MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1924, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. BELGIAN POLITICS. LONDON, April 4. A Brussels correspondent says the feminist movement in Belgium is slowly but surely making headway. The latest triumph came yesterday when the Chamber decided by 110 to 18 that henceforth women may he appointed judges in commercial courts. Belgian women are already eligible for membership of the Chamber and Senate, though not allowed to participate in tho elections to those assemblies, their electoral rights only extending to municipal bodies.

-MEAT EXPERIMENT FAILS. LONDON -March 4

Experimental shipment of New Zealand beef chilled by the Linley process aboard the steamer Kent is a failure. Woddels slate it was not a real test because the chilling machinery went wrong, necessitating the meat being frozen after the shipment left Montevideo. It was placed in cold storo in London and samples were taken to ascertain the result. The health authorities are also investigating the quantity of formaldehyde absorbed. It is understood Bindley, who accompanied the shipment became ill of pneumonia on the voyage and was confined to bed am! also unable to superintend the machinery. AFRICAN TEAM LEAVES. CAPETOWN, April 4. A cricket team of sixteen men captained by 11. W. Taylor, has sailed for a six months tour of England. The programme, is of 37 matches, including five tests. SOVIET TURKESTAN. DELHI, April 4. Advices from Turkestan indicate that the Russian control of the 1 firmer independent States of Kriva, Khanate, anil Bokharan Emirate have been firmly secured. The rebel activity under Jumaid Khan is likely to receive its final blow in the next lew weeks. They are now styled the Khoryim and Bokharam peoples of the Soviet Republic, bound by treaties to the Russian Soviet. The Turkestan Republic with Tashkent as the capital is officially described as an autonomous socialist Soviet Republic. EXPERTS’ PLANS. PARIS. April 5. The Dawes and McKenna Reparations Committees are expected to present their reports to the Reparations Commission in a few days. It is understood the Dawes report favours granting Germany a partial moratorium, the first year’s payments being limited to fifty millions sterling in kind, and tho costs of the occupation. This would he financed by the help ol an international loan. After the second year the payments would be increased annually, till after the fifth year when they would reach ldo millions, which is deemed, the maximum obtainable. The report proposes that an imei national company should take ,vpr ad the German railways for hull a century.

The McKenna Committee estimates the German capital abroad amounts to four hundred millions sterling. DOLK TO l!K INCREASED. LONDON, April 4. The Government is shortly introducing a bill increasing unemployment relied to men from 15s to 17s weekly, to women from 12s to lbs, and to eliildicn Is to ‘2s. NO .MORE MONEY FOR KHALIF. CONSTANTINOPLE, April I. In the Assembly Jsinel Rasim announced that the former Kludif having taken up an open stand against the decisions of the. Assembly the Government had decided not lo pay him any more money. CANADIAN ESCAPES FROM MEXICANS. VANCOUVER, April 4 Thnirjas George Mlaekomzic. the Canadian manager of the Campania Agricola, who was captured by Hipolite Villa in January and hold for fifty thousand pesos ransom, effected liis escape on Monday, according to a telegram received at El Paso, Texas, from him.

THE COOPER MURDER. LONDON, April 5 The young num Cooper was committed for trial for murder of his father. His mother lias also been committed for trial as an accessory after the fact. POLAR FLIGHT. LONDON, April 5. The Daily Express’s Moscow correspondent states: The explorer Dr Nansen has agreed to accompany the leading Russian aviator, M. Hnssinskv, on a flight to the North Pole, commencing in July. The. machine to be used is being specially designed to cope with Arctic conditions. rOINCAR E’S MAJOR IT Y. PARIS, March 5. Voting as a question of confidence in the Government the Chamber of Deputies rejected a radical amendment to the Pensions Bill by 327 votes to 201. This was a test vote on the sanio issue as that which caused the defeat of the late Government on the 26th. of March. The present majority of 126 however, affords a truer reflex of the Government's position than did last

night’s votes on the Ruhr policy, on which M. Poincare invariably secured thumping majorities.

A COTTON KING. LONDON, April 5. A receiving order in bankruptcy has been made in the Oldham CountyCourt against Sir William II op wood, formerly known as “the cotton Napoleon.” He began work at the age of eight in a cotton mill, and he became a director of thirty-one companies. It is reported that his transactions in the cotton boom of 1920 amounted to thirty million sterling. It is estimated that he gave fifty thousand sterling to charities. An earlier receiving order was rescinded, his creditors then being fully- paid up. ENGLISH LADY M.P.’s BTLL, LONDON, April 4. In the House of Commons, general support was given by members during the debate to Mrs Wintringham’s Guardianship of Infants Bill, which was read the second time. The Bill 'provides that the mother of every legitimate infant shall be the guardian

jointly with the father, having equal rights, and responsibilities. Mrs Wintringham stressed an unfair position for married women as compared with unmarried mothers or separated wives in respect to the custody of children. Under-Secretary Mr Rhys Davis said tho Government would introduce into the House of Lords a Bill embodying the main principles of Mrs AVintringham’s Bill soon after Easter.

RARE BOOKS. LONDON, April 4. Rosenbach carried off an outstanding Shakespeare relic at Sotheby’s sale to-day, namely a copy dated 1(552 of “The Rape of Lucrece,” the price being £IBOO. There are only five others of this edition known to exist. The first five day’s sales have realised £77,675, Rosenbach contributing £03.392. EIRE ENGINE ACCIDENT. AUCKLAND, April 6. The Devouport fire engine, while travelling to a fire call at seven o’clock last night, collided with a telegraph pole. Deputy Superintendent Jules Le Scelle, who was standing on the footboard clanging the gong, was killed instantly. Two firemen, It. Clark and J. Page, and Constable J. Ruane, who was picked up on tho way, were hurled to the ground, and were more or less seriously injured. They are suffering from concussion and shock. The motor engine was severely damaged. The accident was caused through a skid on the wet roadway. AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS. AUCKLAND, April 5. The Municipal Tramways shows a surplus for the year of £II,OOO. Receipts totalled £001,74!) and expenditure £SBO OS!).

PROPOSED LOAN. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 5 Authority to go to tell ratepayers of Taranaki for permission to raise a loan of .£OOO,OOO for the extensions to Port New Plymouth is to he sought in a Bill which the Now Plyomuth Hacjbour Board decided to-day to present to the coming session o Ijiarliament. Of the loan, £350,000 will he spent on the construction of new wharves, £200,000 on the acquisition of a more economical dredging appliances, and dredging, and £IOO,OOO on extending the breakwater, the remaining £50,000 being spent on other works at the port. AIACT.ARLX’S HOLD-UP. CORFU, April 4. The messenger with the new reduction gear for Alaelaion’s machine arrived on Friday. It is expected MoeI.a re n will depart for Athens on Saturday. When lie \v:y> forced to land at Corfu, the Americans wore the first to come to his aid with a tent, blankets, and food, sent by Colonel Stephen Lowe, Director of the American Near East Relief Orphanage at Corfu.