BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN.

LAND FOR THE WOUNDED. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE'S SCHEME. ;' Received Feb. 7, 10 p.m. London, Feb, (i. The committee of the Board of Agriculture has investigated the post war laud settlement scheme, especially that for soldiers disabled, and reports their unanimous conviction that the. scheme is attracting a large population to the land, which Britain urgently required. The committee states that in view of the obligation 'to ex-service men, and also to the highest, interests of the nation, it recommends the immediate establishment of three pioneer colonies in Britain, aggregating five 'thousand acres, under expert guidance, with elubrooms, women's institutes, entertainment halls, and the abolishing of the past dullness of rural life. It also recommends the Government to make a firs'!; grant of two millions sterling to carry out the scheme. The existing machinery for small holdings under the Act is inadequate and a new one is needed. Only fifteen hundred applicants have been received for land in the past seven years. The ideal settlement will b"e a village community of one hundred farmers, with others engaged in subsidiary agricultural trade. Implements should be let upon hire, and demonstrations given on the farms, -lam and cheese factories should be established. The minimum should .be one thousand acres for fruit and vegetables settlements, with a minimum for dairying and mixed holdings of two thousand acres.

Britain's importation of ton million pounds' worth of fresh fruit in 1013 demonstrated the opportunity of fruit farming. The rents ought to be sufficient to recoup the capital outlay and cost of management, except the salaries of the staff and ithe cost of preliminary training. the Government ought to train the disabled men and give them preference to the holdings.

THE COMPULSION ACT. TO OPERATE NEXT MONTH Received Feb. 7, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 6. The Press Bureau states that commencing from March 3 all classes under the Compulsion Act will be called up, corresponding to the Derby groups who have already been called up*.

THE COAL OUTPUT MUCH MfRE NEEDED. Received Feb. 7. 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. fi. Mr. Runciman has established a committee of officials of the Admiralty, and the Munitions, Mines, and Railways Departments, to advise district committees to ensure the increasing of the coal output and see that the needs of important industries are fully supplied. The difficulty of providing fuel in some districts has become pressing.

MORE CHEAP ADVICE. MR. CHURCHILL AND LORD FISHER WANTED. London, Feb. 6. The Observer strongly advocates Mr. Churchill being Minister of Air Services, and declares that the air defence needs his mental freshness and executive energy. It also takes up the demand made recently in many quarters that Lord Fisher should be recalled to the Admiralty. It is not doubted that Germany is preparing surprises and will make a supreme effort, by audacity and ingenuity, to destroy British sea supremacy. Lord Fisher is the only man liv.ng who has beaten Germany on all points and in everything he has been called on to do. The country must have, the benefit of his unrivalled technical genius and executive powers. NEW ZEALANDERS AT FOOTBALL. London, Feb. 6. At Rugby football. New Zealanders from Tlornchurch beat the Artists Rifle Club by 11 points to nil. There were three thousand spectators, who included many New Zealand soldiers. WHEAT SUPPLIES WANTED. London, Feb. <J. The Press Bureau says the Government discussed with the corn trade and with the Millers' Association proposals to maintain adequate stocks of wheat during tile months when its stocks were usually lowest. There was a general agreement that the stocks held by the trade, as distinct from the Government, were extremely small, and that public, discussion of any scheme they adopted would be inadvisable in the national interests.