GENERAL CABLES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 273, 12 August 1920, Page 5

GENERAL CABLES

By Telegraph-Press ABsoolatlon-OopyrigM Tho Italian Chamber' of Deputies has ratified tho Treaty of Saint Germain (concluding peace with Austria). Tho Duke of York gavo a reception to tho visiting rifle team at Buckingham Palace. AVar -gratuities issued in Australia to tho end of July amounted to .£12,500,000. Two millions' worth havo been cashed. Tho Sydney City Council has passed a resolution in favour of a municipal undertaking to reduce the cost of l'uuerals. A messago from Brisbane states that Sir Samuel Griffith had an impressive Slnto funeral. All the Government offices wero closed. It is reported from Peking that n mandate has been issued appointing Chin Yun Peng (Acting-Premier) and Wellington ICoo to be China's representatives in tho League of Nations Tho prospect of a strike of the New South Wales coal-miners is greatly perturbing Victoria, as industries are keenly feeling the coal shortage. Factories have tu uso half brown coal, and havo no reserves. A sub-committee of the Royal Geographical , Society is considering the details of a proposed expedition to attempt to scale _ Mount Everest, via Tibet. ■It is anticipated that tho attempt will entail enormous difficulties, and will take a coupfo of years. The Italian Government has invited Brigadier-General B-amaciotti, of the Australian. Army, to address tho principal Italian Chambers of Commerce on Australian resources and industries. General flamaciotti will also attend a meeting of the Council of the British Chamber of Commerce in Italy, at Leghorn in October. The New South Wales Graziers' Association maintains its determined attitmlo' against accepting the shearers' demand for a 41-hour weok, and claims that 23 sheds have already started on a 4S-honrs basis. The shearers deny that any members of the union have started on the graziers' terms.

The Sydney branch of the Boilermakers' Union has resolved not to give work to any men educated at a technical college as boilermakers, under the repatriated soldiers' scheme. Other unions aro limiting the number of 6iich vocationally trained men. Associations of returned men are strongly protesting against the ■union's attitude. ;

Advices from Kabul state that the Afghan Government is discussing Hie proposed treat,v with Britain. In view of the concessions offered by Britain, Bolshevik influence is waning. It is understood that delegates will shortly leave again for India to conclude the treaty. It is reported that a 6trong party is trying to oust the Ameer from tho throne, but so far its efforts have been futile. Abnormal monsoonal rains havo caused floods throughout the country (states a Simla message). They arc particularly severe in Bengal, whore a number of villages wore swept away. At Jamshodpur n thousand huts in the native quarter were destroyed, and many are homeless. Large area 9cf crops in various districts were destroyed. In Calcutta tho main streets are deeply flooded; traffic is suspended, and heavy damage has been done to goods and properly.

A, message from Simla states that details hftvo arrived there from Bagdad concerning the murder of the British political officer, Captain Geard, outside Tabriz. It appears that his carriage wus surrounded by soveral hundred tribesmen,' and an escort of Persian soldiers fled. He put up a good Aght for nearly two hours, but was finally shot dead, and his kit looted. Owing to tlie state of public order, it is improvable tliat the Persian Government' will be in a position to adequately' punish the tribes concorned. Reports from Turkestan state that tho Bolsheviks have dismissed all Moslem teachers from tho schools, and have introduced Bolshevik propaganda. They have confiscated tlie valuables of rich merchants, and placed them under surveillance to prevent their leaving the country in order to escape Bolshevik rule. Streams of emigrants ore pouring over the frontier into'lndia, "where tho foreign Political Department has created a special section with a view to combating the Bolshevik propaganda there and in' Middle Asia. A. Renter message from Simla--states that persistent reports are current that an exodus of emigrants from the frontier provinces to Afghanistan is causing Afghanistan mucli worry. Certain villages in the vicinity of Peshawar have emigrated en bloc, and Afghan reports state ';hat tho feeding of the laTgo numbers of travellers is proving a serious matter. There is good reason to bclievo th.tt the authorities in Kabul oro growing tmxious, and are attempting to stop tho movement, which is largely duo to tie pitching of priests in India. M. Caseiifive (Director-General of French) Services in the United States) has announced that France will ship 50 million dollars in gold shortly to meet the matured French share of the AngloFrench loan of 500 million dollars. Franco has already retired 50 million dollars' worth of bonds, and a similar amount will ba purchased between now and the' mature date. October 15. An attempt will bo made to refund 125 million dollars by a new loan. Britain has already purchased over 200 million dollars' worth of bonds, and Iras arranged to care for the remaining 50 millions of her share by shipments of gold.