LATE CABLE NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1931, Page 8

LATE CABLE NEWS

STILL BANKRUPT. FAMOUS OLD MASTER, LONDON, March 3. An Amsterdam Court has rejected the petition of a Utrecht student claiming descent from a brother Saskia, Rembrandt’s first wife, for a reversal of the original declaration making Rem lira nit a bankrupt. The Handelsbald, commenting on the decision, says that, as the request, was seriously made, it is disappointing that is was rejected on formal grounds. The applicant contrasted the status of the still bankrupt Rembrandt and the prices now- being paid for his works.

MOTORISTS’ COURTS

INNOVATION IN POLAND

LONDON, March 4

Holding that motorists do not obtain justice in the ordinary courts in which magistrates who may be unfamiliar with motor cars preside, the Ministry of Justice has decided to establish special courts to try motorists’ offences, states a British Prees correspondent 'in Warsaw. Only judges and magistrates possessing technical knowledge of cars and car driving are to be appointed to this jurisdiction.

R.A.E. TRAINEES

QUOTA FOR AUSTRALIA

LONDON, March 5

The Air Ministry has agreed to Australia’s request to accept, twelve flying officers this year on short-ser-vice R.A.E. commissions, and ten in each of the next two years. Hitherto eight have been received annually. The Air Ministry pays Australia £ISOO for each officer. The scheme is expected to enable normal training t° continue at Point Cooke.

GRIM REPORT

AIR PILOT’S DEATH

LONDON. March 5

The following bald entry occurs in the air services appropriation account; “To loss of cash by robbery. Two pilots were making a long-distance flight from England. The machine crashed in mountainous country, the pilots were killed and the cash stolen |fijom the wreckage. . . £loo.’ The entry refers to the crash in Northern. Africa, on Desember 17, 4929, when Squadron-Leader JonejsW ill in ms and Flight-Lieutenant Jenkins were killed. They Icit Granwell (England) in an attempt to fly non-stop to Capetown and flew into the side of a mountain near Tunis the same night.

TOUCHED BOTTOM

TRADE DEPRESSION

LONDON, March 6

“I think we have reached the limit in the drop in prices, and T believe now that the general trend will he upward.” This opinion was voiced by one of the leading business men in Britain, Sir Woodman Bin-bridge, chairman and managing director of Harrod’s the great London general store, when presiding at the annual meeting of shareholders in the company.

, “The public, therefore,” he added, “can confidently enlarge their puchases of household and personal requirements. This would give the desired stimulus to trade and help the movement towards a general recovi'y. There is little hope of a great revival until we are assured that no further burdens of taxation will he placed on trade and industry.”

VICE RINGS. BLACKMAIL “RACKET.” NEW YORK, March 6. “We will take her out somewhere. Nobody will know how it happened.” Vivian Gordon, the handsome, redhaired woman who was garrotted on the eve, it had been stated, of making revelations in relation to alleged police “frame-ups,” quoted the words in her diary before her death as having been used by someone with the initials “J.A.R.” Her bruised body was discovered in Vancortland Park stripped of her fur coat and rings, and £SOO had been taken from her. Police Commissioner Mulrobnev says he believes that she was killed because she was operating a blackmail “racket,” details of which beggar all previous ventures of this kind to the New York police. She had a private call-list containing the names and descriptions of 50 party girls. Her client could consult her catalogue and choose any variety of pulchitrude for gay parties. Then she instructed the girls to get the men’s real identities, and rather than

face exposure these men paid from £2OO to £2OOO, according to their wealth and social standing.

RadcloiT, her former husband, and Sam Cohen, her lawyer, have been arrested. UNLUCKY 13. ELECTION CANDIDATES. LONDON, March 5. Realising that there were 13 women candidates representing the Municipal Reform party at the recent London County Council’ elections, a well-wisher.

signing himself 1 ‘ An ti-spender^ ’ *■ foS». warded to the lieauquar&ers of tiic municipal society 13 black kittens, to provide a mascot for each candidate and in order to avert the ill-omen inherent in their aggregate number. PARTY LEADER. " BALDWIN OR BEAVERBROOK. LONDON, March 6. “Why does not Mr Baldwin come and fight us himself in St. George’s?” nfiks Lord Beaver brook. He considers tilis might dispose ol the question whether the party wants Mr Baldwin for leader or wants the Empire crusade policy, ol which Lord Benverbrook is sponsor. “If Mr Baldwin fights the by-ele<'tio n and defeats our candidate, Sir George Petter, he will be firmly in the ,saddle; if not, well ” Sir Edward Grigg, military secretary to the Prince of Wales, during the latter’s tour of Australia, was asked to stand ns official Conservative candidate, but declined to accept.