MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1923, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. FOOD INVESTIGATION. LONDON. Dec. 20. The report of tie* Food Investigations Board dealing with canned fruit and botulism, states i! botulins gain acce.-s to fruit which was carried, the temperatures ol shi* p-rocc-s

which have so far been adopted are likely to be inadequate* to kill all spores at present, but any vegetative forms and toxins probably would be destroyed. The fails suggest that while perfectly sound tins may contain spores ot botulm,‘ they will net. set up boudi.sm unless toxins are also present.. Apart from tin* rare possibility that -pores are present in enormous i.umbers, if tin tin* contain toxin they v. ill show obstriisive signs, la* blown or the contents have an offensive adorn* which should lead to their rejection. FOOD DICTATOR. LONDON. Dm*. 20. The ' .Morning Host's" Haris rones pondent states that consequent upon an increasing outcry against the high cost, of living, the Freiieh Government has decided to create a special hods under M. R imbert. Director of Supplies at the War Office, who is essentially a man of action, and who is hailed as a dictator charged with the suppression of profiteering. M. R imbert declares: “1 shall -ci*|, to restrict the private advances, often excessive ot certain producers and dealers. I -hall la-gin with bread. When wheat prices arc stabilised, I shall investigate other ncirxiil*ir*-: lirfiirc trying to reduce pi ice-. f propose coding their mummed ri.-e. The speculation in flour h.”.s become frenzied.’’

I* I LUTING CANTER. LONDON. December 2d. Dr. Child,*. I're-id; nt of the Brit ish .Medical Association, spearing in support of the cancer re-enidt campaign said: “Though we know more about the disease ami its treatment, the vietoiy over cancer is no nearer than it was fin ty years ago." NEW YEAR HONOURS. LONDON, December 2d. The lobbyist of the "Daily Express” stales that tin* New Year political honours will include two or thro* peerages. Several of .Mr Raid'.* m's associates will be I.minuted. There is an unemilinned rumour that a dukedom will L* conierred on the Maiquis Curzon. FORTUNE EDI: VISCOUNT. I.UNDOX. 1,1, ember 20. The “Daily Express" understands that. Ais-oiiot Long .on! his -oil vv 1 1! receive a legacy of £IOO.OOO under the will of the late Captain Ouiimm-Diek. the Yi-eoiml's cousin. ROYALEST v. ANARCHIST. I’ARIS. Deeemher 2d. Extraordinary si cues on Hi red when the trial of Mdllo Germaine Bcrlhow was resumed. The U reside tit cleared the Court half a dozen times owing to altercations between Royalists and A tin leftists. ■While M. Hamlet*. the Royalist leader, was giving evidence AI (111 e Germaine rose in the dork. Clutching her red bow in one hand and pointing a linger of scorn at Dambt with the other, she declared : "I said yesterday that I was net .sorrv that 1 killed I’laterm. lint I now say to your face that, 1 am smiy I killed him when I might have killed you.' 1 Fproar followed, in which a Royalist present* challenged the gill's counsel to a duel. Accused defiantly said * “! acted on tin* own initiative and had no accomplice-. I only wiMied to avenge the death ol .latire.-:."

JAPAN MS K A UFA IRS. TO KlO, Bee. 2L. A Bill providing for a reduction oi the Restoration Budget was passed by the Bower House by a large majority. The newspapers anticipate Government will introduce their promised Suffrage Bill at the forthcoming regular session of the Diet and go to Ihe i country, on this issue. Saimiji's condition at present is not critical and the physicians are Impel id. FOOT AND MOUTH DIS.KASF. BONBON, Bee. 20. Forty-six new outbreaks of foot and mouth disease occurred on Wednesday, of which thirlv-two were in Cheshire. The compensation now totals £1,307.009. The cattle slaughter ed toatl 10,099. The spread of the plague is causing consternation among farmers, many of whom assert the Government’s police of wholesale slaughter has utterly failed. ’I hey urge an alternai ivc policy ol isolation and treatment. A large representative meeting of Cheshire -farmers at Crewe revealed cases where cattle that were condemned were cured before the overworked slaughtrers were able to reach the farmers. Vet the Ministry ol Agriculture refused to reconsider its condemnation, and the cattle v.dl he killed and Burnt to-morrow. Farmer alter leVm.Vr agi'eed that loot and mouth disease could he cured if treated immediately. It, was said the pole axe was knocking the bottom out of tin- Cheshire dairy industry. Sir Stewart Stockman. Chief \ rtin-I'l-ai-y Officer of the Board of Agriculture. however, was not convinced. He said the period of immunity of the cured animal was short. D would contract the disease again, and restart n vicious circle. One elderly farmer reported that fortv years ago slaughtering was not tl,ought of, and the disease was mired. One aged farmer with the appearance of a Hebrew prophet, denounced the Government's policy on the grounds of cruelty. He cried: “Show merry. and mercy wili he shown to you 1 You cannot combat this disease, because the I.ord is not with you." NO AY A OF, CUTS. BONBON. Dec. 21. Following a long inquiry, the National- Wages Hoard has issued an award against the Railway Company's proposed wage reductions, and other economies, totalling four millions sterling. It has conceded minor points. It is officially stated the com panics though disappointed will -ic.-i-pt the award. Mr ,1. H. Thomas recommends the men's acceptance. The newspapers praise the peaceful settlement. MUSSOLINI'S SOLUTION. LONDON. Be-. J). The Daily Telegraph’s Borne correspondent says:—Signor Mussolini, at a meeting of employers and workers, delivered "a speech which is regarded as historic from the viewpoint of Italian industry. Tie declared that the nation must present a united trout as between capital and hdmur. Men must ho taken as they are, and class warfare avoided. The meeting unanimously approved the speech, and decided to draw up a scheme for national, permanent eo.-ppevntiop ;