BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1926, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

[Australia &, N.Z. Cable Association.]

BitITISH SHIPBU LLDING

NEW LOW RECORD

1/ON DON, Jan. 13

A further decline in British .shipbuilding is revealed in Lloyd’s return for the three months ended 91st. Dec. The tonnage under construction was 885,000, which is 124,000 below the previous three months and 412,000 below the previous year.

The present situation is a word low level since September 1909. Italy, for the first time, has taken the lead in foreign ship-building, and is at present constructing tonnage of 2,069,000 on the stocks. Internal combustion engined shijs 4K.)7,(!00 tons are overtaking steamers which total 1,041,000 tons. CROP PRICES. WASHINGTON, January 13. “Only in co-operative marketing and not in tariff juggling or Federal handling of crop surplus lies the solution of farmers problems,” said Robert Ringham of Louisville (Chairman of the National Council of Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Marketing Association) a.t the annual session on Tuesday. Referring to Canada, Mr Bingham declared Canadian wheat growers were selling threefourths of their crop in the world market with no Government surplus corporation or tariff to help, and they were receiving greater returns than the United States growers.

EIGHT HOUR DAV. LONDON, Jan. 19. The demand for the restoration of the eight hour day in the mines was tho chief point in the evidence sulimitted to the Coal Commission on behalf of the owners who declare the standards of living must rest on stable economic conditions while savings could also he effected and earnings increased if the miners attended work with greater regularity. The evidence pointed out the absentees in Scotland averaged three and a half per cent and in England and Wales eight and a quarter per cent. Owners expressed a willingness to meet the miners with the utmost good-will but they were opposed to the establishment of compulsory machinery fo r the settlement of disputes. 'Drey were unable to point to any royal road to recovery o/ industry, hut were confident, that the lower costs of production would stimulate the already growing demand for British coal. GERMAN BANK RATE. BERLIN, Jan. 19. Tho Reichbauk lots reduced the discount rate from nine to eight: per cent. ON A CROCODILE’S BACK. I LONDON, Jan. 19.

'The “Daily Mail” Barcelona correspondent reports Derougement is completely eclipsed by Captain Wall, crocodile turner, wno wagered lie would cross from the Island of Majorca to Valencia a distance of 170 miles on a crocodile’s back without oars or rudder. He constructed a wooden limit and placed it on a crocodile’s back after which Wall claims he sat on the Hunt above water and guided the crocodile by means of reins and a long steel goad, and accomplished the journey in 7C2 minutes. It is stated tho Spanish steamer Balear, escorted Wall ami til Inin ina ted the course with electric projectors.

EARLY AGES FIN'D. BAGHDAD, Jan. 19

Professor Lnngtlon conducting nrchaeldgical excavations at Kut announces important discoveries at a newly opened site sixteen miles north east. ol Knt. the earliest Sumncriuu site yet found in ancient Accad. The discoveries include pictography tablets older than anything found in Ur of Die £X¥ftdcs and a large number of painted pots used by the earliest Stimueriatis belonging to the age of geometric pottery; also a number of early Suinncrian groves.