BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1926, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[Australian fy N.Z. Cable Association.] RADIO WAV E-LENGTHS. STANDARDISATION PROJ EC'!. LONDON. April 2. A crop of conjecture, including ihe possibility of closing several British broadcasting stations, has arisen from the report of a conference representing twenty broadcasting organisations, including British firms. The conference recommends a new scheme of wavelengths, under which certain lengths would be allocated to existing and projected broadcasting stations belonging to the International Union. The report declares that to unsure good results it is absolutely necessary that the wave-lengths should he standardised hv a wave meter common to all countries, and every station must adhere rigidly to its allocated wave-length.

The report lias not vet reached the Post Office, which was not represented at the conference except by the British Broadcasting Company, which is purely a private concern operating under a Post Office license. Britain may or may not accept the whole or part ol the recommendations, but in any ease nothing can be done until the Government 'has considered tho Parliamentary Committee’s report recommending the suppression of the present broadcasting company by n semi-official non-profit-earning commission, analogous to tho Port of London Authority, of which the Postmaster-General would be the Ministerial head. The conference recommended that certain stations should have an exclusive wave-length capable of guaranteeing a good reception at long ranges, but the Post Office is not prepared to consider this until the new commission lias been determined. Meanwhile no British station is Wing cut nut , nor is Australia or New Zealand even iemotely affected. THE SHAD WELL EIRE. LONDON. April 5. The damage at the Shadwell fire is estimated fat h qnater of a. million sterling. Two hundred bales of wool worth £BO each were destroyed. A GERMAN WAR STORY. LONDON, April ,5. The death of August Thyssen recalls nn amazing German plan tor conquering Europe and England, exploiting nlftlie wasted assets of tho British Empire. This project of universal assimilation was devised at n. meeting of magnates in Berlin at the beginning of the century. It was originally planned ford 1912, says the "Daily Telegraph,’’ nnd was to ho based on almost incredible indemnities, enabling German manufacturers to be exempt from taxation for years to come. A syndicate with twenty millions capital was to handle Canada, whilst the inexhaustible wealth of India was to be poured into Germany and Tliyssen was to be rewarded by trirty thousand of the best acres' 1 in Australia. Unluckily for the plotters, as the world knows, instead of reaping profits, the magnates of the Fatherland were callil on in 1915 to pay up two hundred million sterling towards the expenses of the war, against the expectable profits from tbe indemnities. Tliysson’s share was to lie two hundred thousand ns a first instalment. Ho alone refused anil denounced tho levy as blackmail. Hi was warned that if ho broke from the compact there would be no more war contracts or money, or payment of the bills already overdue, but the threats did not deter him. 'The majority might pay as they liked and tho world might scoff at the mortification of the greedy inilldionaire who sold his self-respect for a bargain parcel of land in the Antipodes. In 1919 he went to Switzerland and published a remarkable pamphlet wherein he tolil tho whole story accusing the ex-Kaiser of bamboozling his subjects ami their employers mtc a war which meant nothing hut national bankruptcy. TAX ON RESTAURANT BILLS. PARIS, April 5. Among the new taxes voted by tin Chamber is one for restaurant bills, cal ciliated to discourage gluttony. Bill below twenty francs are taxless ; there after stamp duty will he imposed wind will be roughly a centime for ever; franc to one hundred francs, "hen tli penalty is more severe. CAPE RAILWAY STRIKE. CAPETOWN, April <>. Rigorous military measures succeeds in ending the railway strike at Lorenz Marques after four months. 1 risoner however, are still carried as hostage for the saftey of trains, and deporta tions continue, the strikers being re placed bv importations. The clima: was reached when tho Commissioner c Police, Descousa, was riddled with bn. lets He dined at Bortloza Hotel an while walking to headquarters tw concealed men opened fire and foui teen bullets pierced Ins body.