GENERAL CABLES

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1920, Page 2

GENERAL CABLES

BRITISH ITEMS. Sir Robert Home is introducing a Bill in the House of Commons to continue tlte powers against profiteering. He said a separate Bill dealing with trusts would be introduced later this session. The House of Lords, by 23 votes to 22, refused the second reading of Lord Balfour, of Burleigh's Bill for the protection' of key industries, and against dumping, though Lord Birkenhead supported it, announcing that the Government was prepared to confer with its authors with the view to facilitating its passage with improvements. The standing Committee of the House of Commons shelved the Womens' Franchise Bill, which was designed to give women the vote on the same terms as men (at present they must be over 30 years to have a vote). This means the virtual extinction of the measure this year as Mr. Bonar Law states it is impossible to make it a Government Bill. FOREIGN ITEMS. ' Canadian trade for the year ended March 31 totalled 3351 million dollars. Imports increased 17 per cent, and exports two per cent, over last year. General Masterman caused a sensation at the Ambassadors' Conference by describing German official devices to . baffle lils mission by concealing war material. Four directors of the Hamburg-Ame-rica Line conferred with the head of the United States Shipping Board, but later announced that no proposition had been outlined, since the United States is still technically at war with Germany. Dr. Cuno said he would take up the matter of the use of the Hamburg-American terminal facilities by American shipping companies with private concerns here, pending the declaration of peace between the United States and Germany. AUSTRALIAN ITEMS. Following a beer strike at Port Pirie, which has now lasted a fortnight, the workers, who boycotted the beer owin? to the price, passed a motion' inviting prohibition speakers to come to the town with a view to considering the advisableness of initiating a campaign for a referendum on prohibition, and, in the meantime, declaring the town dry