BRITISH AFFAIRS

Southland Times, Issue 18990, 11 July 1923, Page 5

BRITISH AFFAIRS

TIRED OF STRIKE DOCKERS WANT TO RESUME EMPLOYERS ASKED TO WAIVE CUT. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 10. (Received July 10, 10.40 pjn.) At a meeting lasting five hours, the dockers unofficial strike committee adopted a resolution asking the Union officials to negotiate with employers for resumption of work, suggesting that the employers waive the latest shilling wages cut, seeing that Parliament itself declared the cost of living basis was wrong. It was stated that this interpretation of Parliament’s opinion is open to question. Earlier in the day, the annual confereoge of transport workers adopted a resolution urging the deckers to return to work, so as to maintain their organised strength and enable grievances to be dealt with unitedly.. MANY STRIKERS RESUMING NO SYMPATHY FROM TRANSPORTERS LONDON, July 9. Over half of the Liverpool dockers have resumed. The Transport W’orkers’ conference rejected an amendment asking for the sup?ort of the dock- strikers, and adopted a motion requesting the strikers to resume work. WOOL SALES POSTPONED. LONDON, July 9. (Received Julj- 10, 7.40 p.m.). Owing to the strike, the wool sales have been postponed till July 17. LIVELY MEETING AT HULL. AGREEMENT FLOUTED. LONDON, July 9. A meeting of transporters at Hull broke up in disorder. Ben Smith was subjected to continual interjections when he argued that the dockers’ agreement, whether good or bad, must run to the end of the year. The meeting passed a resolution in favour of a policy of unofficial striking, adding that ths men were willing to return to work for eleven shillings a day, if an inquiry into the cost of living was conceded. IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY. LONDON, July 9. The big demand for South Wales iron and steel continues, due to the heavy drop in imports of foreign iron and steel A number of blast furnaces have been relit, though the industry is handicapped by the shortage and high price of coke. EMPIRE PRESS UNION. WIRELESS SCHEME URGED. LONDON, July 9. (Received July 10, 8.10 p.m.) The annual report of the Empire Press Union, expresses hope that the next conference will be held in Australia and that New Zealand will be included in the itinerary. The meeting adopted a resolution to approach the Postmaster-General and express the urgency of effective Empire wireless communications. FARM TRAINING FOR BOYS. LONDON, July 9. Christ’s College has opened a fram trainJig branch at its school with a view to preparing the boys for farm work in the dominions. Mr Vernon Reed, the New Zealand legislator, is preparing a settlement for the boys in the North Island of New Zealand. ANGLO-CATHOLIC CONGRESS. GREAT GATHERING OF PRELATES. LONDON, July 9. The second Anglo-Catholic Congress opens to-morrow, with a service in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Bishop of London supported by twenty bishops and delegates from Australia and New Zealand and other dominions and colonies, will deliver the preiidential address at the Albert Hall, for which 16,000 tickets have been sold. The Bishop of Zanibar, of Kikuyu fame, is Chairman of the Congress. High Mass will be celebrated in twenty London churches, where priests will also be available for confession. POVERTY AND BLINDNESS. BRAVE STRUGGLE OF ARTIST. LONDON, July 9. Horace Vanruith. the veteran artist, died in London, aged 84, after a brave struggle against failing eyesight and acute poverty. Practically his only income was the Turner annuity of £5O, awarded him as a distinguished artist. His last picture, “Nurse Cavell on the Scrap of Paper,” was.only completed on Armistice Day. after a tragic race against approaching blindness. SENTENCED FOR FRAUD. LONDON, July 8. John Clarke was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, for fraudulently obtaining money from Mrs Hill. [On June 29, John Clarke was committed for trial on a charge of obtaining £3 from Mrs Hill, who alleged that Clarke called on her, saying that he was a lawyer and had received word that a relative in New Zealand had left her £2,750. She had an uncle in New Zealand, so, believing the story, she parted with the £3 as a fee.] MAJOR BELCHER’S MISSION. EXPENSES OF NEW ZEALAND VISIT. LONDON, July 9, • (Received July 10, 11.45 p.m.) Colonel Buckley in the House of Commons, answering a question regarding the eost of Major Belcher’s visit to New Zealand in connection w'ith the British Empire Exhibition, said that Major Belcher’s salary was £1,700 plus entertainment allowance, £BOO. He understood that an expenditure of £4OB was incurred by Major Belcher’s mission, consisting of four perlons, during their stay in New Zealand, from July 3 to August 29. The visit formed part of a tour of all the dominions. It was difficult, therefore, to estimate what proportion of the cost of the Mission’s oversea transport should be allocated to the New’Zealand visit. SOMME MEMORIAL. MEMORY OF BRITISH AND FRENCH DEAD. LONDON, July 9. As the result of a great concert at the Albert Hall in memory’ of the French and British dead, £3OOO will go to the Somme battlefields memorial, commemorating every regiment, French, British, and the Overseas Dominions, which fought on the Somme. The Duke of Connaught unveiled a monument to Canadians who fought in the eecc’d battle of Yprea. ART O’BRIEN’S CASE. HOME SECRETARY’S APPEAL. PRONOUNCEMENT BY LORD BIRKENHEAD. LONDON, July 9. (Received July 10, 10.40 p.m.) Lord Birkenhead has delivered the reasons why the House of Lords had no jurisdiction to hear the Home Secretary’s appeal w the Art O'Brien ceee. Lord Birkenhead

said that their Lordships were not authorised to examine arguments in Law, whereby in lower courts, the Attorney-General attempted to justify the proceedings. The most important rule in connection with the Habeas Corpus writ was that which laid it down that if awrit was once directed to issue and its discharge was ordered by a competent court, no appeal could be made to any superior court. Correlative with this rule, was the one which permitted unsuccessful applicants for a writ to apply from court to court, to the highest tri-bunal.-in the land. The Home Secretary by forcibly handing over the applicant to the Free State Government, thereby disabled the Court of Appeal from effectively ordering discharge, and deprived him of the ancient constitutional privilege. Lord Birkenhead added that the argument submitted on behalf of the Home Secretary w r as the most remarkable he had ever heard, or read in connection with an attempt to pronounce upon the liberty of the subject. SHAKESPEARE’S FIRST FOLIO. LONDON, July 9. (Received July 10, 7.40 jtm.i. The British Museum acquired a fine copy of Shakespeare’s first folio, for £13,500. most of which was contributed by an anonymous donor. GUARDIANSHIP OF INFANTS. NEW ZEALAND AS A GUIDE. LONDON, July 9. (Received July 10, 7.40 p.m.l. Mr Frederick Sharp, a solicitor, late of Wellington, giving expert evidence before the joint committee of the House of Lords and Commons on the Guardianship of Infants’ Bill explained the New Zealand laws for safeguarding infants. The Committee was obviously impressed by New Zealand precedents.