MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 October 1923, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION A LITTLE PUBLICITY. LONDON, October 10. The ‘Morning Post’s” political correspondent says it understands tnat extracts from the Dominion members’ speeches on foreign affairs will be communicated to the Press before the end of the week. BRITISH CABINET. LONDON. October 9. The Central News Agency, referring to tlie reports of a disagreement lie tween Afr Baldwin and Ford Cti.zon in regard to foreign affairs, states that it is authoritatively informed that Ford Curzon submitted a draft of his Fiiilay’s speech at the Imperial Conic’ once 1” Mr Baldwin before its delivery. and tin' Premier approved of it> contents. DOMINIONS REPARATION PLANS LONDON, October 10. The “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent says lie gathers that it will be found impossible to charge the members from tlie Dominions at the conference with only destructive criticism. More than one of them lias worked out concrete proposals op tlu< and that aspect of the reparations and of cognate problems. In pa.-inn-iar there lias been presented to the conference, from one quarter, a comprehensive scheme, embodying a new and positive policy, to serve ns a basis for discussions. This is now ■ under the sin idiny of the Home Government and its experts. ( THE PREFERENCE POLICY. LONDON. October 9. Tile lit. Hon. A. Henderson, f-ab.mi ALP., speaking at Accrington, said the Labour Movement would be called upon presently to face the economic issue in a double form. There was afoot a move for a general scheme ol Imperial tariff preference, and one, lor tariff protection for industries that are suffering through foreign eompettiion. Ili viewed with alarm any development in their economy policy tor helping to divert trade into Imperial channels by means of an arbitrary interference with the present fiscal system. Pheii efforts ought rather to be directed to tlu> economic restoration ol Iturope. Our interests lay in the extension of international! freedom of trade. It would take more than one generation to build up in-ter-lmpcrial trade to the point where it could absorb all the dominions’ produce ami find in tlie dominions a market for all wo manulaoture. Imperial preference, he declared, was therefore a fantastic folly. PROFITS LIMITED. MADRID, OH. 10. The new Spanish Minister of the Interior has issued an order that no food merchant shall make a profit exceeding 5 per cent, interest on his capital and G per cent/’for the expenses of administration. and industrial profits ot •' coni. for unforeseen contingencies. CRAVES DESECRATED BY TURKS. LONDON, Oct. Kb The “.Morning Post’s” Constant iuoplo correspondent states:- 1 roughs entered Dio it ar cemetery hen , .•ml deserctau'd 18 graves, by distillbthe crosses. The keeper inform*, the police, who took no action. Ibe British diplomatic representatives thereupon made strong representations to the Government who expressed i>gret. suspended the police, and esir.Ulished a military guard.

LABOFl! AND l’O Id TIGS. NEW YORK. Od. in At Portland, Oregon, the American Federation of I. a hour decided again-t the formation of a. political parly, in Convention uphold the resolution oi a committee which reported against a number of rc-olution- which proposed I hot I,a hour should form a separate political party. The Federal ion's conservative element which is lead by Mr S. Compels (President ol Ihe Federation) won another victory when the Federation of Labour came to this decision. The Convention, by a vole oi -yyii;ip K) 1 rejected l lie proposal lo create a Labour Party to enter the political lists again-t the Republicans and Democrats.

The Convention approved of a coun-lei-resolution, declaring that experience demonstrated that any attempt to mas- and to direct the potential power of Ltd through any torm of a fixed party .scheme was to destroy the efficiency coming from Labour's flexible mobility of power to meet emergencies in policy and practice. The resolution affirmed that the American Federation of Labour takes sides on principles, hut that no political parties had been fully justified Inexperience.

Some of the speakers during a lengthy debate, prophesied that Bri-ti-li Labour intluem-e would disappear when the Labour Party obtained control of the Government, they claiming that its greate-l potentialities only existed when it functioned the Governnienl's opposition.

A HEIGHT RECORD. LONDON, Oct. Ph The Centra! New- Agency's Paricorrespondent -ay-: Ihe Aero (bub haverified M. I.e Comte's aeroplane height climbing, as cabled on August 3. at 10.7-11 metres, and has adjudged him the holder ot the world s altitude record. M. I.e t'ointo, accordingly, has received the Air Ministry's prise of Ail.milt francs for bringing the height record back to France from America.

TRADE WITH RCSSIA. (Received this day al 0.475 a.m.) LONDON. Oct. BY In connection with the efforts to restore the wiieat export, the Co-oper-ative Wholesale Society of Britain is associating itself with the Soviet Government and the Ru-siau Consumers Society and also with other important British importing brokerage firms. It i- proposed that shipments of wheat shall he sent from Russia against the capital which the combine is subscribing and payments will he made out o, this capital, which will not leave the country except in direct settlement ot accounts rendered. It the scheme E successful it will be applied to skins and other Russian raw materials. PREFERENCE FOR FRUIT. (Received this dav at 9.20 a.m.) LONDON. Oct. 10 Detail- of the Government's preference proposals -how that a duty of 10s fid per hundredweight will be- imposed on dried fruits like apples, pears and peaches enpmating from non-Em-pire countries and 5s per hundredweight on non-Empire grown fruits, including canned.

PONY RACING ENQUIRY. SYDNEY, Oct. IF The Assembly appointed a select committee to enquire into the conduct and. administration of jiony racing particularly with a view to placing it on a nonproprietory basis. This is the outcome of the present ruling conditions and multiplicity. X.S.W. ASSISTANCE. (Received this day at 9.T0 a m.) SYDNEY, Oct. IF Tho State Government has decided to subsidise on a pound for pound basis, up to ten thousand, subscriptions to the Japanese relief fund, and arc also considering the assisting of wheat growers in tlie areas west of Duddo, whose crops have practically failed owing to the drought. VIENNA HOUSE SHORTAGE ["The Times” Service.] (Received this day at 9.0 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. R». The "Times” Vienna correspondent sa v S that the general elections are less than a fortnight ahead. Housing is the burning question ol the moment and there are roughly fifty-live thousand families in A ienna looking lor homes which arc nnohtainalile. Building has lagged since before tlie war, bocause the rents were restricted to safeguard the tenant from evictions. CONDITION OF REFUGEES. LONDON, Oct. ID. The “Times” Athens correspondent says that grave misgivings are expressed regarding the fate of refugees in Salonika this winter. Thousands are herded under the most unsanitary ot conditions and an epidemic is feared. At present the British nre the only people carrying out feeding work. F.S A. GERMAN TREATY. Received this day at 9.0 a.m.) LONDON. Oct. 10. Tim “Times” Berlin correspondent states that it is learned that negotiations for a commercial and consular treaty between Germany and the Lulled A fates, attended by representatives ami experts from both countries, have been taking place in Berlin. Docloi AVkddfchlt, German Ambassador at Washington, is returning to America j„ a low days to lav toe draft before the President and settle certain con troversial points. The Treaty will then lie ready for signature and ratification.

ft provides reciprocational treatment for the most favoured nation ill the importation and exportation of goods between the two countries and creates favourable commercial and consular facilities for German nationals in America and Americans in Germany.