NEWS IN BRIEF

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2424, 4 May 1922, Page 1

NEWS IN BRIEF

Lord Brassey’s famous yacht, the Sunbeam, crossed the Atlantic five or six times as a private yacht. The vessel has covered quite 450,000 miles in all. It was sold recently to Sir W. Runciman, a North of England shipowner. Lieutenant Michael O’Leary, V.C.,who since going to Canada has experienced difficulty in obtaining employment, has been appointed by the Ontario Government provincial officer in charge of the enforcement of the Ontario Temperance Act.

During forty-nine yeiirs as fireman, driver, and locomotive inspector, Mr/ Cooper, who recently retired from the service of the London Brighton and South Coast Railways, has travelled nearly 2,000,000 miles in the course of his duty. Estimates of the current -sugar crop of Queensland are placed at 250,000 tons. This is less than the record crop, which was anticipated earlier in the year, the desease ]ieing due lo damage to the crops from excessive rain in some, parts and to the prevalence of grub pests in several areas.

Among the important features of the new Latvian tariff are the abolition of all import restrictions,, high duties on articles of luxury, and low rates or free admission for machinery, tools and raw materials. Although the import duties are based on the gold franc, they have to be paid in Latvian roubles.

During 1920 there were 3,000,000 tons of coal'sold for consumption outside of the Union of South Africa and 470 tons were imported, and from present indications these conditions will prevail, since South Africa can produce an abundance of coal to meet all demands. . The severe shipping slump, jfor some time prevalent in Japan, affords an explanation of the reported sale of Japanese ships to Germany. For such steamers, it is stated, Germany offers to pay in merchandise, principally steel, and chemical products and fertilisers. Reported missing during the fighting in German East Africa in 1917, and believed to be dead by all his relations except a sister, who held that he Wijs alive, Harold Hooton, a Grimsby man, returned to his home a tew weeks ago. He had been a prisoner in German hands, and since his release had been on a voyage round the world. . The number of persons in receipt of Poor Law relief in London on January 17Jh,\vas 228,311, being 50.9 per 1,000 of the population, as compared with 220.048, equal to 50.4 per 1000, on January 10th. Hamburg shipping returns show that the total tonnage of incoming ships for the year 1921 was 9,421,000, as compared with 14,185,000 in 1913. The figures for clearings are 9,443,000 in 1921, as against 14,439,000 in 1913.