GENERAL CABLE NEWS

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 3778, 2 May 1919, Page 4

GENERAL CABLE NEWS

British budget figures

(Aus.-N.Z. Cable Association.)

London, April ill). Tho Hon. Austen Chamberlain, in delivering tho Budget, said that the' excess profits tux would bo abolished as soon as possible. It will be -JO per cent, tin's your, yielding £50,000,000. Tho principal preferential articles are: Tea, cocoa, sugar, tobacco, rum, motor spirit, cinema films, clocks, watches, and musical instruments. Preference on spirits consists of a surcharge of half-a-crown on foreign spirits. Tho reduced tax on tea will operate as from June 2. He anticipated the total loss of revenue involved will be £_~'{oo,ooo. The British loans to the Allies and the Dominions include £171,000,000 to the Dominions.

Death duties have been advanced on estates of between £ 15,000 and £20MO from 5 \>or cent, io « y«r cent.; on estates between a million and a million ami a-half, from TO per cent, lo 32 per cent.; and over two millions 40 per cent. INFERNAL MACIIINFS IN AMKIUCA Now York, April '50. Infernal machines were found iv mails addressed to prominent people throughout llio United States, chiefly opponents of the I.W.W. propaganda. A negro maid in ox-Senator Hardwick's household had a hand blown oil' while, opening a parcel containing bombs received through the post. Hardwiek formerly was Prosecuting Attorney iv Washington County, Georgia. Several parcelled bombs wore addressed to tin; Californiau District Attorney.

. TUADE PREFERENCE IN THE EMPIRE Melbourne, May 1. A deputation of tho Australian Association of British Manufacturers has asked tho Minister for Customs for substantial and effective preference to bo given to British ninnufncturers in the revision of customs tariffs, as a sot-off against Britain's trade sacrifices in tho war. Tho deputation urged that it would bo impossible to survive tho competition of Japan and America without substantial preferonce, and asked for a 20 per cent, minimum, in place of tho present o to 10 per cent. The Minister replied that the Government was endeavouring to give the amount of preference to Britain which the position justified, and were not losing sight of Japan's and America's hotter opportunities for extending trade during war time. If, however, the. Commonwealth granted Britain It substantial preference, it would expect Britain to reciprocate CHINA AND JAPAN New York, April 30. Reference to tho Chinese-Japanese agreement by tho AVorld's Pans correspondent states that a tentative agreement provides that Japan shall receive Gorman concessions from China, such as mines aud railways which remain under Chinese sovereignty, but aro operated by Japan, -'japan's interest in Shantung shall be limited to the original provisions of the China-Japanese treaties. Japanese paramount influence in China will probably be recognised as it was in the Lansinginshii treaty. It is pointed out that Japann's special position in China has been already recognised in the Monroe Doctrine clause in tho covenant.

GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF COAL SUPPLIES

Melbourne. May 1. Coal regulations have been issued empowering the Prime Minister to acquire all the coal, appoint selling and distributing agents, fix rates of wages and conditions of employment, determine the compensations to owners, fix soiling price, and cancel or suspend contracts for supply. MURDER AND SUICIDE Perth, May 1. A sensational double tragedy is reported. A. Murray, station ■manager, shot dead Eva Downey a barmaid, in a motor-car, then killed himself. .Murray was a married man with nine children. He resented Downey's indtfferenco to his attentions. RECORD PRICE FOR BROOD MAKE Sydney, May 1. The brood mare Lady Victoria, with filly by Piquet, was passed m at the sales at 1050 guineas and sold pnvatelv. The prico is stated to be one of tho highest ever paid in Australia for a brood mare.