Cateutta, Mar. 21.
Following the recent closing down of the Eat shops at Lillooah, involving 10,000 workers, the situation in the East Indian Railway is taking a serious turn, The trouble is spreading to other departments. One thousand seven hundred employees have downed their tools in sympathy with the Lillooah worker Artied police and a detachment. of the Eastern Frontier Rifles are standing by to prevent disturbances,—Reuter.
Mar.
20:—Pre sident Coolidge has sent a message to Congress asking for legislation fund the Austrian debts to the Uni ted States on at least as good terms as Austria's European creditors received, This will allow Austria to float an international loan—Reuter, which will bencRt both producers "This meeting is gravely coneerned by the possibility apparently indicated by the Secretary of State's telegram, that a decision on the whole question of control of rubber is contemplated within the period of a few weeks, and desires to protest emphatically against any curtailment of the time which is obviously necessary for adequate investigation of the varied aspects of the problem, and for the exploration of all avenues which may lead to a satisfactory solution."—Reuter, Resolution by Malayan Agricultural Association Singapore, Mar. 20.
The Malayan Agricultural Association hss adopted a retolution in favour of tk" gradual removal of rubber restriction—Reuter.
London, Mar. 20.
In the House of Commons to-day Mr, Thomas Johnston (Socialist) drew attention to the fact that the Glebe Mill, at Oldham, had been sold at a break-up price and the machinery shipped to the Far East to be operated by cheaper labour working longer hours and that 400 workers were thus thrown out of employment in England, He asked whether other similar sales of machinery were projected to Indian and Japanese capitalists and what. steps the Board of Trade proposed to take in that connection.
Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, President of the Board of Trade, replied that he was not aware of this, particular ease, but that it was fact that a number of cotton-spinning mills were being closed down and the machinery sold. Some portion of such machinery might be shipped abroad, but, he said, he had no" power to prohibit such' export. Tt was much more important, however, that there should be amalgamation ang reconstruction of the Lancashire cotton trade (which must come from within) so that new machinery might be installed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.