NEWS FROM OVERSEAS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 20, 5 January 1928, Page 7

NEWS FROM OVERSEAS

CABLES IN BRIEF. Windfall for Chancellor t The administration of the Island of Jersey has forwarded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer a cheque or £300,000 as a contribution to war expenditure. Generator Explodes: An explosion in a turbine generator supplying light and power to the town of St. Paul (U.S.A.) wrecked plant valued at £lOO,OOO and killed two electricians and injured 15. All light and power were cut off for several hours. Sale of Tobacco and Cigarettes: London shopkeepers criticise the “Dora” (Defence of the Realm Act), committee’s recommendations on the ground that it is unfair to permit sales of tobacco and sweets in theatres and elsewhere after the shops are closed. They argue that there is no reason why chocolates and cigarettes should not be purchased before eight o'clock, like any other commodity. 'Memorial to Late Marquess Curzon: A commission for a memorial to the late Marquess Curzon, former Foreign Secretary, has been given to Sir Bertram MacKennal, who has been’ responsible for much public work, including a number of statues of Queen Victoria and King Edward. The intention is to erect a full length statue of the distinguished statesman in Carlton House Terrace, where he long resided, and also to place a plaque in Westminster Abbey. The Death Penalty: Official reports issued in Moscow state that Poliakoff, commercial director of the grain department of the State Blink, and his assistant Telesnin, were sentenced to death for sealing to private merchants grain on more favourable terms than .to Slate departments. Neither will benefit by the October amnesty in view of the fact that their crimes proved that they were involved in excessively prolonged abuse of their official position for a selfish purpose. A middleman received also the sentence of death, but this was commuted to ten years’ imprisonment.

Montana Desperado: Bon Hamil, ton, a noted Montana desperado, stole some cattle in the week preceding Christmas. The police spread the alarm through the countryside, and finally .a sheriff, Babcock, and two deputies, Withington and Cummings, captured him in Idaho. They brought him back to his native village, and when passing Ben’s house he requested permission to "obtain a change of clothing. Stopping the sleigh, Ben stepped out, and a moment later reappeared with a gun, with which he bored the head of each man before again taking to the hills. Searchers found the trio dead, still seated in the sleigh.

Children on Ice Floe: The tide at Wilhelmshaven dislodged an ice floe in the harbour on which seven children were palying. The swift current carried the floe out to sea. The battleship Schlesein, with a number of tugs and blazing searchlights, sailed in pursuit, and portable searchlights were mounted at Jade Bay, on the coast. The cries of the children were heard for two hours after the mishap. They were rescued after drifting for four hours.

Lost Church Reappears: The lost parish church of Walton-on-the-Naze, which was engulfed over a century ago with portion of the village, and which is now three miles out at sea, dramatically reappeared during an exceptionally low tide following on a heavy storm. It was known as the ghost church, and great crowds gathered on tht sea front to watch the ruin silhouetted against the sky, until the tide returned and again engulfed the building.

Contributory Pensions: The final section of the British contributory pensions scheme, which was embodied in the 1915 Act, became operative yesterday. Under it 450,000 persons between the ages of 65 and 70, who have been insured under the national health scheme, which covers 15,000,000 weekly wage earners, will be entitled forthwith to a pension of 10s a week, irrespective of any other means they may possess. The benefits also apply to the wives of insured persons. Another section of the Act, which came into operation with the New Year, relieves work people over 65 years of age from liability to pay contributions under the health insurance scheme, but employers are still required to pay their share of the contribution in respect of such Work people.

Raising of Cun Elevations: Satisfaction is expressed in official quarters in London at the communique issued by the United States Government repudiating the report that the British Government hail raised the elevation of guns on British battleships alter the conclusion of the Washington treaty. It is hoped this will definitely dispose of the rumour, which has ’been revived on various occasions within the last few years, and which hasffiad an unfavourable reaction on AngloAmerican relations.

Record In Banking Business: The improvement in trade is the reason generally ascribed lor the record turnover of money during the past year reported by the bankers’ clearing house in London. Cheques paid at the clearing house exceeded those in the previous year by £1,725,000,000. The three main causes, according to clearing house inspectors, were “the gradual recovery and expansion of trade in some industries, the large movement of funds in connection with the Government debt conversions, and the immense turnrover of money on the short loan market.” Most remarkable has been the growth of the hanking business in the present century, as shown by an annual increase in. cleaning from under £9,000.000,000 in 1900 to over £11,000,000,000 in the past year.