MISCELLANEOUS CABLES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3656, 18 December 1920, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS CABLES.

LONDON, Dec. 16In the House of Commons, in reply to a question Captain Craig stated that Britain was constructing six destroyers, the Uifite'd sixtythree, Japan eight, France one, and Italy nine. LONDON, Dec. 1(3. In the House of Commons, speaking on the Army Supplementary Estimates, Mr Churchill stated that General, force at Kasvin, which was practically the sole protection of Persia and Teheran, was withdrawing"-fff the Spring. Meanwhile, '• Britain wajs trying to rouse the Persian Government to a sense of its responsibility for self-protection. It was melancholy to contemplate the possibility of the ancient capital and monarchy being engulfed in barbarism, but th&re must be a limit to Britain’s responsibilities.

PARIS, Dec. 16. A train crowded with miners proceeding to thq Sarregue mines in Lorraine collided with a goods train. Seventeen were killed and twentyfive Injured. NEW YORK, Dee. 16, Reports, from all parts of the country indicate (that individuals and business concerns :, with income taxes due to-day of between one hundred and 150 million dollars, are unable to make the payments. The recent business stringency resultd in lack of funds, and even the richest corporations are affected. A bill w r ill bo introduced in Congress " granting a six months ’ stay of income tax payments. Unless , the measure is passed hundreds will be subjected to serious penalties for mot paying income taxes when due. LONDON, Dee. 16. At the annual meeting of the Empire Parliamentary Association, Mr Amerj referred to a suggestion that a conference of delegates from branches be held in Canada in the New Year. He suggested that it would be far more preferable to hold such gatherings in London during the meeting of the Imperial Cabinet in June, when the Prime Ministers of all the Dominions would be present. Such a 'delegation, though informal, would provide a starting point for the serious consideration of post-war problems, upon which public opinion has not yet been formed, thus serving for a basis of discussion at the Imperial Constitutional Confereneje in 1922. LONDON, Dec. 16. The Treasury has issued a White Paper dealing with the accounts of Government* Departments 6nd services in assisting the food supply and promoting a continuance of trade during the war. The Ministry of Food from its inception till 31st March, 1920, shows an estimated net profit of £912,312. The original in struction was that the Ministry should be self supporting, without making a profit, which, an a turnover approaching £1,000,000,000 was less than one-tenth of one per cent. The purchases of frozen meat to 31st March, , 1919, amounted to over £197,000,000, on which the profit made was 4.45 per cent. Purchases of Australian zinc concentrates to 31st March, 1919, wer(/ valued at £1,485,198. The Wheat Commission expended in the three lears to 31st August, 1919, on purchase, freight and charges £514,774,674, and the net loss on the trading account was £B7 219,246, which represents approximately the cost of selling the loaf at ninepence.