BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1925, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

LATEST CABLE NEWS

AUSTRALIAN ARC N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. FRENCH FORCES. BARIS, Feb. 28. The French Chamber lias adopted arW " ” ides of the Budget limiting the effective strength of the French Army personnel to 007,000 men, and of the Navy to 6000 men. CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES. LONDON, February 27. ~; r Civil service estimates for 1925-26 are 287 millions sterling, compared with 301 millions sterling last year. ENG WISH LADY’S DEATH. •Received this day at 9 a.m.) LONDON February 28. The “Sunday Express” Rome pendent states that it is remarkable tlijjt the Hon. Violet Gibson, sister of Lord Ashbourne was found shot, in her apartments, with a revolver lying close hv. She was taken to the hospital where she diet*. Lady Violet was a devout Catholic and arrived for the celebrations of the , Papal Jubilee Year. It is stated that she came to Rome to offer her life to Christ. Imw-' * ENGLAND’S I-OW BIRTH RATE. (Received this day at S a.m.) LONDON, February 28. The official birth rate for England and Wales for 1924 is the lowest ever recorded in peace time. There were 27,845 fewer births than in 1923. rORRITT BREAKS RECORD. LONDON, February 28. Povritt at Oxford ran the 220 yards low hurdles n 25 2-5 seconds, beating the Oxford record by one fifth.

ENG LA ND'S COALMINER S. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, February 28. Air Cook, Miners’ Federation Secretarq. speaking at Trimdon, Durham, said: “I am going to he frank and' ' s “ honest. I say, deliberately, that unless the miners’ wage is made equal to at least the standard of 1914, something must happen next July.” Alluding, to the Hodges controversy Cook complained that the press had tried to create a Hodges clique and a Cook clique. So far as he was concerned, no personalities would interfere with the work of the Federation. He would he the happiest man if there was a chance of a peaceful settlement. KANTARA TO BASRA. LONDON, February 23. The Imperial Airways Coy., lms submitted an offer to the Air Ministry to run a service from Kantara to Basra, via Baghdad, using new pattern three engined airplanes each capable of carrying six tons. An extension to India ami Australia is contemplated. SHIPPING OUT OF DANGER. LONDON, February 28. The Moldavia landed her passengers at Plymouth to-day and she reported terrific weather for three days. The owners of the Jervis Bay received a message from her Captain stating that he was proceeding on his voyage as the weather had abated and the -j Citta Di Elina was no longer in danger. BYE-ELECTION RESULT. LONDON, February 28. The Walsall bye-election, due to Mr AY. Preston (Conservative) being disqualified after his election, owing to a technical breach of the law, resulted as follows : Mr W. Preston (Con.)’ re-elect 14,793 Doctor Alacnamara (Liberal) ... 12,353 Captain ’Lothian Small (Soc.) 11,610 BRITISH -MINERS AND HODGES. LONDON, February 27. Air Frank Hodges, (ox-Secretary of the Miners’ Federation), who is a national delegate at the Minors’ Federation conference at Blackpool, explained what he meant by his speech on February sth (re a five-year agreement on a grouping principle with the employers). He denied that lie spoke ot the five years truce in the sense of maintaining the present state of affairs. Lie advocated peace on the coalfields, so that attempts might he made to adjust the coal industry in Britain to the world conditions. LONDON, February 28.

The conference of the Aliners’ Federation at Blackpool was marked by an acrimonious discussion between Mr Frank Hodges (ex-secretary) and Mr Cook (present secretary). The former was counselling a more conciliatory attitude in efforts to secure redress of grievances.

The conference ultimately decided to remit the wages proposals to the districts pending further .investigations.

EMPIRE LABOUR CONFERENCE, LONDON. February 26.

All the National Labour Parties and Trade Uinion centres in the Empire aro invited to the British Commonwealth. J.abour Conference to he held in London on July 27. INCOME-TAN ON GAMBLER. LONDON, February 25. The Income Tax Commissioners at Leeds upheld a Clooo assessment on a man dccribed as a professional pfaiyer of pitch and toss, on the ground, that profits even in the case of illegal callings are liable. RUSSO-JAP TREATY. TOKIO, February 25 me **usso .Japanese Agreement necn riitn.ed. BRITISH FOOD PRICE INQUIRY. LONDON, February 27. The Food Commission will meet after March third to draft its report, which is expected before Faster, and it will deal with bread, wheat, flour, meat, and will contain advice for the consumers and trailers, which will be issued probably in pamphlet form.

A GHASTLY STORY

LONDON February 28

Although the Soviet authorities attorn] ted to block all roads to Tommot, on the Aldan River, in Siberia, in order to check a suicidal rush to a gold field that has been opened there. ‘ stream of intending diggers has been maintained for over a year. The parties have been travelling through pathless virgin f.r.eets, that are infested by the Siberian tiger.

A remnant of one party reached Tommot after the ghastliest adventures. They got lost in a jungle and exhausted all their food, even eating the tops of their hoots.

~\Yhen the party were apparently doomed to death, from famine, they deliberated, and decided to consume the bodies of any members of the party dying ei> route, thus, they cut off. boiled and ate the legs and arms of a dead Chinese and pushed on. When all the human Josh thus available was consumed, it was decided to draw lots to decide who should he killed and eaten. The lot fell on a father, who was accompanied by his two sons. The sons pleaded lor one day’s delay before the father was sacrificed. The father was thus saved, as a dead horse was encountered at nightfall, which kept the party alive till thev reached Tommot,