BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1926, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

(Australian <fc N.Z. Cable Association.] -MOROCCO PEACE OVERTURES. PARIS, April 21. Advices ironi T'lda, in Alorocco,. state that the Peace Conference broke up in the evening without a decision being reached in regard to preliminaries for peace negotiations. The date of the next conference was" not fixed, tho delegates wishing to consult their Governments prior to another meeting. LEAGUE COUNCIL. LONDON, April 21. In tho House of Lords, Lord Cecil, replying to an enquiry as to the League Council, reaffirmed that it was the British view that only the Great Powers should be permanent members of the League of Nations Council, but he said the British delegation to attend the forthcoming Commission to discuss tile constitution of the Council would lie free of any obligations or declarations previously made. NEW ZEALAND DAIRY POOL. LONDON, April 21. The representatives of the New Zealand Dairy Board’ repudiate statements coming from New Zealand alleging that the compulsory marketing scheme, beginning on January Bth, means the daily fixing of the selling price of butter, and the extracting of the last penny from the consumer. Mr Wright, of Now Zealand, says: “Such a policy would defeat the purpose of our existence, which is to encourage consumption, stabilise prices, ensure more satisfactory returns, and stimulate production. The. success «f that policy would he impossible if we antagonised the consumers in the manner absurdly suggested from New Zealand.”

Mr Torus, of Xev Zealands, said:— “Our purpose is to enable the New’ Zealand farmers to meet the world competition here. They hitherto have been at the mercy of the speculators, who took advantage of the irregular shipments and tho alternating gluts and shortages in order to manipulate the prices, thereby frequently driving the consumers to "buy margerine. Me aim to chock that, by regulating tho supplies.”

heath duties. LOXDUX. April 21. The late Sir \Y. Houston, who left £7.000,090, made his will in Jersey where he claimed domicile. This is likely to prove a heavy blow to the British Exchequer, as no death duties are levied in Jersey. The newspaper "Sketch” says: The highest legal authority states thatthe Jersey domicile will completely protect the. Houston estate from the death duties, which, it is estimated,, would amount to three million puonds. The “Daily Mail” states: “The Treasury wiR probably bring a testease in order to secure a ruling regarding the Channel Islands domicile.” TEXDERS MISSED. LOXDOX, April 22. The newspaper ‘Modern Transport” announces the administration of tho South African railways has ordered twenty heavy locomotives from Germany, fearing that British builders are faced with the probability of trouble in the coal and engineering trades, and would he unable to deliver on the dates offered in their tenders, which otherwise compared favourably with most American and Continental tenders. FREE STATE BUDGET. LOXDOX, April 22. The Free State budget presented to the Dail Eireann introduces a betting tax of £lO. to be charged for a license to make bets on a racecourse, and £2O for a license to carry on a betting business in a house. There will also be a five jiercent tax on all sums paid, the tax lieing collected by means of stamps on slips or certified returns provided by the bookmakers. It will lie an offence to bet with bookmakers outside of tlie Free State and the Post Office will take steps to prevent the transmission of betting telegrams or telephone messages. It is estimated the receipts will amount to two hundred thousand sterling.