BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1924, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

LATEST CABLE NEWS

lUBTEALIAN AND N.Z. CARLE ASSOCIATION. AN AMAZING COURT CASE. LONDON, May 15 Ail unsuccessful application was made before the King’s Bondi against the “Daily Mail” following, information published concerning tie approaching action of Charles Robinson versus the .Midland Hank, claiming C 125,000. Lord Halsbury, for applicant, declared that behind the pending ease was a sinister and wicked

criminal conspiracy. A person in a high position was connected with the case, describing which, the newspaper referred to a cheque for C150,1K.’; drawn by an Indian Rajah in favor Robinson. Articles also mentioned Robinson’s allegation that the money was drawn out by means of forged cheques. Lord Halsbury declared that the term “Rajah” was inaccurate and I the case would certainly lie the most I amazing ever hoard.

S.MALIaIOX EPIDEMIC. LONDON .May 15. There is a smallpox epidemic raging .-it Chesterfield. 'I here have been tbit tv two cases again this week, after forty two the previous week. A local trades m ,! n who has hecn a leading anti-vac-cinationist. has hoon taken to the hospital. All his family were immediately vaccinated. The smallpox has now spread to Sheffield.

DANCER’S CLAIM. I’ARTS. May 10. The court at Versailles decided that Edith Kelly Gould, the dancer, who is clniiiiiing half the estate of Frank Gould. the millionaire, from whom she was domiciled in Americu. So sho is unahlo to benefit under the French law. ARBITRATION DEFECTS. LONDON. .May !<!. The Labour M.P. and member of the .Migration Mission.li Mr A. E. W'iguall, addressing the Nation;:! Alliance ol Employe).s and Employed, said that Inlaid found, as the result of per.soiml I

investigation that Liu- Australian and New Zealand compulsory arbitration had a great defect, it did not prevent strikes or lockouts, despite the assurances to the contrary. He had visited two of tin- coal centres and found nil were on ..trike at one pin re, mill there was a lock-jut at tin- other. The system failed when it cm-uiintcrud big problems, sin ii as tin- mines and other large industries. Of course, it

was impossible to put ten thousand ill gaol. Arbitration bad its good points, but nothing had yet been invented to eliminate the danger of strikes and lock-outs.

•SACRIFICE FOR PEACE. LONDON. May IG. The -‘Daily Exp ress” says: A remarkable saeriliee has been made in ilacause of peace by tie- British Government which hits refused nn oiler from Baltic interests to bov large qtinutiteis of surplus war materia!. The Cabinet. besides vetoing the sale, took a general decision against all s'.leb sales. Ii is understood that the sum involved wits i) lit. nisi.(ll) ). The material will he destroyed.

IRRESISTIBLE IMPULSE AND ' CRIME. K<j-e:r-_-d this (lav at 8 u.m.» LONDON. May Hi. fn the House of Lords the question of the doctrine of irreMsitblo impulse in relation to crimes was raised in a bill at the second reading whereol Lord Darling moved exempting the responsibility. under criminal law. of anyone who, when tin- act was committed, was suffering irom such a state of mental disease as to be wholly incapable of resisting the impulse to do it. lie said the principle ol the bill was already the law in Germany, Italy, .South Africa and (Queensland. I,ord Sumner moved I lie rejection of till- I,ill \\ bielt bad not i-c-ivcd siip-p->rt and u as-i iiiidemii-.-d in tin- legal quarters "I tile I lull —. Lord Darling asked leave to withdraw ibe bill which was negatived without division.

CORDIAL LETTER TO MR MACDONALD. PARIS. May 10. .M. Poincare lias sent a long private cordial letter to .Mr MacDonald, expressing regret that lie would lie unable to proceed to Clu-qucrs as arranged. He oiiined the Allied agreement was perfectly rcalisible on the basis of the experts' report.

THE COAL AGREEMENT

[Recti: as Tri.ruitAMs.'i •Received tills day at 8 l.m.i LONDON. -May LV The main provisions of the proposed coal agreement allow lor standard profits which arc to consist ol til teen per cent of the standard wages instead of seventeen at present. the minimum rate of wages is increased to thirty-three and one-third per cent, the division of surplus profits S- and 12 per cent lo wages and profits respectively. No able-bodied adult wages are to fall below forty p'-r cent of I lie lowest paid class of day wage workmen in the district. Ill'll.DlNO TRADES AC I! KE.M ENT. .Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON. May i-1. The building trade operatives executive has decided to submit to a ballot tile new terms offered by the employers with a recommendation ol their acceptance. The offer is tin immediate increase of a halfpenny per hour until the statutory revision next January when the employers will he willing to stabilise wages at twenty pence per hour for trade A towns with a subsequent reduction of a IraHpentiy per

hour for every drop of eleven points in the cost of living index figures.

THE STEDV OE SO END WAVES. ;Received this dav at 8.80 n.m.) BAR IS. .May 10. Ten tons ol ineltiiiile exploded at Lacoiitine ITovidet. with a big hang wherefore listening post' in The ground and air were established in most countries of Europe with the object of studying tilt- behaviour of sound waves. The experiment, which is under official international auspices, is a continuation of the test made at Oldebroeck. Holland, in 1! Similar explosions arc arranged for I- tiday and Saturday.

MOTHER CHARGED WITH MERDER. ■Received this dav at S GO n.m.) SYDNEY. May I 7 A naval petty officer, attracted by the screams of a woman, Isabel Cohen, at the man-of-war steps, found her two children, Jean aged three years and Manuel aged eight months, in the harbour. He jumped in and brought them to the shore where he found the hoy dead. The girl was removed to the liosnital where she died. The mother who stated the children fell in accidentally was later arrested and clinrcd with the murder of tlm baby,