NEWS FROM ABROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1920, Page 5

NEWS FROM ABROAD.

CANADA VIMY MEMORIAL. Montreal, June. 1. Ministers and laymen, representing five Protestant denominations, who are meeting here, have recommended that every Protestant congregation should set aside one Sunday's collections next autumn to raise £30,000 to build a Canadian Vimy memorial church at Lens, and to present it to the Federation of Protestant churches in France, to be handed to the Huguenot Reformed Church.

CITY IN DARKNESS TO SAVE RATE. London, 31ay,18. Nottingham's usually well-lighted streets were in total darkness lust night. The step has been taken on the ground of economy, the City Council considering that the equivalent of a 2d rate will be saved by totally abolishing street lighting during the next three months. The lighting bill, which in 1918 was £4-200, last year leaped to £12,000, and this year it will advance to £26,000. CINEMAS STEAL BUSINESS FROM LONDON THEATRES. London, July 5. Theatrical managers here face a serious situation. Houses without exception are practically empty nightly. The present season is worse than during the war. "Something must happen shortly," declared a leading manager to-day. "Unless conditions improve at once there is talk of a revival of stock companies in London and plans for making stock revivals in the larger cities of the provinces to avoid the tremendous expense of travelling companies. Provincial stock companies would produce big London successes and might engage London stars for the original roles. The cinemas are doing a tremendous business and hitting the legitimate theatres hard. The increased cost of production is not met by the corresponding increase in the price of seats. Managers are talking of united action to cut the salaries of stars, which have grown tremendously since the movie producers invaded the legitimate stage for casts."

OUTLAW BOOKIE BUSY IN FRANCE. Paris, July 13. So notorious have iscandals on the turf become this season, and also gambling, that the Government is pushing Bills through the Chamber of Deputies to claer up the racing situation and curb the crooked gamblers. Though betting is illegal in France except by the parimutuels, outlaw bookraaking is general. Ten million francs are bet through the bookmakers every racing day, and the result it that, the Treasury of France loses n. million francs each day, figured at a 10 per cent, commission. . Maurice de Rothschild, owner of ii big racing stable, charged in the Chamber that jockey, are systematically pulling their horses and are in the pay of crooked bookmakers to throw the racing against the favourites. The public is cheated out of millions of francs. De Rothschild also charges that a big syndicate of crooked gamblers bought a group of jockeys and are manipulating the races. One jockey has confessed to throwing races which netted the ring many millions of francs. One Government Bill provides long prison terms for interference with a race; another penalises anyone making books. The latter will be difficult to enforce, as all French clubs have secret arrangements to handle ibets. Paris wine shop-keepers, barbers, newsmen, and hotel employees are strong in opposition to the Government's restrictive plans. The gambling fever has been high since the armistice -was signed.

GERMANY BUMPS GOODS IN BRITAIN AND STATES. London, July 16. Germany is dumping inferior surplus stocks in England and America, marking imports into England "Made in America" and those into. America "made in England," and expects to realise quickly a great sum on manufactured articles, which otherwise would not sell because of prejudice. At the same time this would discredit American manufacturers in England and English manufacturers in America when the inferiority of the products is discovered. Tlie chief lines offered are cutlery, scissors, razors, and files. The Arm of Carson.Company, Gerber Bros, and Co., Glasgow, were each fined £2O for selling German razor blades with the legend "Made in America" stamped on them. r The Government is talcing steps to block this German move. Sheffield steel manufacturers are rushing inspectors through Britain to check the stocks of retailers, detect forgeries, and report to the Government, which will order prosecutions. The trade Ims evidence that the Germans are shipping wares marked "Made in America" intended for English consumption, to New York from Hamburg, transhipping them in Liverpool, where they seemingly arrive in the ordinary course of trade from the United States. A big trade is similarly being developed in the middle Near East, especially in Egypt and India. British manufacturers see the determination of Germany to recover its grip on the world's aaarktt »!«&£,e?»W