RECONSTRUCTING THE EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2995, 5 February 1917, Page 6

RECONSTRUCTING THE EMPIRE

MORE EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH London, February 2. Lord Sclborne, speaking at the Constitutional Club, said the Imperial Conference would inevitably have to deal with Umpire problems of reconstruction, including a more equal distribution of wealth and a better understanding between the classes. The Dominions were equally concerned in these problems with the Mother Country. Tho tariff reform question would have to be approached from a perfectly new standpoint. He believed the only true solution for drawing the units of the, Empire closer was to grant them autonomous control over their own internal affairs. Sir Joseph Ward said there must be an Empire Parliament and an Empire Navy for./the Empire. Mr. J. Hodge (Minister for Labour) said that after the war he for one would not shake Germany's bloody land. •He would never participate again with Germans , in Labour or other conferences. (Cheers.).—Router. A SNUB PROM THE BENCH ' ME, PEMBERTON BILLING AGAIN. London, February 2. Mr. Pemborton Billing, M.P., was subjected to a searching cross-examin-ation during the hearing of a case in which he sued the newspaper "Globe" for damages for issuing a placard inferring that lie was employed as a spy to secure information as to Britain's air services. Questioned regarding an alleged photograph of a letter sent privately to Mr. Balfour, which figured prominently in a debate in the House of Commons, Mr. Billing stated that a friend at the Admiralty gave him the photographs of the letter. Mr. Justice Darling, in summing up, asked if Mr. Billing could fairly complain at the imputation of spying after liis admissions regarding his friend at the. Admiralty. A verdict was given for the defendant newspaper with costs.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.(Eec. February 4, 5.5 p.m.) London, February 3. Mr.- Pomberton Billing has announced that he is resigning and will seek reelection, in consequence of his law-suit.—Aus.-N.Z. CabJo Assn. FLOODS IN TEE NORTH THREE LIVES LOST AND HEAVY DAMAGE REPORTED. By Telegraph—Prtfis Association. Auckland, February 4, Reports just-to hand show that .there are floods in the Thames Valley and North Auckland. , A settler, named Alfred Attwood, 25 years of age, was drowned near Kawakawa when fording a'flooded river. Two gumdiggers, Patrick Power and Alfred Jacobsen, were carried away in their whare by the Wairoa River, and were drowned. • Slips are reported on the North Auckland line. The cutting at the mouth of the tunnel at Aharora fell in and. at Wellsford both sides of a cutting collapsed. At Wayby the line is ten feet under water, and bridges and roads are reported to have been, damaged. In the Thames Valley the line is inundated for a considerable distance. . A washout _ occurred on the Main' Trunk line this morning, near Drury, hut the north-bound train was enabled to -get through aflor a slight delay.