BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1926, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] GALE AND FIRES. (Received this day at 8 a.m.! TOKIO ,April 21. Owing to a violent gale which swept over central Japan, several minor outbreaks of fire faned by the hurricane developed into disastrous conflagrations. A fire which broke out in Nodachiba, Prefexture reduced to ashes two large factories and ISO houses. The loss is estimated at a million yen. A dozen casualties aro reported from the village of Nagano Prefexture where 140 houses were destroyed, whilst from Fullui Prefexture comes a report that a woman and child were burnt, to death in a village where 140 houses were burnt. Other smaller conflagrations oe. furred in various localities and a number of fishing boat tragedies aro reported, including sixty vessels of Fujuii missing. INDIAN A FAILS. DELHI, April 21. An important conference between Swarajists, who have withdrawn from tho Legislature on the. ground of the unsatisfactory nature of the Government’s response to the demand tor a further advance to Swaraj, and responsivists who advocate entering the Legislatures in order to advance an attainment of the Swaraj, met at 'he instance of Gandhi, in an endeavour to arrive at a common formula upon which to work. An agreement, was reached which the National Congress Executive will lie asked to ratilv, providing that if ministers in the provinces aro given the requisite power, responsibility and initiative, the parties (adhering to tho agreement will worli for the Swaraj through, the Legislatures, otherwise they will refuse to accept office, and will reject supply. As tho result of a persistent rclusal Ministers salaries by the Swarajist majority in the Central province Council, the Government of India now, with the sauotion of tho Secretary of State, lias suspended the dyarchical administration till the end of January. J 927, when fresh, elections will bring the new control into being.

NPRODUCE IMPORTERS. (Received tins day at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, April 21. It is learned that a majority of importers of New Zealand produce were not consulted regarding the advisability of establishing control in the interest of the producers, but assented to the Hoard of Control's request to provide finance and co-operate in the event of the establishment of control. They also agreed to adopt a neutral attitude regarding the estabishmeut. ANCIEXT lIUMAXS. LONDON, April 21. Regarding the reported recent discovery by Professor Mackenzie at Column near Murray River of the skull antedating any known human remains. Doctor Grafton Elliott Smith says the final judgment depended on the evidence provided by Mackenzie, but be was not inclined to think there was the remotest possibility of anything found in Australia being ns old as the Piltdown skull. The Piltdown man was living in Europe hundreds of thousands of years before human beings could have reached Australia. It seemed incredible that anything approaching the age of the Peltdown man could be found in Australia where the oldest human remains were probably not more than 4,000 or 5,000 years. Mackenzie was highly competent but at the same time this was a rather largo order to swallow.