GENERAL CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 30 May 1928, Page 2

GENERAL CABLES

EIGHT HOUR DAY

DEBATED AT GENEVA

United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

GENKVA, May 29

At a meeting of the Executive of the International Labour Office. Mr Humbert Wolfe presented tlie British Government's demand for the revision of the Washington Eight Hour Convention. The British Government, lie said, nowise desired to modify its essential principles, but considered uniformity was impossible without a revision

The representatives of Belgium, Poland and Fronce opposed the proposition. Miss Margaret Bondfield (Britain) expressed the opinion that the proposal of Britain humiliated the British workers who desired its ratification of the proposal. The proposal was defeated by 1 « votes to 11. The majority consisted of six workers’ delegates and six Government delegates. FRENCH BIRTHRATE.

LONDON. May 28. “The Times’’ Paris correspondent states:—Franco has a lower death rate which lias compensated for her lower birth rate in the year 1927. as compared with the birth rate of 1926.

The population of France is now 40,960.000 which is the highest total since the year 1913. The deaths totalled 676,666 last year as compared with 713,466 in 1926. The marriages last year were 33i,864. and are thus progressively declining, this total being the lowest since the war.

NORWAY’S UPPER HOUSE

STOCKHOLM, May 29,

By a majority of 11 votes, the Norwegian Second Chamber has passed an Industrial Peace Bill, abolishing the right to strike, under heavy penalties, and creating a system of compulsory arbitration by State Tribunals. Labour bodies sav that they will ignore the law, and they predict that it will ensure the return of tlie Socialists to power at the next elections.

HAGUE TRIBUNAL VERDICT

(Received this day at 8.60 a.m.)

AMSTERDAM, May 30.

The Hague arbitration tribunal delivered a verdict against Germany’s claim that she was entitled, since 1924, to deduct from Dawes annuities, the value of German property liquidated and sequestrated by allied countries under the authority of the Treaty of Versailles. The British Empire was interested to the extent of thirty millions sterling.