BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN.

FOR GOD AND THE KING. » !] * V ~,, MARRIED MEN ROLL UP, , STIRRING SCENES AT WHITEHALL. r . ii THE WOMEN'S WORK. G Received May 30, 8.45 p.m. , London, May 30. Stirring scenes took place at White- , n 'hall, on the calling-up of married men , between 27 and 35 years. Most of them were strong, healthy, and vigorous, and ' all were in the best of spirits, as though ], glad that their turn had come and that they knew just where they were. The men were allowed the choice between artillery and infantry. The married men up to 41 years will ibe called up on June 13, Many women are replacing their hus- i bands, who have devoted recent weeks to training r.heir wives, and others are starting on munition works. Many wives with children have been forced to break up their homes, and are returning to their parents. THE WAR IN PARLIAMENT. 8 i r A QUESTION. OF FINANCES. ' c THE INCOME-TAX PROPOSALS. ' London, May 29. j The House of Commons discussed the c Consolidated Fund Bill. Members criti- j cised financing by short time bills and \ urged a permanent loan. < Sir F. G. Banbury declared that the ( feeling in the City was that the limit of ] safety as regards the issue of Treasury bills had almost been reached. Mr. McKenna said the Government policy could well be defended, but it was impossible under the rules of delbate. The Bill was reported unamended. Mr. McKenna, in moving the additional income-tax on American securities, said the proposal was novel, but it was necessary to provide against an adverse balance of trade with America. The export of gold and the loans raised in America had proved insufficient, bjut the purchase of American securities had operated with complete success, enabling us to pay our way and preserve a substantial balance in the United States for the payment of i our liabilities. British owners generally ! had come forward patriotically, but in i recent weeks the flow had dwindled to a i trickle. Some holders needed the spur s to remind them of .their duty to the country. The flow had already greatly •] increased, but if the 2s proved insuffi- ; cient as a spur he would ask the House i to Taise the tax, even to 20s. Sir E. Carson asked, "Why not act : how?" Mr. McKenna said there were great difficulties. . Sir F. G. Banbury declared tlie proposal was grossly unfair. They should not- single wt' particular investments. We were returning to the days of Isaac of yore. It was a bad precedent to use the income-tax as a penal instrument. Mr. William Rutherford said the proposal was sheer roblbery; it was dis- '■ honest and mean. Let the Government ' introduce a Bill employing simple compulsion. INCOME-TAX BILL PASSED. Received May 30, 5.5 p.m. London, May 29. Several members denounced the tax as inequitable and revolutionary. Others argued that when men were compelled to serve in the army the least the Government could do was to compel the sale of securities in order to provide munitions and food. The opportunity to sell was the great opportunity to serve the country. The Bill passed without a division. THE MEAT SUPPLY. Mr. Runciman said that the Government was considering the question of ' meat supppy. The consumption per , head had continually decreased during the war period. STEEL HELMETS. Mr. Tennant said he believed sufficient \ steel helmets had been issued for all the ' troops under shell-fire in France. The 1 percentage of head wounds was 12.35. L ECONOMIC MATTERS. FOOD PRICES. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received May 30, 5.5 p.m. London, Mny 29. Dominion legislation for regulating , and controlling trade and commerce in ' war time forms the basis of a growing ' agitation for the enforcement of maximum prices. It is urged that it is imperative to deal with artificial food prices, since food is ample and distribution not difficult; but prices hid been raised to suit the sellers' judgment to the limits of the consumers' endurance, and it was felt that those limits had been passed. THE HAY HARVEST. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received May 30, 5.5 p.m. London, Mty 29. The hay harvest promises to be one of the most important in British history. Seven million acres are movable, as compared with 8,200,000 last season. |" A BEER BILL. j Received May 30, 7.30 p.m. London, May 30. j In the House of Commons a Bill to j reduce the output of beer by 15 per cent. j was ead a second time. The purpose of the Bill is to reduce calls upon shipping and export of hops and malt, which ,„ is forbidden except under license. " WOMEN FOR THE HAY HARVEST. London, May 29. There was a great rush of women . applicants for the hay harvest at the beginning of the week. In a fortnight 10,000 have applied to the National Land i- League for woj*. School teachers and 's Girton and Newiftam students are asd sisting. The authorities have placed '• hundreds of women for eix months at

INTERNED GERMANS. London, May 29. The average number of interned prisoners at Alexandra Palace is jver 3000 and the official report shows one death in a year. Newspapers contrast this with the Wittenberg Camp in Germany. NAVAL HISTORY. London, May 29. Mr. Henderson, Minister of Education, received a Navy League deputation urging the teaching of naval history in secondary schools. GERMANY'S SPIRIT OF AGGRESSION. \ London, May 29. Lord Bryce, presiding at a lecture at the Union College, said that the spirit of aggression did not prevail in Liberal Germany prior to 18(14. He hoped that the defeat of Germany would mean the repudiation of the policy of aggression, revealing a higher and nobler Germany. Turkey must be divested of all territory except that inhabited by Mussulmans. THE HOLIDAY QUESTION. London, May 29. Labor representatives conferred with Mr. Lloyd George and agreed to postpone the Whitsuntide holidays until the end of July. • EMPLOYMENT OF PRISONERS. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, May 29. In view of the dearth of agricultural and other labor, it is suggested that it is expedient to employ the 15,000 German war prisoners and 32,000 alien civilians now held in England. Germany is occupying about one million prisoners, while the sole German prisoners working under British control are a few relieving the congestion at French, ports. Lord Newton, chairman of the War Prisoners Committee, feels that prisoners could be employed on a large scale, and recently induced the Home Office to agree to an experiment whereby Cheshire and Shropshire farmers might engage interned aliens in agriculture at current rates. Hitherto there has beeikiio response. j