NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 36

NEWS BY CABLE.

FRANCHISE REFORM. The House of Lords carried by 132 to 42 the amendment to the Representation- of the People Bill providing tor proportional representation on the basis of each elector having 0110 transferable vote in constituencies returning from three to five members. The Daily Chronicle's' parliamentary correspondent says it Is extremely improbable that the House of Commons will agree to the vital changes that were made by the House of Lords in tho People's Bill. The House of Commons has thrice defeated the proposal as to Proportional Representation. If Lord SelbourWa proposal is included in the Bill it will be impossible to pass it into law this session. The Government will probably invite the House of Commons to disagree with the amendments. Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P., addressing a conference of the Women's LabourLeague at Nottingham, said ho believed a general election would be held between J uly and! September. 9 FLOODS IN ENGLAND. Heavy rains resulted in floods all over tho countryside in England. The rivers have risen to an alarming level, and thousands of acres- are under water. Much damage has been done in South Wales, Devonshire, Warwickshire, and Bucking-* hamshire. Many towns in Huntingdonshire are isolated. There are 4500 burst waterpipes at Newcastle-on-Tyne. WHISKY COMBINE. Arrangements are' being completed to form a combine to control the Scotch whisky tradle. Seven firms are involved, including Buchanan's, Dewar's, Watson's, and Walker's, with a capital of £30,000,000. TROUBLE IN SPAIN. Fres"n disorders have occurred at Barcelona, and the Government has announced that it is determined to crush the agitation. Martial law has been proclaimed in Barcelona. Owing to the strikes and disorders that .have arisen high prices are ruling for food 1 . Troops were called out to quell the disturbances at Barcelona. Telegraphic and telephonic communication i 3 interrupted, and many industries are closed. THE FIRE ON THE WARSPITE. The training ship Warspite was burnt, to the water's edge following a bunker fire. All the boys were saved. Three boys from the Wjarspitc (Ernest Adams, Frederick Blogg, and Harold Gurr), wore charged at Dartford with igniting the training-ship. Tire police gave evidence that Blogg admitted his guilt. Adams told the police that, he saw a heap of wood in tho hold of the ship, and that Blogg ignited the heap. FLOODS IN GERMANY. News from Frankfurt states that the sudden rising of the River Nahe has done damage totalling some millions of marks.The town of Soberiiheim collapsed' like a house of cards. Floods have also done considerable damage in various parts of Holland. The New York Times Hague correspondent reports heavy floods throughout Germany, due to the thawing of tremendous snowfalls. Factories and munition works were damaged, and bridges were washed away. There has been a great loss - of cattle. Factory work is stopped at Hanover, Jena, and Karlsruhe, in South Germany. A CHINESE OUTRAGE. It is announced that the United States Government has protested against the Chinese torpedoing- the United States gunboat Monocacy on the Ganges (? Yang-tse-Kiang) River. One person was killed and two were wounded':. The British Foreign Office has announced that the southern and northern Chinese, which fired on tho Monocacy (American warship), continue to attack British and Japanese ships. A strong protest has been sent to China. DISASTROUS EXPLOSION. An explosion occurred in the Allen coal mine at New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Eight miners are entombed, and 20 bodies have been recovered already. GENERAL NEW T S. The proprietors of the Mercantile Steamship Company are considering Lord Inchcape's offer to purchase their share capital on behalf of the Peninsular and Oriental and British India Companies. Incoming vessels report having picked up S.O.S. signals from the steamer Bay of Kerran, which reported the loss of all her lifeboats. The inquest on the body of Go-neral Sir Beauchamp Duff showed that" ho had been suffering from insomnia since the publication of tho report. The verdict was that death was duo to an overdose of veronal, taken accidentally to induce sleep. AUSTRALIAN NEWS. A fire at the Sydney corporation rubbish destructor ignited a tar reservoir, with tho result that damage to the extent of £IO.OOO was done. Tho exportation of animal fertilisers and superphosphates from Australia has been prohibited. Tho Victorian State Government has arranged with the New South Wales Government for a suply.of 200,000 tons of coal annually for two years.. Miss Adela Pankhurst, who was imprisoned at Melbourne for riotous behaviour. has been released owing to ill-health. WHEAT OR MEAT? Mr Ashford. New South Wales, Minister of Lands, addressing the Producers' Conference in Sydney advocated reducing tho wheat area to a minimum sufficient to meet the domestic "requirements of New South Wales and Queensland. TJo explained that he suggested this because of financial and shipping problems. "If we ennnot have moat and wool as well as wheat," ho said, "lot ns have whichever is the most satisfactory in all phases of production for profit." Contrary to Mr Ashford'e advice, Professor Lefroy, tho British Government's wheat representative, told the conference of producers that it would bo sound policy for

Australia to cultivate the largest stock oi wheat possible to meet the terrilic food shortage there- would be after the war. "Wheat," ho said, "could be saved from weevils if stored properly, and would keep indefinitely—he guaranteed fur at least live years. SOUND ADVICE. The half-yearly report of tho Labour Council states: "It had taken 27 years to bring unionism to the state of perfection enjoyed prior to the strike, and it was all demolished in 27 days by direct action." The council advises unionists to givo up strikes or alter the system of organisation. Referring to the present condition of unionists, tho report says that never in tho history of Australia have employers shown such vindictiveness towards workers. Employers are taking full advantage of the surplus labour and the hungry unemployed. The council suggests that all unions bo grouped on lines of trade affinity, such groups to bo formed into an industrial federation of lines linked to tho federal body by the formation of an Australian Labour Council. AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. In tho House of Reprsentatives, Mr Hughes, in outlining tho Government's programme, proposed to consider the whole industrial legislation. It had guaranteed producers 4s per bushel for the next harvest, which the Wheat Board has been so far unable to-sell. It was proposed to raise a £40,000,000 loan, but the method was not disclosed. Senator Gardiner (New South Wales) asked in the Senate whether the Government was prepared to consider a definite offer of reconciliation during the war period, and he submited a proposal for a new Cabinet, with Brigadier-general Ryne as Prime Minister. The proposed Ministry includes only one Labour member. Senator Millen promised to submit tho proposal to his colleagues in the Cabinet. Mr Hughes declared, in tho House of Representatives, that the shipbuilding agreement between the Government and tho unions had been ratified, and that operations would commence shortly. Senator Millen informed Parliament that tho excess of expenditure over revenue in the adminsitration of the Northern Territory since its transfer to the commonwealth amounts to £630,506.