MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

,another war vcne. £ THREE HUNDRED MILLIONS. Received July 20, 7.30 p.m. London, July 20. Mr. Asquith asks for a war credit Vote of three hundred million pounds next week. The House of Lords has passed the Finance Bill, AN IMPERIAL POLICY, * DOMKIOXS MUST BE CONSULTED. Times Service. Received July 20, 0.10 p.m. 't , London, July 20. *" The Times, in an article, deplores the Emission of the Dominions from the Empire Trade Committee, and reiterated Suit the proper course was to decide upon an Imperial policy by consulting the Dominions before the Paris Conference met. It points out that only public j.ressure enabled Mr. Hughes to repre sent the Dominions and the Empire at the Conference. The Times asks the House of Commons to assert itself and we that the Dominions are called in to participate in the subsequent stages of "tine after-war trade proposals. TRADE UNION* DEMANDS. ' V London, July 19. Seplying to a deputation from the Jtrade Union Congress regarding the regulation of the prices of food and fuel, i the increase of old age pensions, and the • conscription of riches, Mr. Asquith said the congress proposed fixing freight rates, commandeering home crops, and fixing Vne standard prices of food in various areas. It was true that the shipping companies were making large profits, but much was taken under the excess profits tax, and the interest of the country demanded that considerable reBerves should be set aside tc provide for new tonnage after the war. Germany had tried fixing maximum prices, but .he doubted Jvhether it had been successful. He wis not disposed to attempt it in the United Kingdom. As regards the conscription of riches, the incometax was «o high that lie did not think any country in the world was exacting fin equal contribution from the well-to-jlo. GENERAL ELECTION PROPOSED. . ■ London, July 10. I Tr,- 4 '" 1 Rouse of Commons Mr. Samtie\ '"S'r'ad the adoption of the Registratioi V " mittee's report. The preparation of fi'6 new electoral register, in-clurti.-K the troops, would cost £300,000 and necessitate tile employment of 20,000 V canva?sers. He deprecated a general election in war time, as it was unlikely Germany would grant an arraistace to enable the troops to vote. Sir E. Carson protested against the opera bouffe manner in which Mr. Samuel treated the matter, and deprecated the belief that a general election was impossible in war time, the question of .giving soldiers a vote had been solved in Australia and Canada. The proposed committee was a farce. Mr. Churchill described Mr. Samuel's speech as one long sneer. Mr. Asquith, in view of the criticism, withdrew the motion. He denied that the Government intended to delegate to the committee (he decision whether a general election was desirable in September, when the present Parliament .ends. He promised that the Government would consider the matter and, if possible, bring concrete proposals before the House. ILLICIT DRINKING London, July 19. ' A Frenchwoman, keeper of a restaurant in London, has been sentenced to a month's imprisonment jnd thereafter to deportatidn' for the .mlieenscd sale of liquor. The prosecution alleged that the drunkenness of soldiers was largely due to so-called restaurants, which had been the resort of overseas soldiers for . months. The provost-marshal found a number of them helplessly drunk on the premises. THE TRADE COMMITTEE. Tendon, July 19. ' 'The Trade Committee has caused astonishment. The Colonial Office explains that the committee is intended to prepare the British case for an early Imperial Conference. NO HOLIDAYS. London, July 19. After explanations bj Mr. Montagu, a meeting of employers in the engineering, shipbuilding, woollen, hosiery, and boot-malt&g trades decided to postpone the holiday*