MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1924, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

lUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. MAURETANIA SAFE. LONDON, April 13. The -Mauretania is safe and she is waiting for the weather to moderate before entering Cherbourg. MADAME FAHMY’S STORY. LONDON, April 13 The “Daily Express” Paris correspondent states that 4ladame Fabmy Boy toid the .Magistrate that she never knew Cassab Bey till he wrote from Cairo offering her £120,000 from her husband’s fortune. Later he increased the offer to £040,000. He then came to Paris and pestered her with a scheme to make millions by simply registering herself in a nursing home. She refused, but, later with the connivance of the police she consented to accompany Cassab Bey if the latter found a doctor willing to sign a birth certificate. CONFERENCE OF LABOUR PARTY. LONDON, April 13. Special attention is being focussed on tlie Easter Conference of the Independent Labour Party to which Mr DaeDonatd and twenty-five members of the Ministry belong. Tim agenda paper shows a distinct disposition to push the Ministry further than it at present proposes to go. The demands include an immediate Undertaking that all public works be paid for at tiade union rates, failing which there shall be n full maintenance for the unemployed. It is suggested that tlio Government should immediately call ail international conference at which they should initiate a scheme for universal disarmamor.t l>y mutual agreement. CONSERVATIVES BUY “MORNING POST.”

LONDON. April 13

It is officially announced that the Countess of Bathurst is disposing of the control of the “Morning Post” to a body of influential Conservatives with t>inch ihe Duke ol Northumberland is associated, and who are determined to maintain the paper’s traditions ami policy, but introduce more methods worthy thereof. CHINESE PIRACY. BETTER ESCORT WANTED. PEKING, April 13. A sequel to the Tai Lee piracy in China, is that officers of the Guild and -Marine Engineers Guild have resolved that Hoi ginoon steamers shall not sail until a proper escort lias been provided dy XT is Majesty’s Navy. This means the Guilds withdrawing all British officers from the ships. The local view is that the- number of gunboats available for the Canton Delta, Service is sufficient to provide escorts without, prejudice to other necessary patrols in view of the unsettled state of South China. EUROPEAN MONEY. PARIS, April II There is a general belief that the three days’ visiL of the King and Queen of Roumania will result in an alliance between France and Rouliianin. This will round off the alliances between Roumania, Czechoslovakia and Jugo-Klav ia against Hungary, and that of Roumania and Poland against Russia. M. Trotsky lias already threatened Roumania with war unless she relinquishes her Bessarabia rights under the Treaties with the Allies. M. Tcbitcberin lias telegraphed to .\l. Boineaiv denouncing France’s ratification of ltoumaiiia’s seizure of Bessarabia. LABOR TROUBLES. LONDON, April 13 The Manchester Cotton Spinners’ Federation lias decided to continue half-time working with 100,000 workers till September. LONDON. April 13. The Court of Enquiry which lias investigated the tram and bus strike, has finally reported, expressing the opinion that strikes and lock-outs should never occur in connection with public services. Arbitration should be mutually recognised. The ••Daily Herald” says: Trade unions will never accept compulsory arbitration. MB LLOYD GEORGE. LONDON, April 13. Mr Llovd George in the “Nation,” writing on “The Statesman’s Task, says Britain depends more than any country oil trade outside its borders, lint cun,not soil now when customers like Europe are too poor to buy. “Even will) trade showing a dis-

tinet improvement,” he says, “our exports are 25 per cent less than prewill'; yet our iroprdaton is 2,000,OIK) higher so that our trade should Irefive per cent more than pre-war. Postwar problems, including exchange have forced oilier countries to develop their own industries, making themselves the goods which they formerly bought from Britain. Foreign ships have greatly increased, while British ships are carrying less to-day than before. M lien other nations have finished perfecting their commercial machinery, we slu\ll be lumbering along, encountering them in the world’s markets, weighted down by our own burden of debts, which have appreciated in value since the war. 1 view the future with considerable misgiving. The day is far off when the reservoir of wealth will be refilled to overflowing. Let us overhaul the equipment of men and material. Capital and Labour are alike strangled by prejudices and traditions. Both are capable of producing more. It will not avail to spend time on distribution if production lags behind, the commoner needs improved production which is t>.e most urgent task of-in dust rial and political leaders.

BRITISH FASCTSTT. BONBON, April 14. Colonel Moffatt presided at a British Fascist! meeting. He said they no\r numbered thousands, including a good proportion of working 111 cn - Other speakers claimed the British Faseisti were numerous enough to enforce their views. _ . ;; “If Communism showed its head, one said, “the organised body of Fascist! would crush it into the dirt whereto it belonged.”