THE UNITED STATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 19

THE UNITED STATES.

GREAT AREA INUNDATED. NEW YORK, June 11. Thousands of families have been driven from their homes, five persons killed, and millions of dollars' worth of damage done by floods sweeping large areas in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Torrential rains caused the rivers to overflow their banks. The northern half of Oklahoma is virtually inundated. Three thousand persons are homeless in Arkansas City, Kansas, alone. CHAMPION BOXER’S FINE WORK NEW YORK, June 12. Jess Willard is the outstanding hero of the disastrous floods in the Southern States. The former champion prevented loss of life at Ranch 101, which was swept by a raging torrent. \\ illard waded up to his neck and carried women and children to points of safety. He also rescued trapped live stock. On one occasion he dived deep into the raging water to cut loose two horses which were entangled. AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAW. WASHINGTON, June 11. The Supreme Court has unanimously de - clared to be unconstitutional a law of the Kansas Industrial Court. This law essayed to prevent strikes by requiring employ sis and employees in industries affecting the public interest to submit their disptes to the court for compulsory arbitration. Thus the Industrial Court virtnally’Tnctated the prices of necessaries as well as wages, while denying the workmen's right to strike. The Supreme Court found that the opinion stated by the Industrial Court, in so far as it permits the fixing of wages, is in conflict with the fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, and illegally deprives a plaintiff of property and of liberty of control. Mr Hampers and other Labour leaders have in general been the bitterest opponents of the Industrial Court throughout its three years’ existence. June 12. Mr Samuel Campers (President of the American Federation of Labour) has issued the following statement : —“Labour is glad to see the Kansas Industrial Court fall by the wayside. Kansas is once again headed for freedom.” It is announced that the new scout cruiser Milwaukee will shortly be completed. She will visit Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, and Australia on her trial cruise. ' This is part of the plan under which six new cruisers and Dreadnoughts will tour the world during their testing voyages. SCRAPPING SHIPS. NEW 7 YORK. June 11. Mr Lasker has advised the President that the Government should assume the direct operation of 250 of the Shipping Board’s 1450 vessels, maintain 200 ships as a reserve, and scrap the remainder. The total deadweight tonnage of the vessels retained would be 2,950,000. WASHINGTON, June 15. President Harding, at a dinner given in honour of Mr Lasker, who is retiring from the chairmanship of the United States Shipping Board, declared that the Government operation of the American merchant marine was the only resort left, and he urged that it had been success fully accomplished, adding: “I have seen so many manifestations of the desire of other nations to impede our work.” THREE YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT. NEW YORK, June 11. For the fii'st time a woman motorist has been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment lor running down and killing a boy. LOAN FOR AUSTRIA. NEW YORK, June 11. Within 15 minutes after opening business Mr J. P. Morgan's offering for the Austrian loan of 25,000,000 dollars in 7 per cent, guaranteed bonds was oversubscribed. This is the American allotment of the total loan of 126,000,000 dollars. BRITAIN’S WAR DEBT. NEW YORK, June 14. Great Britain to-day will make the first payment of interest and amortisation charges of 70,000,000 dollars on her debt to America. It is estimated that by taking advantage of the condition in the settlement under which sire can pay in American Liberty Bonds, which are now selling slightly under par. Great Britain will save 1,409,000d0i BALANCE OF TRADE. WASHINGTON, June 13. Tlie balance of trade has begun to turn against the United States. The imports pf commodities during the first five months of 1923 totalled 1,765,757,000 dollars in value, and the exports 1,628,175,000 dollars. It was believed that under the circumstances the United States would begin heavy shipmei s gold, but this is not the case. A total of 91,241,000 dollars worth of gold was brought in during the period-

STOWAWAYS’ TERRIBLE FATE. NEW YORK, June 14. The sugar freighter Santa Theresa, which has arrived at Philadelphia, reports that five Cuban stowaways were trapped between the coal bunkers and boilers while the ship was en route from Cuba, and were literally roasted 6 : ; ii bv the scorching heat from the boilers. Tour other Cubans v„io m.-„ e ,. .. in the hold not far from the other live were in a serious condition when the ship arrived. They had been gassed by the fumes from the boilers, and are not expected to live. VICTIM OF A QUARREL. VANCOUVER, May 27. ■ Awakening from unconsciousness, a man who was shot at Los Angeles, following a quarrel, found his assailant busy digging a grave, evidently believing his victim to be dead. The latter managed to crawl away, and later the police arrested his opponent. LONG TRIP IN YAWL. LOS ANGELES, May 29. Harry Pidgeon, a local mariner who set out alone to explore the Pacific in a 50ft yawl named the Islander, was recently reported to have reached Suva safely. He is now on his way to the Orient, and expects to encircle the globe in his frail craft, thus rivalling the feat of Captain Slocum, who about 20 years ago sailed round the world in an open boat. It was reported from London on Monday that Captain Symonds, D. 5.0., is almost ready to start on a- voyage to Australia in his yawl Seaweed. He will he accompanied by his wife. THE COTTON INDUSTRY. LONDON, June 14. Washington despatches reporting con cessions in the shape of the acceptance of the Liverpool standards and arbitra tion under the new cotton law ha- r e caused satisfaction in Liverpool and Manchester, where protest meetings have been postponed pending consideration of the concessions by the cotton exchanges. PITCHED BATTLE ON SCHOONER. NEW YORK, June 14. men, comprising two whites, two negroes, and five Chinese, were killed

( aboard the small schooner Alary Beatrice, I and thrown into the sea in a furious battle I of British registry, off Sandy Hook, j Ihe story was related when 16 Chinese j stiil aboard the Mary Beatrice were picked up, drilling without a skipper and without a crew. The boat was taken to Ellis Island (the New York immigration 1 station). | It appears that the captain undertook to smuggle 20 Chinese into the United States from Havana at SGO dollars each, half the sum to be paid on sailing and the other half on arriving. When off the New Jersey coast the captain abandoned the boat, leaving the crew armed with knives and revolvers and plenty of liquor. The crew threatened the Chinese with death unless they gave up their money. The crew shot down one of the Chinese who resisted, whereupon a fight ensued, in which all the crew were massacred and thrown overboard, while m the other side five Chinese were killed.

WALL STREET FAILURES. NEW YORK, June 15. Another series of Wall street failures has occurred with the bankruptcy of the 70-year-old firm of Knauth, Nachod, and Kuhne with liabilities of 11,000,000 dollars. Whereas the other failures affected firms which were members of “curb” or consolidated exchanges, the Knauth firm was a member of the Stock Exchange and was doing a large foreign as well as domestic business. Thus its collapse is more far-reaching and important in effect. A cablegram from New York under date June 8 stated that the collapse of Metsrs Winkleman and Co., one of Wall street's biggest brokers, with liabilities of over 4,000,000 dollars, had brought to a climax a series of 20 similar failures in less than two years, which had co.-t investors more than 100,000,000 dollars. Within the last few weeks three Targe firms had crashed. The Federal Government was commencing an inquiry whether there was a possible collusion in the bankruptcy.

“This institution is very much overcrowded, and still keeps very busy, making it imperative that something should be done at once to relievo the pressure,” said the secretary (Mr T. Pryde) in his report to the Southland Hospital Beard.