BRITISH AFFAIRS

Southland Times, Issue 19255, 20 June 1921, Page 5

BRITISH AFFAIRS

THE COST OF LIVING FURTHER FALL ANNOUNCED (By Telegraph--Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, June 18. (Received June 19, 5.5 p.m.) Official figures on the Cost of Living show a further fall of nine points. It is now 119 per cent, above pre-war scale or a fall of fifty-seven points since November. MEMBERS’ SALARIES. EXEMPTION FROM INCOME TAX PROPOSED. LONDON, June 18. (Received June 19, 5.5 p.m.) Newspapers criticise adversely the Board of Inland Revenue’s report recommending that the salaries of members of the House of Commons be regarded as expenses and therefore exempt from income tax and also recommending that the tax paid for the past three years be refunded. MILLAIS'S MASTERPIECE. AN AUSTRALIAN OFFER. LONDON, June 17. (Received June 19, 5.5 p.m.) It is announced that an Australian offer of £lO,OOO has been made to purchase Sir John Millais’s picture “Christ in the Carpenter’s Shop,” which has been hanging on loan for ten years in the Tate Gallery. The Tate Board has, however, an option to secure the picture on the same terms. The National Art Collection Fund is appealing to the public to provide the money before July 18. Mr D. Y. Cameron, addressing a meeting of the fund, said that the painting was Millais’s masterpiece. Sir Aston Webb said that the Royal Academy w’as anxious to help “in securing to the nation that great work.” THE COTTON DISPUTE. OPERATIVES ACCEPT EMPLOYERS’ TERMS. LONDON, June 18. (Received June 19, 5.5 p.m.) Cotton operatives at Manchester have accepted the masters’ terms and will resume work on Monday. THEFT OF JEWELLERY. CHARGE AGAINST ACTRESS. LONDON, June 16. Victoria Monks, the actress, also Arthur Simonds, of no occupation, were committed for trial for theft. The evidence showed that the owner inadvertently left a dressing case in a taxi. The prosecution suggests that Monks and Simonds engaged the taxi and appropriated the jewellery, portion of which a London pawnbroker handed over to the police. Manks’s maid gave evidence regarding pawning the identified jewellery on behalf of her mistress. THE ORMUS. LONDON, June 18. (Received June 20, 1.10 a.m.) The Ormus, which was formerly the German liner Zeppelin, has inaugurated a series of Norwegian cruises preparatory to entering the Australian-Orient service in November.