LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2732, 30 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Reference to the possibility of Chinese hoarding gold was made in tho House of Representatives yesterday by Mr W. H. Field, who said that some two months, ago reliable information had reached him that Chinese wero buying gold at a premium, giving 20s 6d for a sovereign. This was borne out by the reports in the newspapers that a sum of £600 in gold- had been stolen from the premises of a Chinese shopkeeper in Wellington. Mr Field added that the hoarding of gold by Chinese, if at all generally carried on, might have a bad effect on our currency, and he asked the Minister of Finance to make enquiries. Mr Allen said he had already made enquiries in the matter, and had found that there was very little reason to suspect that Chinese were hoarding gold, but even if they were, it did not matter much, because the export of gold was absolutely forbidden.

Curiosity has naturally been aroused by the mystery of the sudden change of front towards Lord Kitchener made by the group of newspapers controlled by Lord Northcliffe. Sir Henry Lucy, writing in the "Sydney "Morning Herald," relates a story which he thinks possibly accounts for the strange performance.. When the rigid rules of the censorship, undoubtedly inspired, if not..'literally dictated, by Lord Kitchener, were first put in force, the " Times," not without reason, as many thinkj hdtly denounced them, pointing out how unfair the prohibition of war correspondents was to regiments and men engaged at the front, and how detrimental to recruiting. After, this tiradel had been kept up .dny by day through several weeks Lord 1 Northcliffe received a polite note from the. Prime Minister inviting him to call nt Downing Street. On arrival he found the Secretary of State for War in company with the Prime Minister. Mr Asquith pointed out the injury likely to be done by continuance of tins-criticism of the censor, which thinly veiled an attack upon the War Office. Lord Northcliffe maintained and justified his position. " I also am concerned for the public interest." said the war lord of the British newspaper world. " I believe. lam honestly .serving it, and cannot undertake to abandon the luv* hitherto pursued "Very well." sn .irt Lord Kitchener. " Tliis is Wednesday. You can f r« ns_ you pleaßo up to Saturday "jorninc. inclusive. Rut bow will it bo if on Monday and fiiihsoqunnt dnys Lliero should bo no 'Times'?" The remark was not uttered by way of threat. It was rather a. iiolifo inquiry. I'ut it had immediate effnet.

Dr Diehl, a. German subject, was a director of the Talisman Mining Company. He is not now. At tho annual meeting of the company in London, when the question of re-electing him to the directorate was. considered, the chairman' read the following toljgram from.Dr Diehl:—" Am laid up since severi\ 1 days with heart attack and cannot attend to-day's meeting. Also been unable to arrange proposer and seconder. Leave arrangements in your hands. Have lodged proxies for over 35,000 votes in my: favour. —Diehl." A shareholder asked .;i:f '. Dr Diehl was a German, and the chairman said ho was: He added: " The feeling of the board has been that we regard Dr Diehl as a gentleman, who is a valued and esteemled colleague, and who has been so at all times, in this company. As an individual every member oF the board and,;l believe, all the officials of the company esteem and respect and admire Dr Diehl; but. as a gentleman on the other side of the table has just put it, ihe is unfortunately a. German. He is not a naturalised Englishman, and we have had a feeling of delicacy in the I present state--'- of public feeling against I urging Dr Diehl, in any way to put himself up for re-election.* I will move this resolution : ' That the . number of directors be and is hereby reduced from five to four, such reduction to take effect forthwith.'" This got over-the difficulty. Mr Wilson stated that for Dr Diohl's personal qualifications and for his magnificent work on ?the;board he had the.greatest admiration and respect. ' Dr Diehl, however, being a German, they were unable to. comply with his request to propose' his re-election. The proxies sent in his favour from New Zealand must'have been under a misapprehension in this respect. It was not to be expected . that any body of English and colonial shareholders would tolerate any German on any board, however efficient, or for any other renson.