BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1925, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

(UITRAI.UN AMD N.e. CAiti.K AHSOOUXION SMASH INC THE ATOM. LONDON, January 7. \V. V.'liiddington, Professor of Physics at the Leeds t Adversity, announces that lie has successfully accomplished the first stage of breaking up tint atom. He has separated the positive charge of electricity' forming .the nucleus of the atom from the .surrounding electrons. EFFECT OX .K'K'BRLLTOX. DICLlff, January 7. ‘ It is presumed that the arrest of Abdul Karim, the pretender to the throne of Afghanistan wliope claim caused the recent civil war, will finally break the rebellion. FOOD I’PICKS COMMISSION. [Reuters Telegrams.] (Received this day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, Januarv 7.

The Royal Commission on food prices this morning heart! the evidence of Sir iPhilip Proctor who stated that the consumption of meat in (treat Britain and Ireland in 1923 was 1.907,000 tons, the highest for six years. He estimated the home production at 1,005,000 tons and importations at 932,000 tons. Out of the total consumption, about twent.v-soven per cent was mutton and 73 per cent. heef. The imports of mutton in 1923 were 291.000 tons, of which sixty per cent was from the Do. minions and thirty-nine per cent from foreign countries. Beef imports totalled 011,000 tons, of which twelve per cent was from Dominions and eightyseven per cent from foreign countries. The Dominions furnished of per cent of the total heef consumption while iSoiitih America provided thirty-eight per cent. The establishing of a system of licenses to deal with the deficiency ill Home supplies and to secure the market which already existed for under six per cent., resembled putting in a paper fastener with an hydraulic ram. No stimulus appeared necessary to arrest the decline in the world’s docks of sheep The present price of wool and the future pro,spot ts would do far more in. that respect than any attraction which any meat market could offer. Proctor declared that New Zealand was only just recovering from the deterioration in standard due to the Government . being the sole buyers of Now Zealiflid produce. It was diflicidl to believe any proposals would he aoeeuptable to the colonial producer if they meant ho would voluntarily abandon participation in Continental trade. 'The 'Dominions needed no encouragement in the direction, of supplying all the needs of Britain. AVe could ive

demo with tit loit.st iiii'itlicr nii 11 inn sheep or lambs f roin Australia. lint A nstrn I in. "'its unable lo supply them or hoof for which iiirgnirio« were made. Jin' tain, who would continoe for ninny years to absorb everything the Domiiiiotts were able to produce. As re. gards the Impes for the ability of A ustrain to furnish a larger proportion of our heel needs. I lie herds oi tjueepslaiid (the only large heef exporting State) had deeliued from 7,0-17.000 in 1021 to 0,300,000 in 1023, uhile the consumption of heel' within the State increased from 287,000 to 320,000 cattle in the same period, ft was worthy of note that the increase of twenty-live per cent of population in Australia would consume all the. surplus heef at present available for export, .Hritain was no longer tlm only market ''or meat. No scheme of price regulation would he acceptable to producers, unless it assured them the world market value of their product. The problem of the future would lie not so much to regulate the admission of meat to ■England, ns to secure sufficient meat, in fact, if continental competition maintained the present standard of consumption, lie did not think the State purchase of meat was going to solve the difficulty.

BIG SH I I’PING BEAL. LONDON, .January 7. The weekly shipping journal “Fairplay’’ states negotiations are praclieully completed for the sale of a licet of seventeen steamers managed by the Blue Star Line, London, on behalf of the Union Cold Storage Coy. 'I he vessels are all fitted with refrigerating machinery, with a carrying capacity of nearly one hundred and fi't.v lionsand tons dead weight*, ’the deal nvolvcs some millions sterling and is the largest of its kind, of rceent years. British shipping interests engaged in the South American trade are believed to he the prospective purchasers. TF.A SALKS. (deceived this day at 12 110 p.m.) CALCUTTA, January 8. At the ten sales, the offerings were mostly of rather a poor finality. Uricy es were irregular and declined Irom six pice to one anna, ranging from thirteen annas te one rupee. MOTIF All (IT? A NTS. LONDON. January 7. The following migrants are sailing for Now Zealand:— By the tonic 11 1 assisted, on 7th January; by Uorarata 090 noininateds on 10th Janiiatw ; h\ Reintiern 270, and by Arawa 320, both at the end of the month.