MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1924, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION THE FRANC’S RECOVERY. GERMAN ONSLAUGHT REVEALED . PARIS. Alarcli 17. b Police at Lille discovered a private ■house with fourteen telephone wires, where four German clerks wore in telephonic communication be twice n Paris and Germany. This was the headquarters of the Gorman raid upon the franc. The owners paid one thousand francs daily on trunk calls. The first directed police attention to tlie place. All the books and documents there were seized. The Al mister of Finance also issued a circular to all the bankers and stockbrokers prohibiting their carrying over all foreign currency or advances on securities which might give foreign speculators supplies of francs. It i» hoped that this will nip all the speculation in the bud. So far none of tlie United States or British moneys have been used to support the franc. The Government boi>e to stabilise the liaue at 82. V to the £. A TOUCHING CKREAIONY. LONDON, IMarcli 17. Tlie bodies of twenty-eight French soldiers and sailors who died of wounds in Britain have been exhumed and taken to France for reburial. There were touching ceremonies at Dover, where each coffin, covered with the Tri-colour and decked with a wreath of hay leaves, was carried to a French destroyer, which steamed out of the harbour while the guns of Dover Castle boomed a farewell, A FACTORY EXPLOSION. ROME; Alarcli 16. Sixteen were killed and seven teen injured through an explosion in a match factory at Corio. Ihe victims were buried in blazing ruins, where twenty tons of inflammable material, including a large quantity ol chlorat<k_„ of potassium, was stored. CHIEFS EXECUTED. TEHERAN. Alarcli 16. Advices from Khoramabad state that Amir Oemonazan and Nonzor AH Khan, the chiefs of the Hassanwand and Piruaswand tribes, respectively, and also thirteen petty chiefs, were executed as the result of lecent internal troubles there.

GREEK POLITICS.

ATHENS, March 17

The negotiations of the new Republican Premier with the Royalist leaders,

according to the newspapers, have resulted in a draft agreement, which has been telegraphed to the King, whoreunder His Majesty would abdicate voluntarily on condition that Hit retained four-fifths of the Civil List and also most of the Crown domains, while inteinnl peace would be obtained bv a general amnesty, the reinstatement of capable officers and officials, the proclamation of a republic by the Assembly to be ratified by a plebiscite, the establishment of a Senate with royalists participating; and the holding of elections under an impartial government.

VETERAN LIFE SAVER

PARIS, Afareli 17

M. Doscoins, a retired tradesman, aged 85, while smoking his pipe at As- • nieres, on the Seine, saw ;* woman drop into the river. He dashed out. took a header, swam some distance and managed to catch the woman by the hail, lie saved her, and then, without waiting, lie ran home, and double locked bis door, fearing congratulations. At. Deseoins previously won several medals for life saving at sea. including three people in one day. A GOV Kit XM ENT WIN. PARIS, March 10. C The 'Senate rapidly adopted Articles Four to Thirty-Throe of the Finance Bill. There was a long dismission on the Thirty-Fourth, providing for the abolition of the Stale match monopoly. The Minister of Finance explained that the monopoly produced seventy-five million francs. The now svsteru was estimated to produce ninetyone million. It cost more to manufacture State matches than to import. The abolition was adopted by 1(53 votes to 119 votes. The division was accepted as a of confidence in tue Government. BRITISH MINERS. LONDON, March 17. The “Daily Herald” lobbyist estimates that the Government is likely to have a majority of twenty at the second reading of tbe Minimum Wages Bill for miners. MOSAIC PANEL UNVEILED IN COMMONS.

: !Received this dav at 10.45 a.m.A ; | LONDON, March 17’ The last of four mosaic panels com- ! incinerating England, Ireland, Scotland and AYales was unveiled by the donor. Patrick Ford, in the Central Hall of the Commons, in the presence i of a distinguished assemblage, inelud- _ < - ! Rig the Speaker. The panel represents —f ' St? Patrick in a Bishop’s robes and ] hands clasped with the prayer “Roelc I of Cashc” in the background. 1 .Mr T. P. O'Connor, said the fresco symbolised the message of reconstruction and peace in all parts of the Brij ttsh Commonwealth.