BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1924, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

'CBTItALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. ALL-RJCD AI It ItOUTK. LONDON, May 7 - The “Daisy Chronicle” states that, following upon the settlement of the recent airmen’s strike, a new company is organising extensions of the air lines, which link will result in All lied mail planes, goods planes, ami aerial wagonlets travelling regularly between London and Australia. Giant planes are being built of metal throughout, „ with all the latest weight saving devices. Meanwhile. a:i expert survey of an airwav to Sydney is being made, composed of eleven stations, viz: Malta, . Cairo, liaglulad. Calcutta. Kangoon, Singapore, North Itorneo. New i’ort Darwin and Sydney. It is estimated that an express service of Ui.O'.V) miles will occupy 1 .‘lls • hours. The plans include refueling in mid-air by means of winged tanker planes rising from stations. -4

HELICOPTER FLIGHT. PARIS, May 7. M. l)o Michel. whoso enterprise was cabled on 10th. .1 tine last, has accomplished a (1 it'llt of a circular kilometre—ou a gyroscopic helicopter, occupying 7.J minutes, and lie lauded at the starting imint without difficulty. CAPE ELECTIONS. 11E 1‘ U B LIC AN (} CES'IION. CAPKTOX, May 7. Mr Hons, the Chairman of the Transvaal Nationalist Party, speaking at Pretoria-, advocated the building up of a defence force, including a trained army of -1000 men. Dr. Malan, Leader of the Cape Nationalists. speaking at Parow, said that there could not he a South African 11cpublic unless the people, by a referendum, so decided, lie asked what would happen after the first five years during which the Afrikander Party agreement with the Lalioiir Party prevented t\io raising of the question of* a republic. He said: “We shall sec!”

fossilised remains. CAPETOWN, May G. Finds of outstanding .scientific value have boon, made of the fossilised skeletons of a gigantic prehistoric amphibian reptile, the dieyiiodon. The finds have been made in the Graffiiout district. bv the weii-known German palaeontologist. llaron Frederick von lluene. The finds are said to rank higher in importance than any paleantologieal discoveries made in South Alrica for many yens.

ARGENTINE PROBLEM. .15 FENDS AYRES, May !>. A compromise lias been reached on the new measure stipulating pensions for workers alter “•> years service, eipial to the ordinary wage rates. Employers and employees had objected to the scheme, which provides for contributions from' them and from the state, tiie first payments being after two years. I'pciti being given assure

aiue by the president that the Government would go to the utmost to rectify tlic situation in respect to tile pension law, committees representing the employers and employees have recommended their constituents to cease tho protest movements. The employers have agreed, to open their places of business mi Tuesday. The workers are in-night debating the question. CHINESE PIRACY.

1IONC! KONG. May .*>. In the presence of representatives cl the Hong Kong police force, thii eight l hincse com t rued in recent piracy in Hong Kong waters on the steam launch "Kwanglak." were shot hy the Chinese authorities in the Ileiingshan district. WOOK SALES DULL. LONDON, May G. At the wool sales, there was a very miscellaneous, unattractive section, including numerous speculators’ lots, w! croon high reserves were placed. Many of these were withdrawn as the sales proceeded. Consequently, the buyers became hesitant. The general J tom* was not equal t.i that at l.iverp tol. Int prices both for merinos and crossbreds were generally lairiv maintained, at the last London closing rates. Slipts and scoureds met with a strong market at full late London rates. New /.calami clips sold wore:— L'liigbiirn. :l7d per pound; ‘‘C.F.M." Hold. "W.S.M." (lambs), 3GJd. Peninsular Shipping Company shares are £3t)7.

Bank shares are quoted:—Australasia £lO 10.*; New South Wales Cl:I 3s; Victoria £.5 It!*. BIG STRIKE FEARED. LONDON, May 7. The “Daily Herald" says:—A. lion :l strike, affecting half a million building trade workers appears inevitable. The operatives have rejected tho employers’ oiler of one half-penny per hour, instead ol the I’d the men have demanded, and have voted tor a strike, the dale whereof is fixed, hut is not disclosed.

TARIFF AGITATION. LONDON, May 0. The EmpiiProducers’ Organisation has passed a resolution that it views

i'li apprehension the Governments failure to ratifv the Kcanonwe Conference resolutions, and regards with dismay the Government's proposals to redo e ill* duties on certain products receiving preference-:, thus stabilising

pri fci •!i"cs at tire Budget money value. ami thereby checking enterprise in Empire development. The organisation points out that the Governments action will force tie* Dominions in M-areli of markets to enter long term commercial treaties with foreign countries regardless of Britain’s interests, which action the Dominions had long -triven to ttvi

CANCER RESEARCH. [It KI’TKItS TIU.KUP.AMS.] iHere;veil this due nf 0.13 a.mA LONDON,. -May 7. It was announced at a meeting of the Mansion House in support of tho British Empire coneer campaign, that an anonymous donor had given twenty thousand sterling. EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS. 'Received this dav at 0.23 a.mA MANILLA, May 6. A severe earthquake occurred about (t 27 miles off the coast of Phillipincs, followed liv lour smaller shocks.