NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 40

NEWS BY CABLE.

THE PRICE OF SILVER. It is expected that tho price of silver will remain somewhere about its present level, as the Indian Government, having raised the value of the rupee to Is Bd, can purchase silver without Joss at about 53|d per oz. There is also likely to be good Continental demand, as coinage, there has practically been at a standstill during the war, and supplies for the trade have been very smalL WOLFRAM ORE. It has been announced that producers of wolfram ore in the British Empire will be compensated out of the public funds for the cancellation of their contracts with the Government, compensation to bo on the basis of their output during the past two years. A DECISION REVERSED. The King's Bench Division has decided against tho Board of Trade for refusing a license to Henry Gardner, formerly chairman of Mcrtons, to trade in non-ferrous metals. The Chief Justice declared that since the outbreak of war Gardner had done everything possible to divest himself of his. German associations. TRADE COMBINATIONS. The British Ministry of Reconstruction's Committee- on Trusts, after an investigation of the iron and steel industry, reports a remarkable war-time increase in trade combinations for restricting competition and controlling prices. The committee recommends machinery similar to that of the dominions and the United States to investigate the operation of trusts and combines. AN EPIDEMIC PREDICTED. Sir Arthur Stanley presided at the inaugural meeting of the Russian Red Cross Fund, of which Queen Alexandra is patroness. He predicted a vast epidemic of typhus in Eastern Europe during the autumn. IRISH AFFAIRS. Mr Lansing has replied to the Sinn Feiners that it is impossible for the Americans to make further representations to the British Government, in view of the offensive speeches of Sinn Feiners in Ireland. P. Beasley, the Sinn Fein member in the House of' Commons for East Kerry, has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for making seditious speeches. When arrested he had in his possession notes upon methods of cutting railways and putting locomotives out of action. SHI J. G. WARD AND THE PRESS. In the course of a speech Sir Joseph Ward deprecated press correspondents in New Zealand to the British press exaggerated stories of the drought, which was trifling, or bogus earthquakes, tending to injure the dominion's prospects.

AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS. The debenture-holders of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company passed a resolution assenting to their sale to the Auckland City Corporation. THE PARIS WOMAN-KILLER. Apart from six small boxes containing charred bones, the police have discovered no substantial clue to the disappearance of Laridru's 12 missing fiancees. It appears that Landru, had at least 94 fiancees, of whom over 70 are still alive. The police have discovered trunks full of love letters, together with an address-book, in which Landru indexed his sweethearts, with side notes respecting their characteristics. Landru, who was two hours under examination, admitted that 11 ' women were his lovers. He added: "I don't know where they have gone." Generally, he refused to answer questions, saying: "It is for the police to find the women." EXODUS OF ALIENS. A widespread exodus of aliens is in progress in' the United States, and large numbers of foreign-born are arranging to leave when shipping accommodation is available. The chief factors influencing migration is. lack of employment and family interests. THE RAND MINES. In the South African Assembly the Government announced the appointment of a commission of three representatives from the employers, three from the Labourites, and three Government nominees, to investigate the mining situation. GENERAL ITEMS. The retail price of margarine has been raised to 4d per lb. The New York Times Kingston correspondent states that the Legislative Council of Jamaica passed a law prohibiting the immigration of undesirables or illiterate aliens. Mr Prothero, who has"~now taken the title of Lord Fernle, has resigned the presidency of the Board of Agriculture. An eruption of the Kloct Volcano, in Java, destroyed 30 villages. The deaths are estimated at 15,000. Owing to the soaring prices of bacon, ohec-c, ' and margarine the British Food Controller is resuming control'of these commodities. The French Chamber of Deputies, by 344 votes to 97. voted in favour of woman's franchise and the eligibility for all elected bodies. It is expected that Mr Lloyd Ceorge will visit the United States in October to attend the opening of the League of Nations. The four-Power loan to China will probably amount to 100 million dollars, to be paid in four instalments of 25 million dollars each. .' An association of Belgian spelter manufacturers has been formed at Liege, comprising seven large companies, with a producing capacity of nearly 120.000 tons of spelter and other zinc. The producing company is expected to join shortly. The South Wales Miners' Conferencepassed a resolution requesting members to refuse to pay income tax until the exemnt ; on is raised _ to £250. and urging the Miners' Federation to act similarly. The Weekly Despatch says that if Sir Douglas Haig declines the command in India a choice will be made between Generals Birdwood and Rawlinson. The former is also mentioned for the Governor-general

of New Zealand, after -visiting Australia about autumn. The Manchester Chamber of Commerce has protested to the Board of Trade against the neavy cable delays. It takes between 20 and 30 days to get replies from India and China, rendering business almost impossible, and nullifying the advantages of the abolition of trade restrictions. The Worry Engine Syndicate, with a capital of £IO,OOO, has agreed to form a company with a, minimum capital of £300,000. The syndicate is arranging to construct a big steamship engine, also express locomotive, aeroplane, motor carj= marine motor, and motor cycle engines. AUSTRALIAN NEV/S. Tb. 3 first electric railway train, from Flinders street, Melbourne, to Essendon, is running. Conversion to the electric system cost £2,800,000. The Federal Government is distributing £IOO,OOO amongst wheat farmers. This amount represents 85 per cent, of the profit made by the Government in purchasing bags. Mr Watt (Acting Prime Minister), speaking at Malvern, said the press had formed a cheap habit of criticism and demolition, but the papers were seldom seen assisting those engaged in constructive work. He warned the press that if it did not do its duty, the country would pass through an era of tribulation that bade fair to wreck the great ancestral institutions under which we live. Lethargic encephalitis has been proclaimed a quarantinable disease in Australia. At the annual meeting of the Nfcw South Wales Alliarce those present passed, a resolution affirming that no measure of liquor reform will be satisfactory which provides compensation for the liquor trade. A committee has been formed to establish a medical research association of Australasia and equip an institute to investigate common diseases. A hundred thousand pounds is wanted to iinance the scheme.

The Sydney Chamber of Commerce is forming a sectional committee for the purpose of safeguarding trade with the Pacific Islands.

The wireless operator on the steamer Karoola reports that when off the northwest coast of Australia he received clear messages from an English low-power station on the North. Sea.

The scow Zingara, which was bound from Newcastle to Gisborne, and which put into Sydney on the 29th, encountered heavy weather, and sprang a leak. The captain was compelled to make for Sydney for repairs. After lengthy litigation and various appeals in Sydney, Mr Judge, M.H.R., was lined £25 for contravention of the Act regarding sedition. Incomplete returns of the parliamentary election held on Saturday show that the parties in the Legislative' Assembly are as follow: —Nationalists, 17; Labour, 12- Independent, 1. All the Ministers were returned. FLOODS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. Over 20ui of rain have fallen in Sydney during the month of May. Continuous rains resulted in floods in New South Wales country districts. Lismore and the Tweed Valley are inundated. Floods are reported in all the north coast districts., Several towns are isolated. A youth was drowned at Keering in attempting to cross a river. Serious damage has been done by floods in the Lismore district, where houses are under water and many people are homeless. Two lives have been lost. AN UNDESIRABLE. The remarkable case of a miner, Paul Freeman, has come to light. Without any reason being given, ho was placed, aboard the steamer Sonoma by the Australian military authorities fcr deportation to America. On the vessel's arrival at San Francisco he was refused admission to America, the result being that Freeman has now been carried to San Francisco and back three times. The Sonoma is now in Sydney, and Freeman has started a hunger strike with the object of compelling the authorities to grant him a trial. He has now fasted for several days, 'and is very weak. Strong pressure is being brought to bear on the Federal authorities to deal with the case.