AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1924, Page 3

AMERICAN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAULK ASSOCIATION. CONSULATE DISPUTE. WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 The Stale Department has aniioiine ed that the Newcastle consulate disfllTto with llritaiu can he settled as soon a Britain withdraws her charges against the U.S.A. Consuls, Messrs Slater and Brooks, who were originally accused of discriminating in favour of American shipping. The statement of tlie Department insists that the charges were proved to have been false, for which reason Britain should exonerate the Consuls. The officials here expect Mr Ramsay MacDonald will take such steps as desired, especially as the business organia lions at Newcastle regarded tho original British censure as not being warranted.

MARYLAND’S DEMAND. NEW YORK. Fob. 22. A telegram from Annapolis, Maryland, says that the I.over House of Maryland State Legislature has adopted a resolution calling on Ci ngross to repeal the Volstead Act, thus evincing an open hostility which is the outgrowth of earlier efforts made merely to reform and liberalise the A olstead Law (cabled on November 30th. and December 19th). Maryland State has been consistently the most bitter opponent of prohibition.

The resoluton will be sent both to Congress and to Prescient Coolidgo for consideration.

ENORMOUS SMUGGTANG NEW YORK, Feb.

Liquor smuggling into America has increased greatly in recent months. The nun fleets now operating on the American Const number 158 vessels.

The United States Coastguards have announced that the liquor brought from Scotland alone, during the jmst three months is estimated at H0,<03 gallons in hulk, and 26,705 gallons in eases. The shipments of whisky from Europe since January of 1 922 have amounted to 101,241 gallons in eases, and 415,904 gallons in bulk. Tinguards estimate they are able to intercept only five per cent, of the illicit traffic.

COTTON SLUMP. NEW YORK, Feb. 21

The news of the settlement of the British Dock Workers' strike has exercised a. cheering effect upon the cotton market, cheeking a week’s steady price decline at the 30 per cent per pound level. March cotton has been selling nt 30 conts, May cotton 30, cents, representing declines of approximately seven cents per pound from last November’s high records, and nearly five rents from the height reached early this month. The recent storms caused a general wariness as to futures, because the havoc wrought may seriously impair the prospects of a good start for the 1924 crop, which would increase July’s present price ol -> cents, and October’s 26 cents.

OIL SCANDALS. WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 Failing to induce President Coolidge immediately to remove Mr Daugherty from the office of Attorney-General l,is critics to-day laid out a plan of campaign which, it was predicted, would force his removal. They expect to make public new information. At the hearing of the charges there was revealed much material collected by those opposing Air Daugherty, and data that was gathered by individual ■' Senators in the oil enquiry has been also withheld, in the hope that the President would voluntarily clear the administration of those under attack. A report that Mr Daugherty bought and sold Sinclair oil stocks is now under investigation by the Senate Oil Committee.