GENERAL CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1928, Page 3

GENERAL CABLES

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) LIBEL ACTION'. LONDON, Eeb. 10. -Mr Jowitt continued tlic cross-exam-inntion of Mr Mitchell Hedges, bis questions being directed to showing that Hedges was aware of the hold-ii| being arranged and that be frequently saw the men concerned. Hedges admitted that lie knew about the abortive attempt to hold up bis car on January 6, although he denied that be told bis cluiffueur to stop and return to London, when the place of the hold-up was passed without result. Mr .Levitt also elided from Hedges that be saw the attackers between the 7th and 1 Ith. This time Hedges bad a new chauffeur. Keith Taylor, who bad been engaged after the abortive attack on the fltb, bis brother Eddie Taylor driving the car of the attacking party on the 1 lib. Hedges explained that be learned these facts later. Mr Jowitt pressed Hedges to explain why be carried four shrunken beads in bis car. Hedges said be kept them in bis room every night. Mr Jowitt: “Are they very precious ? ” Hedges: “A sort of mascot.” Hedges said be also bad with him In i.ie car a cheque for £3125, the proceeds of a share in a deal. He did liot notify the police because it would have seemed ridiculous. He added: “ This is a serious matter lor me. I am fighting for my life.” When informed that the whole thing was a practical joke, he was fiendishly angry, but later shook hands. He h threatened to prosecute liagit Cray, who took the whole blame, but said be would have been the laughing stock of Britain if lie bad done so. A previous message stated that the explorer, Mitchell Hedges, is claiming damages from the “ Daily Express for a libel allegedly contained in a report to the effect that the hold-up on January 10, was a hoax, and a publicity enterprise. 3NS l' FFf Cl KN T COM I’ EX S ATT ON. LONDON, Feb. 9. Nine Irishmen who desire to remain anonymous because publicity would endanger their lives, recounted to the Southern Irish Loyalists’ Belief Association, their sufferings due to the Treaty They emphasised that the British Government had betrayed them, drastically curtailing compensation awarded, entailing the ruin of hundreds of prominent Dublin men, One man said he was burned out and raided twice and kidnapped once. He “ rebuilt at a cost of £7.500 for which purpose the Free State granted him £OOOO and the Trish Grants’ Committee £15,000 which did not enable him to furnish. For this reason lie had to leave his house as a “memorial of a fool who believed in the pledges of British Cabinet Ministers.” Another stated that his house was burned down, and his two sons, aged fourteen and nineteen were shot dead in the presence of their mother. He escaped to England. His cattle were not sold and his horses were unshod, and his pastures were flooded with Republicans who murderously hunted him to the mountains. He managed eventually to take his family overseas. The committee awarded him £7,000 and paid 30 per cent, of that amount. * A business man stated that the pubI lien ns had fired volleys through his ' door, and windows, and hunted him throughout the country. The payment of £2,050 did not compensate him for loss of a- business worth £7OO yearly. A Tipperary farmer said that bc- ' cause he helped a fugitive to escape Republicans wrecked Ins motor car, shot dead two companions robbed his house and turned his family out, stole bis cattle, furniture, and kidiiapjH’d bis son. A Republican court ordered him to pay £l/100 compensation. lie borrowed £1,400 from bis friends. The Committee awarded him £O,OOO and paid £2,125. Field Marshall Wilson’s brother asserted that the Committee cut down his claim for £6,950 to £2,350. COTTON MILL DESTROYED. RIGA, Feh. 9. A girl dismissed from a cotton mill confessed after arrest that she had set fire to the mill in revenge. The premises were destroyed. The damage amounted to £40,000 and five hundred are idled. SHOT BY BURGLAR. LONDON, Feh. 10. On returning with his son to his tiayswater flat, Alfred Webb found a burglar ransacking a room. A struggle followed in which Webb was shot in the head, suffering a serious wound. His soil and a crowd pursued the burglar, who threw away bis revolver and escaped. A police flying squad, in last motors, are prosecuting a search. VESSELS COLLIDE. LONDON. Feb. 9. The Commonwealth liner Esperanto Hay collided with the outgoing Date! motor vessel, Rota Radka. oil Kuril.Foreland. The Ksperanee Hay’s hawse pipes, stem and port rails were sliglu]v damaged. The Kota Rodka s how was considerably damaged. The vessel is returning to Tilbury. TROTSKY IN EXILE. MOSCOW. Feh. 10. Details of Trotsky's life, show that lie is living in the dirty little Siberian town, Wjejrny, inhabited mainly by Chinese. It is revealed that the hardships of the place are softened hv many privileges not granted to less illustrious persons. He occupies a live-roomed flat in the best house in the town and is provided with a horse on which lie takes morning rides, and has a monthly pension equivalent to £22 from the Central Treasury of the Communists. Trotsky is forbidden to write lor the newspapers, hut is completing a tlieoietieal work on -Marxism, fie cannot leave the town without permission and is not allowed to go more than a mile without an escort. His correspondence is subject to censorship. COMEDIAN’S DEATH. (Australian Press Association & Sun.) (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Feh. 10. Obituary.—The comedian. Little Ticli. WORKLESS MINERS. LONDON, Feb. 9. Air Neville Chamberlain, replying to a question in the Commons, said it was fallacious to blame the Eight Hours Act for the increase in unemployment. The Act reduced the pi ice of coal by 2s 8d per ton and resulted in more being mined and marketed. Unemployment was not general, hut concentrated in the basic industries coal, iron and steel, in which there was a permanent surplus of labour. The Ministry of Labour was operating several training schemes with a view to transference of men from the black spots of unemployment to other districts, for other employment. Ninetytwo per cent, of the examiners trained to woodwork, plastering, painting, had obtained work and nearly a thousand miner-trainees bad gone to the dominions. Mr Wall head said: ‘‘lt was rather a cruel joke to throw ex-miners into the competitive market, after a few weeks training in new occupations,”