BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1925, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[“Tho Times” Service.]

PURITY OF VACCINES. LONDON, July 21. The House of Commons carried the. third reading of the Therapeutic .Substances Bill, insuring purity and .strength of vaccines, and anti-toxin and providing that .substances of foreign origin not yet manufactured ii» Britain, must conform to the prescribed standards of strength, quality and purity. Mr Kingsley-wood explained W that this would cover serums such as the Spahlingor serum. - JAPAN’S TAXATION. TOKIO, Tuly 21. Government's new taxation proposals include raising the income tax exemption, limited increases in death duties and duties on toilet goods and medicines a.s well as a revision of customs duties. It is anticipated that the projxisals will meet with considerable opposition front, some parties in the Diet BIG FOREST FIRE. 1(1.000 ACRES DESTROYED. LONDON, duly 25. The “Daily Express” Berlin correspondent states that a forest fire has destroyed forty thousand acres of valuable timber land and many farms and residences between Hanover and Osnabruck. One thousand fire brigades, aided by several regiments of the Rcichswchr, fought the flames by trenching. Hundreds wore deprived of homes. KOREAN' DISASTER. TOKIO, July 25. The official figures have now been published in connection with the Korean Hoods. These show the casualties as follows Drowned- 43fi: Homeless—lo.l43. Relief funds have been started in Tokio. CAPE POLITICS. CAPETOWN, July 25. At the conclusion of the session S of the Union Parliament, [interestcentres in a conflict between the Senate and the Assembly. The Senate lias followed up its recent rejection of an important industrial hill by insisting on an annelid men't affecting the franchise (nullification of the Capo ami Natal provinces, requiring the voters to vote where they reside, instead of retaining the option to vote where I hey are employed. The Minister of the Interior, in moving flint Hi'' Senate concur in the Assembly's message, requesting the Senate not to insist on its amendment intimating that lie would not ask the Assembly to pass the Bill without this clause.

Premier llertzog declared 'that if the Senate llings down the gauntlet, (here is only one tiling to do. Nevertheless the Minister’s motion was rejected by 13 to 12. art find. LONDON. July 24. Sargent the artist’s executors discovered 337 pictures iu his studio store room. Some are merely water-colour sketches, painted in a holiday mood, while otliers are beautiful landscapes. There was hysterical bidding during the first day’s auction at Christies, the sale realizing £l4f>.(!oo. TRAFFIC IN TITLES. LONDON. Julv 25. In ilie House of Commons the. Prevention of A buses Bill was read the si-caild time. The Bill is designed to prevent tra (Ticking in honours, and lias already passed I lie House of Lords. In the course ol the debate, one Labourite urged that honours and titles should he abolished altogether. The Liberal. Colonel Wedgwood Benn favoured the abolition of hereditary honours. i . BRADFORD WOOL STRIKE. LONDON. July 25. >-*«. Fillv thousand wool textile workers have struck in Bradford, against the reduction ol five per cent in their wages. The strikers ignored their leaders’ iustructions to ;illo\v the lirms where the wages have not been reduced to continue working. They rushed the mill gates at these linns and forced tho operatives to cease work. The nolice frustrated several attempts. Stones were thrown and windows smashed. Two police were slightly injured. OFFER TO INDIA. LONDON, July 25.

The “ Daily Herald ” states it is reported tlial the Government has authorised Lord Reading. \ iceroy ol India, who is now returning to India to offer the Swarazist leaders full provincial autonomy and also a round-table eonI'oretieo on the problems ol central Government. in return for an abandonment- of the non-co-operation and the anti-British agitation. If an agreement is readied, says the “Herald.” King George will visit Indta during the coming winter. AGAINST ADMIRALTY DICTATORSHIP. lßeceived this day at S a.in.) LONDON, July 23. Mr J. L. Garvin, in a remarkable article in the “Observer,’’ dealing with the cruiser decision, declares that the Admiralty has initiated the first damaging blow against the administration w thin a measuioahle period. Either the Budget or the Government would come down. Two vital principles have been violated width must he reimposod within a year nt any political cost, namely economy tir-l and civil control. The navy's voice should he heard hutshould not he allowed to he dominating. In the case of future Admiralty ultimatums a strong Prime .Minister should instantly accept the whole Board’s resign. tuons. We are spending one hundred and liftceii millions upon the navy, army and air force. It must lie reduced. In the air age it still leaves the heart oi the Empire more perilously exposed than any period in our history. Germany lost the battle of the .Marne because she spent too little oil the army owing to the cost of the navy. For Britain to attempt to maintain three great fighting services is to court financial and strategic disaster. The Admiralty’s policy would destroy the peace time economic foundations and our defence would he exhausted in advance of our sinews of war. nUtii economies are actually ' realised the public's faith in M.r Baldwin will remain shaken by the past week’s event. (.’ROQUET. LONDON. July 23. In The AMglo-Aitstraliiin croquet test doubles Matthews and Miss Steel beat MeCleary and Stephen 2G-23, Longman and Joseph heat WTndwor and C’rahh 21-20. ANOTHER AM UXSDEN EXPLOIT. OSLO, July 23. Aiminsden is negotiating with tlio Bonder works in llalv for the construction of an anronhme capable of lying across the Arctic from Spitzberwn to Alaska without landing.