GENERAL CABLES.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1928, Page 3

GENERAL CABLES.

Blimsil POLITICS. By Telegraph—Press Assn., Copyright. LONDON. Jan. IS. Lobbyites have begun conjecturing on the date of the next election. Some consider Mr Baldwin may go to the country in November in order to thwart Labours surtax, from which it is estimated they would raise eighty million in direct taxation, or he may have cause to be near home it the Lords destroy the votes for the flappers Bill. A hint that Mr Churchill’s Budget will lie improved as the result of enormous death duties, coupled with savings in the army and navy departments, is regarded as another reason why 1928 is propitious to go to the electorates, especially as the Labour Party’s coffers at present are believed to lie somewhat impoverished. Unionist headquarters say they rr-> merely going on with the usual long sighted preparations. They have no idea to appeal to The country before the spring of 1929.

ESPIONAGE TRIAI

SENTENCE OF ONE YEAR

.Australian Tress Association & Sun.l

(Received this dav at 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 18

McCartney and Hansen were sentenced to a year’s penal servitude. The jury deliberated for a quarter of an hour and found both guilty on all counts. The police stated McCar 1 •• had a good education and obtain, d a commission during the war. was captured hut escaped. He began writing articles for Communist newspapers in 1020. He was sentenced for attempted shopbreaking. Nothing was known against Hansen.

The Chief Justice said both wore clearly convicted of terrible offences. The term spy had boon misplaced, because spies took risks for their own country'. Hansen was undoubtedly the paymaster in a widespread organisation.

McCartney asked if lie could give the authorities information regardin':; Monkland. Justice Hewart replied that lie would doubtless have the usual facilities.

EXPLOSION EXPLANAT'JO N. BRUSSELS. Jan. 18

The explosion in the Crown Prime’s room was found to he due. to heat exploding a copper ball on a fireplace iron. An exactly similar mishap occurred in the room twenty years

BANDITS HANGED. CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 18.

-A notorious Circassian bandit, ILadjisamy and two confederates who secretly landed at Smyrna with the avowed object of assassinating Mustapha Ivenial Pasha, were hanged at a bridge head at Stamboul. A large crowd watched the gruesome spectacle.

DUKE OF RICHMOND. LONDON. Jan. 18. Obituary.—Duke of Richmond.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LOAN. LONDON, Jan. 18,

South Australia independently but with the co-operation of the Commonwealth is issuing a million and a half loan.

BYNG’S VISCOUNTCY CONFERRED LONDON, Jan. IS. General Byng’s long-deferred vis-

countcy has been gazetted. It was conferred in October, 192(5, but Byng refused to pay almost a thousand pounds in fees for the honour, for which politicians pay nothing. By eg at present declines to say whether he pnid the fees.

TROTSKY’S KATE. (Received this day at 9 a.m.) BERLIN, Jan. 13. Trotsky has gone to Vjerny. The “ Berliner Tagehlatt’s ” Moscow correspondent interviewed Trotsky, who was indifferent to his personal late and would not discuss it. The correspondent remarked: ‘‘Lloyd George once prophesied von would have a Napoleonic career.” 'Trotsky replied: “It is a curious idea. I favour the ending of the revolution. It is not the first time Lloyd George has erred.” Trotsky emphasised the world often wrongly interpreted or misinterpreted his idea.

A world revolution is now progressing for the first time since it started on its downward path in 1913. Improvement in the European economic situation is approaching stagnation and presents obstacles everywhere and lack of elbow room, by which the lower classes are especially hit. Trotsky expects the impending European elections to result in a general movement towards social democracy, from which Communism will he the final gainer. Victory in England would not • necessarily mean improved Anglo-Soviet relations, because the Labourites have Liberal tendencies. LIFE IMPRISONMENT. V NEW YORK. Jan. IS.

Flint Hotelling, cabled yesterday, was entenced to life imprisonment on the grounds of insanity, be having previously confessed to other outrages on children. PROGRESS OF FLY.

SAN FRANCTSCO. Jan. 18

Shortly after noon -the flyers wirelessed that the plane was functioning perfectly.

GIFT OF PICTURE. LONDON, Jan. IS,

Lord Woolvington has purchased Longstaff’s inspired picture “Ghosts of Menin Gate,” which he states he is “proud to offer to Australia in remembrance of her gallant soldiers, and a mark of esteem for the Commonwealth. I am inpressed by the picture and the only condition is that it he suitably hung at Canberra. It is understood ’ that Longstaff originally asked three thousand sterling, but was willing to accept less providing it went to xViistralfa.

LONDON FLOOD INQUEST. LONDON. Jan. 18. At the inquest on ten Westminster flood victims, cabled on 7th January, the Coroner, in giving his verdict, said he was not satisfied that sufficient attention find been paid to lie safety of certain section of the embankment. A policeman gave evidence of water often jutting from the nails in high tides. 'He did not report it because he did not think it dangerous The Town Clerk of Westminster said there was a breach of 165 fret in •Grosvenor Road and two breaches in the Duke of Westminster’s property. The Council controlled neither. The County Council’s chief engineer gave evidence that the river front was regularlv surveyed and showed no instability. The tide at Westminster on 7th Jammrry was at least a foot above the century record, and was unexpectedly phenomenal. Water jets had never occurred sufficiently to cause alarm where the walls were now collapsed. The Coroner emphasised that the disaster was due to the unprecedented condition of the water heaped at tne Thames mouth, simultaneous with an unusual tide. An enormous amount of water was descending, therefore U would be unreasonable to blame anybody.