Albans, who was dressed in pyjamas, a hospital gown, and a blanket, and Florence Gladys Hollies, ol ]>„ihl Cottage. Borden, Siltingbourne. were remanded at Hastings yesterday charged with attempting suicide by drowning. Watts, who is married, was stated to have induced Hollies to leave her situation at ( beam, Surrey, and to draw her savings ol C-’U from the bank. They stayed together at Hastings until their money was spent, and then decided to end their lives. .1 he man fortified himself with a bottle ol whisky and they walked into the sea. A police constable said that, about midnight he heard a call Iniiu the beach and saw the man and woman crossing Hie road. They Intel no lulls and their clothing was saturated. The woman said : "We’ve been walking into the sea to try to drown ourselves"; and Watts added: "We went in nearly up to our necks and wc were washed hack oil to the beach.” He then collapsed and was taken to hospil at. The woman handed to the police a strap will, which she stated she ami the man bound themselves together. TRAFFIC TOWERS. LONDON, duly 111. Dr John A, Harriss, a deputy police commissioner of New York, who lias had charge of liallie ill that city for six years, is in London studying traffic problems.

Dr Harriss is the originator of trallie control towers wlimli have been tried successfully in New York. lie told a Dailv Mail reporter yesterday that lie is trying to bring about the installation of tower control of trallie in London, "(leiieral Norwood. the .Metropolitan Police Commissioner, with whom I have discussed the scheme is much inlerc'led in it,” he said.

''ln eeviam parts of London il is not lea-dd-, Lot there are some centres where | think it might be il-ed with very good results—among oilier places the Mansion House, the Klephaul and ( a-tie, I’iceatlilly-cireus. Oxford-circus and Whitehall. "In ritcli lower in New York there is ope policeman, ’I he m heme is aha I on l lie showing o| a red light all trallie on the road indmaletl stops, "bile it proceeds forward when the light shows green. This is an indication ho! Ii to vehicles and pedestrians. "Since the introduction of the control tower and flashlight system the number of street accidents has been red'icod l’> per cent, in the United Stales.”

Dr Harriss would like to see London use the one-way street traffic system, which every city in the l nitod States is using, and suggests more parking spares lor motor-ears and the iiitmduciiun of the "keep In the right rule as a step towards standardisation of traffic regulation all over !he world. RICHES OF (HINA. I.fDXDOX. July Id. Tie great opportunities for the pro-, litahle employment of capital jn Cfiimi are emphasised in ait atticle contiihulcd'to the current issue of Asia hv .Mr Chaoh'in ( Im, tin- ( Lines Charge ,!'\r. In ires in London. The political troubles of China, |- t . declares, am hut temporary, and are only stub its are incidental in all (trinities to a groat change in (lie form of government. He points to the enormous national wealth of the country in the shape of its ngiitullural and mineral resources, which arc only awaiting the supply of foreign capital to develop with great .rapidity. IJo wi ites :

Foreign financiers need not bo afraid either as to the liabilities or the abt lity to meet obligations to ] ay, of the Chinese Government. If they lend money to China, for railway ci.usivuetioit there is no doubt of the atJliix of the lines to pay when once they nave been built.

j As before the war, the Chinese Government will lie ready and willing to afford all direct Stale guarantees for any railway loan which may ‘be accepted. It v ill do so because it knows mat the dense population and the vast natural resources of the country will afford an absolute certainty for the .success of any approved railway scheme. The Foiled States constructed many lines extending to uninhabited terriloiies. They did not pay at first, but they paid richly afterwards. Rail wavs in China are profitable enterprises fr-a i the von- start, since the population is on the spot and ready to weie ime the innovation. The country as a whole nil! from every standpoint lie benefited by the improvement of the means of transportation. while the wot Id ''.ill be equally benefited by opening up a vast potential market for its manufactures and by ensuring an easy outflow of ilie illimitable natural products upon which its ever-increasing industrialism depends. Railways, by bringing the various parts of the country into touch with each other, will assist unification and promote political tranquility. The Chinese Government will not hesitate to open negotiations for foreign capital when a good and reasonable clfor is forthcoming.